Lab Director

Michael T. Rizzo, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Email: mtrizzo@illinois.edu
CV: CV, GoogleScholar, Publons, ORCID
Education and training:
B.S., University of California, San Diego;
Mentor: Dr. David Liu
Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park;
Mentor: Dr. Melanie Killen
Postdoctoral Fellowship, New York University;
Mentor: Dr. Marjorie Rhodes

Lab Manager

Heston Blackwell, B.S./B.E.

Lab Manager in the Developing Equitable Minds Lab

Email: hestonb2@illinois.edu
Education and training: B.S., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Computer Engineering; B.E., Zhejiang University, Computer Engineering

Bio: My name is Heston Blackwell. I recently graduated in Computer Engineering at UIUC with a dual degree from ZJU. I worked in DEML as the Unity Engineer for two years. I have a passion for game design and developing tech software that have real world applications. I enjoy studying languages, gaming and watching tv with my best friend, Ena.

Doctoral Students

Junyi Mei, B.A.

Ph.D. Student; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Psychology Department

Email: junyim4@illinois.edu
Education and training: B.A., Nanjing University

Bio: I earned my bachelor’s degree in sociology from Nanjing University, with the guidance from Dr. Xiangnan Chai.

Tim (Wei-Ting) Chao, B.Sc. (Hons)

Ph.D. Student; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Psychology Department

Email: timchao1@illinois.edu
CV: Link
Education and training: B.Sc. (Hons), University of Toronto

Bio: I completed my Honours B.Sc in psychology at the University of Toronto, where I worked with Dr. Jessica Sommerville at the Toronto Early Cognition Lab.

Ava Rooney, B.A.

Ph.D. Student; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Psychology Department

Email: arooney4@illinois.edu
Education and training: B.A., New York University

Bio: I graduated from New York University in 2022 with my B.A. in Psychology. During my undergrad I worked as a research assistant in the Conceptual Development and Social Cognition Lab (PI: Dr. Marjorie Rhodes) where I completed my honors thesis. I then spent two years as the lab manager of the Social Minds Lab (PI: Dr. Felix Warneken) at the University of Michigan.

Masters Students

Siqi Zhao, B.S.

Masters Student; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Psychology Department

Email:

Bio: I earned my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. During my undergraduate studies, I worked as a research assistant in Dr. Richard M. Lee’s Counseling Psychology Lab.

Sean Thorton, B.A

Masters Student; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Art & Design Department

Email: st38@illinois.edu

Bio: I create stories that seek to teach positive behaviors to children to foster a more understanding society. I am also interested in how beliefs are formed and how those beliefs grow, solidify, and shape our world. I want to use my work as a vehicle to affect change: creating stories with positive characters and messages I hope to appeal to a large audience and disseminate ideas that will encourage a more just, equitable and inclusive world.

Research Assistants

Serena Kamer

Bio: My name is Serena Kamer, and I am from Naperville, IL. I am a sophomore majoring in Psychology, with current interests in developmental and clinical psychology. I enjoy working with and helping kids. In my free time, I love playing pickleball, going on walks, reading, hanging out with friends, listening to music, watching movies, and taking pictures. On campus, I am involved in Alpha Delta Pi, Women in Psychology, Caring Companions Initiative, Pickleball Club, and Intramurals.

Nilofar Sanchez

Bio: My name is Nilofar Sanchez, but I like to go by Nilo! I’m a sophomore from Gurnee, IL, majoring in Interdisciplinary Psychology and minoring in Chemistry. I am particularly interested in developmental and cognitive psychology, especially the intersection of the two. Outside of school, I enjoy returning to my job at the Boys and Girls Club due to the joy I get from working with children. In my free time, I love listening to music, playing my instruments, going on walks, trying new coffee shops, and spending time with my family, friends, and dog named Chubby.

Olivia Tacik

Bio: My name is Olivia Tacik, and I am a research assistant from Chicago, Illinois. I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in Spanish and possibly Economics. I am passionate about developmental and behavioral psychology, particularly focusing on individuals with learning disabilities or developmental delays. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to work closely with this population, which deepened my commitment to supporting and advocating for their needs. I am working toward becoming a registered behavior technician next year and plan to pursue a graduate program in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, with the goal of specializing in work with children with autism.

Madeline McCammon

Bio: My name is Madeline McCammon, and I am from Chicago, Illinois. I am a junior majoring in Interdisciplinary Psychology with a minor in Business. I am especially interested in developmental and cognitive psychology, with a strong passion for working with children. In the future, I hope to pursue a career that allows me to support and advocate for kids through research and applied work. Outside of academics, I enjoy working out, traveling, exploring new places with friends and family, cooking, and swimming.

Skylar Hartley

Bio: My name is Skylar Hartley, I am a sophomore from Urbana, Illinois pursuing a degree in Psychology. I’m especially interested in developmental psychology and how children’s environments shape their behavior. My future career interests include supporting children impacted by adverse or stressful early life experiences. I am a member of Psi Beta and outside of school, I work at a movie theater! In my spare time I enjoy photography, gaming and am a movie enthusiast!

Sara Ann Oh

Bio: My name is Sara Oh, and I am from St. Charles, Illinois! I am a senior majoring in Developmental Psychology with a minor in Child Health and Well-being. My interests center around childhood and adolescent development in the context of environmental stressors and trauma. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, going on long walks with my friends, and listening to music.

Brian Graves

Bio: Brian is a fourth-year PhD candidate in a multidisciplinary program at UIUC. He develops educational video games with a focus on accessibility. His lived experience as a wheelchair user informs efforts to create and advocate for more robust accessibility options. In his spare time, he watches PBS and plays logic, puzzle, and adventure games that he can now call research.

Hyo-In Jensine Won

Bio: I recently graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Graphic Design. My work explores how visual storytelling, accessible communication, and tactile design tools can support emotional expression in psychology and healthcare contexts. I am especially interested in how design can help children and families understand and communicate complex experiences beyond words.

Jason Wong

Bio: My name is Jason Wong, and I am from Palo Alto, CA. I am a junior majoring in Psychology and hoping to go to medical school. I love working with kids, and I am pursuing a career in child psychiatry or therapy. During my free time I enjoy playing badminton, listening to music, and playing video games.

Christina Youakim

Bio: My name is Christina Youakim, and I am a junior majoring in Interdisciplinary Psychology. My main interests are developmental and social psychology. More specifically, I like learning how children are influenced by their social environments. In my free time I like to read, listen to music, learn new languages, and enjoy traveling. On campus I am involved in Women in Psychology, Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, and CodeRed.