Current Members

Principal Investigators

R. Brooke Lea

Macalester College

Title: DeWitt Wallace Professor of Psychology

Education: B.A., Haverford College; M.A. and Ph.D., New York University

Hometown: Washington D.C.

Brooke specializes in human cognition, with an emphasis on higher mental processes. His research interests include theories of discourse comprehension, models of human logical competence, the interaction between culture and cognition, and comprehension processes involved in reading poetry. He serves on the editorial board of Psychological Bulletin. He teaches courses on cognition, psychology of language, experimentation and statistics, and introductory psychology.

Dave Matz

Augsburg College

Title: Professor, Department of Psychology

Education: B.A., Bemidji State University; M.S., North Dakota State University, Ph.D., Texas A&M University

Hometown: Detroit Lakes, MN

Dave is a social psychologist with interests in groups and group decision making, cognitive dissonance, evolutionary psychology and mate selection, and the relationship between religion and prejudice. He is the author of numerous articles on these topics and serves as a reviewer for several scientific journals. He teaches courses on social psychology, statistics, and research methods.

Lab Supervisors

Gaby Carrillo-Quiñones

Class of 2027

Major: Psychology

Minors: Neuroscience and Spanish

Hometown: Saint Paul, Minnesota

Pronouns: she/her

Gaby is all about understanding how people think, grow, and behave—which is why she’s drawn to behavioral, developmental, and cognitive psychology. When she’s not deep in psych, she’s playing for the Mac women’s soccer team, getting lost in a book, or hanging out with friends and her pets. Fun fact: She doesn’t have a middle name—just Gaby. Call it mysterious, call it efficient, or just call her Gaby!

Olivia LaPointe

Class of 2027

Major: Psychology

Concentration: Cognitive Science

Hometown: West Hartford, Connecticut

Pronouns: she/her

Within psychology, Olivia is most interested in early childhood cognitive development and public health intervention policy within vulnerable populations with SUD. Other than working in the iLab, Olivia loves to ski, bake, and see live music. Did you know she can do a headstand on a paddleboard for a minute?

Ingrid Norquist

Class of 2027

Majors: Spanish and Psychology

Hometown: Coon Rapids, Minnesota

Pronouns: she/they

Ingrid is fascinated by cognitive and clinical/counseling psychology. When not immersed in psych, you can probably find her outside—hammocking, biking, running, or hiking (sometimes all in one day). They also love discovering cozy coffee shops, making art, and wandering through farmer’s markets. As a member of Macalester’s women’s track and cross country teams, they’re always on the move—literally. Fun fact: Ingrid plays the cello! Talk about range.

Lab Members

Lucas Meyer

Class of 2029

Majors: Psychology and Neuroscience

Hometown: San Diego, California

Pronouns: he/him

Lucas is fascinated by cognitive psychology, particularly predictive processing and the ways our brains make sense of the world around us. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing basketball, exploring nature, and spending time with friends. When he’s in the kitchen, you can usually count on him to make a great plate of fried rice!

Hazel Huang

Class of 2029

Majors: Psychology and Data Science

Minor: Japanese

Pronouns: they/she

Hazel is especially interested in cognitive and clinical fields of psychology, specifically in adolescents. Outside of the lab, they enjoy messing around with different instruments, going to live music, and embarking on spontaneous midnight side quests. Hazel is also a proud bunny parent to two seven-year-old bunnies!

Kaia McCaffrey

Class of 2028

Majors: Neuroscience, Psychology

Minor: Bio

Hometown: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Pronouns: she/her

Kaia is fascinated by neurobiological research and the ways psychology connects to the brain. When she’s not exploring the world of neuroscience, you can find her playing volleyball, tossing a frisbee, or watching a good horror movie. She’s also a huge animal lover! Fun fact: Kaia has a full house of furry friends with four dogs and two cats!

Sophie Haug

Class of 2028

Major: Neuroscience

Minors: Biology and Psychology

Hometown: Duluth, Minnesota

Pronouns: she/her

Sophie is interested in the neuroscience behind intellectual disabilities, a passion inspired by her younger brother. When she’s not diving into the brain, you can find her curled up with a good book, hiking new trails, or spending time with friends. She also sings with Mac’s Concert Choir! Fun fact: one of Sophie’s bucket-list goals is to visit every U.S. National Park, and she’s already crossed a few off the list.

Sanaya Cruickshank

Class of 2027

Majors: Psychology and Educational Studies

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Pronouns: she/her

Sanaya is fascinated by clinical, developmental, cultural, and educational psychology, especially when it comes to understanding children’s growth and well-being. When she’s not diving into psych, you can probably find her crocheting something new, thrifting more clothes than her closet can handle, or sampling all kinds of new foods. Fun fact: she has a growing scent collection and is always on the hunt for that perfect fragrance!

Deijon Feliciano

Class of 2028

Major: Psychology

Minor: Philosophy

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Pronouns: he/him

Deijon is drawn to the clinical side of psychology, especially how it shows up in real-life practice. When he’s not in psych mode, you can catch him playing sports, making art, or doing a bit of both. Fun fact: he’s a big movie person—if there’s a screen involved, he’s probably already seen it (or has strong opinions about it)

Silas Revenaugh

Class of 2027

Majors: Computer Science and Psychology

Hometown: Saint Paul, Minnesota

Pronouns: he/they

Silas is most interested in clinical psychology and childhood development, especially when it comes to understanding how early experiences shape mental health. Outside of psych, he’s all about his three B’s: backpacking, bass guitar, and basketball. Fun fact: in both second and third grade, Silas was already taller than his teachers, talk about a head start.

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