Lauren Cabrera earned her Ph.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University in Educational Psychology and began her appointment as a postdoctoral research associate in August 2022. Within the Linnenbrink-Garcia lab, she coordinates the M-PLANS project, a multi-state research-practice collaboration focused on helping middle school science teachers integrate motivational principles into their instruction. Her research focus is centered on ways science teachers can help promote their student's motivation and engagement in class.

Shar Ferguson-Johnson received her Ph.D. from the Combined Program in Education & Psychology (CPEP) at the University of Michigan and joined the Linnenbrink-Garcia lab as a postdoctoral research associate in July 2022. Her research aims to better understand the interplay between students' social experiences and relationships at school and their academic outcomes, with a specific focus on how educators can utilize this knowledge to better support students' sense of belonging, inclusion and motivation in their classrooms. Her current work with the Linnenbrink-Garcia lab focuses on identifying social experiences which predict undergraduate students’ (specifically female, first generation, and minoritized students') continued persistence in STEM courses and careers over time.