Postdoctoral Fellows:

Naomi Aguiar, Ph.D.
Dr. Aguiar received her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Oregon.  Her research focused on children’s concepts of virtual characters and social robots, and how these concepts change over the course of development and through experience with these technologies.  She is also interested in children’s experiences of fully immersive virtual environments, and their concepts of the characters that inhabit these spaces.  Dr. Aguiar is now an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater.

Bradley Bond, Ph.D.
Dr. Bond received a BA (’04) in communication from Bradley University before completing his MA (’06) and PhD (’11) in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois. Dr. Bond’s focus is on media psychology; his research examines the relationship between media exposure and sexual identity development during adolescence. At the CDMC, he was involved in multiple National Science Foundation-funded projects examining the media experience during early childhood. He is currently an Associate Professor of Communication at the University of San Diego.

Alice Ann Howard Gola, Ph.D.
Dr. Gola received a B.S. in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received her Ph.D. in developmental psychology at the University of Connecticut. Her research at the CDMC focused on investigating how the language and features of screen media influence very young children’s social and cognitive development. She is currently a Social Science Research Analyst at the USDA.

Jennifer Kotler-Clarke, Ph.D.
Dr. Kotler received her Ph.D. in Child Development from the University of Texas at Austin where she spent her time as a researcher at the Center for Research on Influences of Television on Children. She subsequently received post-doctoral training at Georgetown University where she coordinated the Children and Media Project, which assessed children’s learning from educational television. She is now Assistant Vice President of Content Research & Evalutation at Sesame Workshop.

Tiffany Pempek, Ph.D.
Dr. Pempek received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her research interests focus on the impact of media on development and the cognitive processes involved in children’s media use. Her work centers around understanding the attentional processes employed in children’s media use as well how this knowledge informs our general understanding of the development of the attention systems early in life. Dr. Pempek’s primary research goals are to understand media use in two specific domains: very early development and children’s health issues. She is now Associate Professor of psychology at Hollins University.

Kate Brunick, Ph.D.

Dr. Brunick received her Ph.D. in Psychology from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY after receiving B.A.s from The College of William and Mary in Psychology and Linguistics. Her research focuses on formal features of children’s media, and how low-level parameters of contingency can be manipulated to help children learn from “interactive” television and media characters. Her research goal is understanding how low-level perceptual and cognitive features of media can be effectively used to maximize learning from screen media.  She is now a Research Analyst at Zero To Three.

 

Doctoral Graduates:

Marisa Putnam, M.P.P., Ph.D.

Dr. Marisa Putnam earned a Masters in Public Policy and Ph.D. in the Human Development and Public Policy track of the Georgetown University Psychology Department.  A National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow while at Georgetown, Dr. Putnam’s research primarily examined how children’s parasocial relationships with digital media characters influence children’s health and STEM learning outcomes. Her dissertation work focused on how children’s parasocial relationships are associated with gender and stereotypes in the context of learning early STEM concepts.  Dr. Putnam is now a Research Associate at MEF Associates.

Amanda Staiano (Exner), M.P.P., Ph.D.

Dr. Staiano earned a Masters in Public Policy at GPPI and her Ph.D. in the Human Development and Public Policy track of the Psychology department at Georgetown University. Her main research focus was on the effects of exergames (i.e. video games that require gross motor activity) on adolescents’ physical, cognitive, and social health. She is now an Assistant Professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Director of the Pediatric Obesity and Health Behavior Laboratory.

Alexis Lauricella, Ph.D.

Dr. Lauricella earned her Ph.D. in the Human Development and Public Policy track of the Psychology department at Georgetown University. She developed an interest in developmental psychology and media through her undergraduate work at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and her experience at Sesame Workshop. She was a post-doctoral fellow for Dr. Ellen Wartella and a Lecturer and Research Associate at Northwestern University.  Dr. Lauricella is now an assistant professor and Director of the Technology in Early Childhood Center at the Erikson Institute.

Melissa Richards, M.P.P., Ph.D.

Melissa earned her Masters in Public Policy and her Ph.D. in the Human Development and Public Policy track of the Psychology department at Georgetown University. Her main research focus was on children’s attachments to media characters and how this may affect children’s learning from screen technologies. Melissa was a post-doctoral fellow at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in the lab of Dr. Marc H. Bornstein. She is now a contractor for Child and Family Research at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

 

Graduate Research Assistants:

Barrie Adleberg

M.A., Culture, Communication, and Technology (2013) from Georgetown University

Now a Lab Associate and Interaction Designer at the Columbia Digital Storytelling Lab

 

Christina Baker
M.A., Psychology, Catholic University

Now an author

 

Gina Dyson
M.A., Communication, Culture and Technology (2001) from Georgetown University

J.D. (2015) from University of Baltimore
Now Senior Director of Student Affairs and Title IX Coordinator at Walden University

 

Rob Ellis
M.A., Communication, Culture and Technology (2006) from Georgetown University

J.D. (2011) from American University
Now a Solution Architect at Acquia and an Attorney

 

Elizabeth Fantini

B.S., Psychology (2018) from Syracuse University

Now a 2d Lieutenant in the United States Air Force

 

Edward Gonzales, Jr.
M.A., Communication, Culture and Technology (2000) from Georgetown University

 

David Huffaker
M.A., Communication, Culture and Technology (2004)
Ph.D., Northwestern University
Now Senior Staff UX Research at Google

 

Eliza Jacobs
M.A., Communication, Culture and Technology (2005) from Georgetown University
Ph.D., Mass Communication/Media Studies (2009) from Temple University
Now Associate Director of Consumer Insights at PBS

 

Katherine Jacobs
Ph.D., Psychology (2001) from Georgetown University

Now President of the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group

 

Abby Jenkins
M.A., Communication, Culture and Technology (2002) from Georgetown University
Now Senior Director of Content at PBS Kids Digital

 

Sean Lai
M.A., Communication, Culture and Technology (2003) from Georgetown University

Now a Project Line Lead at Ubiquiti Networks

 

Brian Mahler
M.A., Communication, Culture and Technology (2003) from Georgetown University

J.D. from New England School of Law

Now an attorney

 

Katherine J. Murray
M.A., Communication, Culture and Technology (2004) from Georgetown University

Ph.D., Communication from Stanford University

Now a researcher at Stanford University

 

Joy Nissen

B.A., Peace and Conflict Studies from Colgate University

Currently pursuing a Psy.D. at Widener University

 

Katrina Pariera
M.A., Communication, Culture and Technology (2009) from Georgetown University

Ph.D., Communication (2014) from the University of Southern California

Now an Assistant Professor of Communication at George Washington University

 

Robert Ramsey
M.A., Communication, Culture and Technology from Georgetown University

 

Jennifer Wells
M.A. Communication, Culture and Technology (2006) from Georgetown University
Now a Vice President at PlayCollective

 

Kirk Willard
M.A, Communication, Culture and Technology (2001) from Georgetown University

Now a Territory Sales Director at DealerOn Inc

 

Sean Zehnder
M.A., Communication, Culture and Technology (2002) from Georgetown University
Now CTO of Consolo Services Group

 

 

Undergraduate Research Assistants:

Marybeth Arcodia

B.A., Math (2014) from Georgetown University 

 

Natasha Birnbaum

B.A., Psychology and Theology (2007) from Georgetown University

Now VP at Global Partnerships and Mogul at Work

 

Brian Borromeo
B.A., Psychology (2012) from Georgetown University

Now a copywriter at Form & Fiction

 

Adrienne Bramlett
B.A., Psychology (2000) from Georgetown University

Now an attorney

 

Alessandra Caruso
B.A., Psychology (2013) from Georgetown University

Now a research Assistant at NIH

 

Sana Charania

B.S., Biology of Global Health (2017) from Georgetown University

Now an RA II at Yale University

 

Emily Conger
B.A., Psychology from Georgetown University
MPP, Georgetown Public Policy Institute

 

Caroline Cotto

B.S., Human Science (2014) from Georgetown University

Now a Farm Apprentice at an organic farm in Italy

 

Elise DeDominicis

B.A., Psychology (2015) from Georgetown University

 

Krista Engemann
B.A., Psychology and German (2013) from Georgetown University

MBA in Management and International Business from Iona College (2014)
Now pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Science at UNCC (expected 2018)

 

Kevin Englert
B.A., Psychology and Spanish (2007) from Georgetown University

Now the Senior Manager of Video Ad Solutions at Buzzfeed

 

Sophia Farfan

B.A., Government and Psychology (2019) from Georgetown University

 

Audra Fitzgerald

B.A., Linguistics and Spanish (2018) from Georgetown University

 

Melissa Friedman 
B.A., Psychology
Now pursuing Ph.D.

 

Marie Frolich

B.A., Psychology (2018) from Georgetown University

Now pursuing a DPT from Columbia University 

 

Lizann Gallagher 
B.A., Psychology

 

Maggie Girard
B.A., Psychology (2012) from Georgetown University

J.D. (2017) from Columbia Law School

Currently an attorney at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP

 

Samantha Goodrich
B.A., Psychology (2008) from Georgetown University
Now pursuing a PhD in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Connecticut

 

Phillip Hammack 
B.A., Psychology (1998) from Georgetown University
Ph.D. from University of Chicago
Now a Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz

 

Matthew Hammar 
B.A., Psychology (2001) from Georgetown University
Now VP and Learning Manager at PNC

 

Annabelle Heisley

Expected B.A. in Psychology (2019) from Georgetown University

 

Christine M. Hluchan
B.A., Psychology and Government (2008) from Georgetown University

M.D. (2017) from Georgetown University School of Medicine

Now a resident at John Hopkins University

 

Jaclyn Horowitz

B.A., Psychology (2016) from Georgetown University

Now Program Manager of the Learning and Development Lab at Georgetown University 

 

Alison Kuhl 
B.A., Psychology (2002)

 

Genevieve Lai

B.S., International Health (2018) from Georgetown University

 

Laura Phillipe Larson 
B.A., Psychology from Georgetown University
M.A., Religious Studies (2010) from Yale Divinity School

 

Mickey Lee
B.A., Psychology (2005) from Georgetown University

Now the owner of Moon Taiji One, a martial arts center in the Washington Metropolitan Area.

 

Kristina Lignell

Expected B.A. in Computer Science and German (2020) from Georgetown University

 

Angella Liu

B.A., Psychology (2018) from Georgetown University

Now pursuing a M.D. from University of Sydney Medical School

 

Brigid McCaffrey

B.A., Psychology (2018) from Georgetown University

 

Bridget Mullen

B.A., Psychology and English from Georgetown University (2015)

Now an Account Executive at McCann New York

 

William Murray
B.A., Psychology (1998) from Georgetown University
Now a User Experience Designer at Fidelity Investments

 

Christine Paces
B.A., Psychology

 

Georgia Papatheodorou
B.A., Psychology (2009)

 

Jacqueline Pasulka
B.A., Psychology (2012)

Now a Research Assistant at Loyola University Chicago

 

Marta Perez
B.A., Psychology and Biology (2010) from Georgetown University
M.D. (2014) from Vanderbilt University

Now a Gynecologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital

 

Nancy Perez

B.A., Psychology (2019) from American University

 

Katherine Poplawski
B.A., Psychology (2013) from Georgetown University
MSW (2016) from the University of Chicago

Now works in Customer Success & Acquisition at Triggr Health

 

Alessandra Puccio

B.A., Psychology and English (2017) from Georgetown University

Now a Junior Associate Producer at DailyMailTV

 

Michael Riboli
B.A., Psychology

 

Elana Richmond 

B.A., Psychology and English (2016) from Georgetown University

Now a Program Coordinator at Screening for Mental Health Inc.

 

Molly Roach

B.A., Psychology (2015) Georgetown University

Now volunteering with the Jesuit Volunteers Corps

 

Kristin Savoye
B.A., Psychology (1999) from Georgetown University
Now a Human Resources Consultant at Acorda Therapeutics, Inc.

 

Mollie Schmitz
B.A., Psychology (2008)
Now instructor at The Auburn School

 

Nicole Schwab

Expected B.A. in Psychology (2018) from Georgetown University

 

Lauren Seibel

B.A., Psychology and Economics (2019) from Georgetown University

Now a Research Associate at NYU Langone Health

 

Erin Shockey
B.A., Psychology (2000) from Georgetown University

Ph.D., Clinical Child Psychology (2008) from St. John’s University

Now a Clinical Psychologist at The Psychological Health Collaborative, PLLC

 

Elizabeth Seaman
B.A., Psychology (2012)
Ph.D., Behavioral and Community Health (2018)  from the University of Maryland

Now a Cancer Research Training Award Fellow at the National Cancer Institute

 

Jennifer Torres Ortega
B.A., Psychology (2013)

 

Alex Verdaguer
B.A., Psychology and Linguistics (2011) from Georgetown University

M.B.A., (2018) from UCLA

 

Jessica Walsh
B.A., Psychology
Now pursuing a Masters of Education and Human Development at George Washington University in Early Childhood Special Education

 

Charlotte Wright

B.A., Psychology (2016) from Georgetown University

 

Yevdokiya (Dussy) Yermolayeva
B.A., Psychology (2008) from Georgetown University

Ph.D., Psychology (2013) from Carnegie Mellon University

Now a Product and Marketing Manager at Verity International Limited

 

Emily Zuckerman

B.A., Psychology (2019) from Georgetown University

  

 

Summer Interns:

Christine Hildreth

B.A. in Neurobiology (2016) from Princeton University

 

Lindsay Rosenthal 

B.A. in Child Psychology (2015) from Duke University

 

Miranda Nadeo

Expected B.A. in Psychology (2018) from Pennsylvania State University

 

Lena Deb

Expected B.A. in Economics (2018) from Georgetown University

 

Katharine Shambaugh

Expected B.A. in Neuroscience and Psychology (2018) from Smith College

 

Lauren Webb

B.A. in Psychology (2015) from Georgetown University,  M.A. in Psychology (2017) from American University

Now pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Hofstra University

 

 

 

Past Staff:

Lisa Alvy
B.A., Psychology
Now pursuing a Ph.D. at University of Illinois Chicago

 

Kimberly Charis
CDMC Research Assistant
M.S., Social Policy and Law
Now Project Associate at the National Association of State Boards of Education in Arlington, VA

 

Jessie Connell
CDMC Research Assistant
Now pursuing a Ph.D. in Family Social Science at University of Minnesota

 

Dan Galloway
CDMC Research Assistant
B.A., Psychology, Georgetown University (2013)

Now working at the American Psychological Association

 

Courtney Kent
CDMC Research Assistant

B.A., Psychology, Georgetown University (2011)
Now pursuing an MSW from University of California, Los Angelese

 

Elisabeth Mah

CDMC Research Assistant 

B.A., Psychology and East Asian Studies, Smith College (2015) 

Now a Research Assistant at the University of Michigan 

 

Bonnie Strong
CDMC Administrator
M.A., Communication, Culture and Technology
Now Knowledge Management Consultant at International Resources Group in Washington, D.C.

 

Gabrielle Strouse
CDMC Research Assistant and Lab Manager
Ph.D in Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University

Now a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Michigan

 

Amanda Terry
CDMC Research Assistant

 

Isabella Alvarez

B.A. in Communication (2016) from University of Southern California

CDMC Research Assistant