People

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PPEL Studies Team

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Faculty

Dr. Heather Bachman

Heather Bachman

Dr. Heather Bachman is an associate professor of applied developmental psychology in the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. She also has secondary faculty appointments in the Department of Psychology and the Learning Sciences and Policy program. Dr. Bachman has an extensive background in early academic and social development, family and classroom processes, and policy-relevant research with low-income families. She has been funded by the NICHD, NSF, the Spencer Foundation, and the National Center for Family and Marriage Research to examine key contextual factors in the home, classroom, and public policies that promote low-income children's well-being. Dr. Bachman completed her Ph.D. and master's degree in developmental psychology at Loyola University Chicago. She completed her postdoctoral training in multidisciplinary policy research at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University. Dr. Bachman graduated from Wheaton College with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Outside of the lab, Dr. Bachman enjoys playing with her son and meeting with her fabulous Pitt book group.

Heather's School of Education profile

Heather's Department of Psychology profile

Dr. Melissa Libertus

Melissa Libertus

Dr. Melissa Libertus is an associate professor in the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychology and a research scientist at the Learning Research and Development Center. Her research focuses on how young children think and learn about the world around them. She completed her Ph.D. in psychology and neuroscience at Duke University and her postdoctoral fellowship at the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. She graduated from the University of Osnabrück in Germany with a bachelor's degree in cognitive science.

Fun Fact: When Dr. Libertus moved to Pittsburgh from Germany, she finally realized why her bike has 24 gears. She needs to use all of them for her work commute to get up and down the steep hills between Greenfield and Oakland.

Dr. Elizabeth Votruba-Drzal

Elizabeth Votruba-Drzal

Dr. Elizabeth Votruba-Drzal is a professor of psychology and a senior scientist at the Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh. She is also a faculty affiliate at the University of Pittsburgh's Center on Race and Social Problems. Dr. Votruba-Drzal's research focuses on how dimensions of socioeconomic status, including income and education, shape child and adolescent development. Additionally, Dr. Votruba-Drzal addresses a range of research questions with relevance for characterizing and addressing inequality in children's life chances. She received a Ph.D. in human development and social policy from Northwestern University. She graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in social relations. Outside of her work life, Dr. Votruba-Drzal enjoys spending time with her family as well as reading, running, hiking, skiing, and practicing yoga.

Research Associate

Portia Miller

Portia Miller

Portia Miller is a research associate on the PPEL studies. Her research goals focus on investigating how economic disadvantage impacts child and adolescent development, with a particular interest in examining factors that contribute to or can alleviate income disparities in school readiness. In pursuing these goals, Portia has studied how children's early contexts, like neighborhoods and child care, shape the academic and behavioral development of ethnically-diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged children. She uses an interdisciplinary approach that integrates theories and methods from psychology, developmental psychopathology, economics, and sociology. Portia earned a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. She also received a J.D. and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. In her spare time, Portia enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

Students

Jorge Carvalho Pereira

Jorge Carvalho Pereira

Jorge is a graduate student in the Cognitive and Developmental Psychology programs. His research interests center on understanding how diverse, early social-cognitive interactions in home and learning environments contribute to the development of children's mathematical abilities and competence in academic domains. Jorge graduated with a master's degree in psychology from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Delaware. In his spare time, Jorge loves doing escape rooms and is always looking for his newest room to venture into and escape within the hour.

Linsah Coulanges

Linsah Coulanges

Linsah Coulanges is a first-year graduate student in the Developmental Psychology program. Linsah's research focuses on identifying factors that can contribute to minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged children's academic achievement. She received a master's degree in psychology from Boston University. Linsah graduated from Rutgers University with a bachelor's degree in psychology and minors in Spanish and education. She is a current member of the Psychology Equity and Inclusion Committee (PEIC) in the Department of Psychology. In her spare time, Linsah enjoys traveling and cooking.

Shirley Duong

Shirley Duong

Shirley Duong is a graduate student in the Cognitive Psychology program. Her research interests include identifying qualitative aspects of the home learning environment (HLE) that relate to children's early math skills and exploring innovative methods for measuring the HLE. Shirley graduated from the University of New Haven with a bachelor's degree in psychology and minor in mathematics. In her spare time, Shirley enjoys drawing, baking, and playing chess.

Danielle Fox

Danielle Fox

Danielle Fox is a third-year student in the Cognitive Psychology program. Her research interests include how the home learning environment is associated with children's math outcomes, specifically spatial cognition. Danielle earned a master's degree in teaching from the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor's degree in political science from Duquesne University. In her spare time Danielle enjoys spending time with her family.

Tamara Podvysotska

Tamara Podvysotska

Tamara Podvysotska is a second-year graduate student in the Developmental Psychology program. Tamara's research focuses on how economic events influence children's health and cognitive development. She graduated from the Kyiv School of Economics with a master's degree in economics. In her spare time, Tamara enjoys traveling with her family, painting, and playing board games.

Chelsea Ptak

Chelsea Ptak

Chelsea Ptak is a first-year graduate student in the Developmental Psychology program. Her research interests include examining socioeconomic status and studying how different contextual factors, especially public policy, contribute to child development. She graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Chelsea previously conducted research focused on early childhood literacy at the American Institutes for Research. Outside of the lab, Chelsea enjoys hiking, kayaking, and watching movies.

Staff

Grace Connors

Grace Connors

Grace Connors is a Research Assistant on the PPEL studies. She recently graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a bachelor's degree in Public Health Policy and Administration. She also minored in Human Capital Management and Leadership. Grace is the Program Coordinator for Semper Gratus., a local non-profit organization, which has further pushed her passion for helping others and in the context of the PPEL project, helping parents best prepare their children for success while still having fun! She hopes to begin working toward an MPH in the near future so that she can continue to help others in many capacities. Grace loves to dance, read, and play her oboe!

Jessie Ferraro

Jessie Ferraro

Jessie Ferraro is the project coordinator for the PPEL Studies. Jessie earned an MPH in Public Health Genetics from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a double major in Biology and Anthropology. Since completing her master's degree, Jessie has worked in research with young children and their families - first in oral health research and now in cognitive development at the Pitt Kids' Thinking Lab and the Pitt PPEL studies.

Julija Hetherington

Julija Hetherington

Julija Hetherington is the data manager for the PPEL studies at the Learning Research and Development Center. Julija earned a Master of Science degree in Computer Science and has over 23 years of data management experience on several NIH-funded longitudinal studies including designing, creating, and maintaining databases. Julija has previously worked as a data manager in two different labs in the Psychology Department at the University of Pittsburgh. Outside of her work life, Julija enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, dancing, and doing photography.

Maggie Laird

Maggie Laird

Maggie Laird is a research assistant on the PPEL studies. She analyzes data from home visits and writes study web page content. Maggie received a master's degree in rhetoric from Carnegie Mellon University. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor's degree in psychology and English literature. Maggie previously worked as a research assistant at the Developmental and Motivation Research Lab at the University of Pittsburgh. Outside of the lab, Maggie enjoys spending time with her family and watching movies.

Lab Alumni

  • Laura Betancur
  • Lorraine Blatt
  • Serena Braun
  • Leanne Elliot
  • Hateya Foxx
  • Natalie Heywood
  • Margaret Isaacson
  • Juliana Kammerzell
  • Amber Liller
  • Dominique Lopiccolo
  • Brittany McDowell
  • Taylor Montue
  • Monica Navarro
  • Erica Schweitzer
  • Olivia Sidoti
  • Annette Tull
  • Erica Zippert