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

Ali Buesing, B.S.

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

Email: buesing6@illinois.edu
Education and training: B.S., Northwest Missouri State University

Bio: I am a second-year master’s student in Psychological Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Before joining UIUC, I received my B.S. in Psychology from Northwest Missouri State University in 2024. My current research focuses on moral development, with an emphasis on how peer relationships support moral and social growth in early childhood.

Sean Thorton, B.A

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

Email: st38@illinois.edu
Education and training:

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.

Undergraduate Students

Ineassa Dassani

Bio: My name is Ineassa Dassani, and I am a senior majoring in Psychology from New Delhi, India. I am interested in developmental as well as social psychology and the combination of the two. Besides this, my other involvements on campus include being the Career Expo Committee Head of Women in Psychology and an LAS Intern. In my free time, I love listening to music (currently in my Folklore era), crocheting, watching sitcoms and baking. I am also a professional musician classically trained in Tabla (an Indian instrument).

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.

Amy Perez

Bio: Hi! My name is Amy Perez, I am a first-generation undergraduate student from Waukegan, Illinois studying developmental psychology. I plan on pursuing a master’s in educational psychology degree with a focus on mental health counseling next fall. In my free time I like to read, crochet, play rock band, listen to music, and spend time with friends and family.

Riley Hernandez

Bio: Hi I’m Riley Hernandez! I’m a junior majoring in Clinical Psychology with a minor in Business. As a Board Certified Autism Technician and Certified Mental Health Technician, my interests currently gear towards working with children, adolescence, and young adults. My ambitions are to apply to graduate school for counseling psychology, and I am interested in learning more about trauma development, family conflicts, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and OCD. I am excited to begin my research experience in the DEM Lab and further my knowledge in the psychological field.

Madeline McCammon

Bio: My name is Madeline McCammon, and I am from Chicago, Illinois. I am a sophomore 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!