Seed Lab
Self-regulation, emotions, and early development lab
Alumni
2026 Alumni
Frances Andersen – Research Assistant. During her time at UMass, Frances was in the Commonwealth Honors College and received a B.A. in Psychology with a Minor in Education. She is currently working as a family support worker at Clinical and Support Options in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. There, she has become a resource to give back to the community where she was raised and help represent the queer clients she works with. She plans to return to get her master’s degree in expressive arts therapy after taking a year or two to get experience working in the field.
2025 Alumni
Sujin Lee – Lab co-coordinator. During her time at UMass, she was in the Commonwealth Honors College, majored in Psychology, was an Admission Diversity Fellow for UMass Admissions, a UMass Running Club member and was the President of the Korean Students Association. She loves spending her free time outdoors playing spike ball, tennis, swimming, jokgu and pickleball. She is currently pursuing a master’s in nursing (MRN) at Northeastern University on the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner track.
Paige Alcott – Lab co-coordinator. During her time at UMass, Paige majored in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and Psychology. She was a part of the radio club, participated in Special Olympics, and worked at the Center for Women & Community. Previously, she was an after-school teacher at a Montessori school and a horseback riding counselor at a summer camp. In her free time, you can catch her listening to ‘70s classics or running around the block. Paige is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Worcester State University.
Srika Raviraj – Lab co-coordinator. During her time at UMass, Srika received a B.S. in Psychology and was on the Pre-Med track. She worked as a medical scribe, and worked towards her EMT certification. She was a member of the UMass Fiber Arts Club: In Stitches and the UMass Board Game Club. She loves working with children and is interested in proactive approaches to mental health, including preventative care. In the future she is interested in becoming a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist. In her free time, she loves to read mystery novels, sing, and crochet. Srika is currently an intern at UMass Mind Clinical & Research Program, in the Community Intervention Program.
Libby Staples – Research assistant. During her time at UMass, Libby majored in Psychology with minors in Business and Spanish. She is passionate about working with children and worked as an America Reads tutor at a local elementary school. Libby hopes to one day become a clinical psychologist and open a private practice. In her free time, she enjoys kayaking, doing arts and crafts, and traveling. Libby is currently an Administrative Assistant at the Boston University Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM).
2024 Alumni
Mackenzie Louison – Lab co-coordinator. During her time at UMass, she received a B.S. in Psychology with certificate in Social Work and Social Welfare and minors in Business and Education. Mackenzie was a Peer Mentor for first year students, where she helped them transition into college and supported them academically. In the future, Mackenzie wishes to have her own private practice where she can work with children and families. Mackenzie loves watching New Girl, baking chocolate chip cookies, and surrounding herself with friends and family. She is currently a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in social work (MSW) at the University of Connecticut.
Lynnea Mayorga – Lab coordinator, currently a Research Project Assistant at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Portteia Davidson – Research Assistant, currently a Graduate Student pursuing a master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) at Salem State University!
Molly Andrews – Research Assistant, currently a Translational Research Coordinator at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Alex Dhima – Research Assistant, currently a Clinical Research Coordinator at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School
Hillary Okpabi – Research Assistant. undergraduate student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
2023 Alumni
Juliet Barry – Lab coordinator, planning to pursue PhD at University of Auckland
Shriya Agrawal – Research Assistant, honors thesis, lab coordinator in Dr. Youngsun Cho’s lab at the Yale Child Study Center!
Sherley De La Rosa Mejia – Research Assistant, honors thesis, lab coordinator at Harvard MGH working in Dr. Meghan Sise’s Nephrology Lab!
Anna Lai – Research Assistant, research data coordinator for Boston’s Children’s Hospital
2022 Alumni
Adrelys Mateo Santana – Lab coordinator, pursuing PhD in Clinical Psychology at USC
Dr. Sarah McCormick – Graduate student, earned PhD in Developmental Science at UMass Amherst in 2022
Katherine Edell – Research Assistant, honors thesis
Philip Dorfman – Research Assistant, honors thesis
Caitlyn Calicchia – Research Assistant, honors thesis
2021 Alumni
Cody Lenart – Research Assistant, employed at Sanofi
Makayla Dones – Research Assistant, honors thesis
2020 Alumni
Kari Thomsen – Research Assistant, doctoral student at the University of Memphis
Shira Kahn-Samuelson – Research Assistant, lab manager at Princeton University
Andrea Schlesinger – Research Assistant, earned overall outstanding senior award
Kate Schnacterle – Research Assistant, graduate student at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio
Angela Bassett – Research Assistant, earned Psychology Major Outstanding Thesis Award
2018 Alumni
Alexa Monachino – Research Assistant, Lab manager at Cogen Lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Kodi – Research Assistant, dog
Brian Lidell – Research Assistant
Amanda Nabasaliza – Research Assistant, clinical research assistant at Boston Children’s Hospital
Daniela Kessler – Research Assistant, physician assistant student at Duke University
