Dr. Heather Kirkorian is a Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She holds the Laura M. Secord Chair in Early Childhood Development, and she has faculty affiliate appointments in the Departments of Psychology and Educational Psychology. Dr. Kirkorian is a developmental psychologist who studies cognitive development in infants and young children, particularly in the context of TV and digital media. She studies the impact of child and parent media use on children (e.g., attention skills, learning, play), parents (e.g., stress, burnout), and parent-child interactions. She uses a combination of behavioral, observational, psychophysiological, and self-report methods in her research.

E-mail: kirkorian@wisc.edu  

Twitter: @hkirkorian

Bolim received her M.A. and B.S. in Child Development and Family Studies from Yonsei University in South Korea. After graduating with her master’s degree, she worked as a preschool teacher at a workplace childcare center. She also worked as a researcher at the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education. Bolim is interested in understanding how context and content of child and family media use affects the child’s learning and well-being. Especially, Bolim is interested in how parents can support their child’s learning during child media use through parental media mediation.

Email: bolim.suh@wisc.edu

Jennica received her B.S. in Developmental Psychology with a minor in Linguistics from the University of California, San Diego. After graduating, she spent just under three years as a research coordinator at the UC Davis MIND Institute, where she managed multiple studies focused on the implementation and dissemination of family-centered autism resource programs. She is broadly interested in how incorporating play and elements of playful learning into children-directed media and technologies impacts development and engagement. She is also interested in the accessibility of children's media. 

Email: jennica.li@wisc.edu 

David received his B.A. with an individual concentration in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience and Science Journalism in 2014 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he was a research assistant in Daniel Anderson's Children and Media Lab. Since graduating from UMass, he has worked as a full-time science writer and media relations specialist for Springer Nature, the Society for Neuroscience, and most recently the American Physical Society. David plans to pursue a PhD in developmental psychology to study the influence of early media exposure on brain and cognitive development.

Yining is a fourth-year double-majoring in Education Studies and Journalism and Mass Communication. She is broadly interested in topics in educational and developmental psychology. She is also interested in understanding the relationship between media usage and educational outcomes. In addition to being a research assistant at the lab, she is also a remote teaching assistant in a non-governmental organization (NGO). After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to study communications and education. Outside of class, she is an amateur ice skater and movie lover!

Cassie is a fourth-year double-majoring in Education Studies and Sociology. She is interested in research related to early human development and educational psychology. She enjoys exploring the different factors that can influence the developmental process. As a research assistant, she hopes to immerse herself in the research process, learn more about the academic research environment, and learn from the research team. She was previously a research assistant at the Cognitive Development and Communication Lab, where she was responsible for working with participants and coding data. Cassie enjoys working out and watching movies for leisure. She is also part of the Hoofer Outing Club! She plans to apply for Master's programs in human development or psychology.

Anna is a second-year majoring in Neurobiology and Psychology. As an RA, she is excited to learn the ins and outs of the research world. She hopes this opportunity will also help her prepare for future academic opportunities. Outside of school, Anna likes cooking and making art- specifically painting and ceramics. Anna currently plans to attend medical school after graduation and make a difference as a doctor!

Paolina is a third-year majoring in Biology, minoring in Global Health, and pursuing a Biocore honor's program certificate. She loves working with children, and is interested in child psychology and development. As an RA, she hopes to learn more about the research process and the educational impacts that media can have on children. Outside of school, Paolina is an EMT in the Madison area and volunteers at SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital's ICU unit! Her hobbies include baking and traveling to as many places as she can. Paolina plans to attend medical school after completing her Bachelor's.

Sam is a fourth-year double majoring in Psychology and Neurobiology. He is primarily interested in the interactions between human behavior and the physiology of the human brain. As an RA, he hopes to expand his breadth of research experience and gain more knowledge of developmental psychology, especially in more modern contexts. Sam previously worked with the American Family Children's Hospital to investigate surgical instrument use in common surgical cases. Outside of research and academia, Sam is a part of an a cappella group on campus and a runner. After graduating, Sam plans to take a gap year or two before pursuing either dental school or another career within the healthcare field. 

Beatrice is a third-year triple (!) majoring in Psychology, Life Science Communication, and Spanish. She is also pursuing a History minor. She is interested in both cognitive and developmental psychology, and is specifically interested in the cognitive processes behind learning and memory. Prior to joining the lab, Beatrice was involved in the Social Kids Lab at the Waisman Center and studied how children interacted with her peers. Through her experience, she learned a lot about development and she is excited to broaden that knowledge at the CDM Lab. Outside of school, Beatrice enjoys ceramic arts and works as a sailing instructor on Lake Michigan during the summertime. She is potentially interested in pursuing a Master's in clinical psychology.

Lilah is a first-year majoring in Journalism and minoring in Urban Education. Her fields of interest include human behaviors and development, education, and communication sciences. This is her first research assistant position, but she has previously worked on projects conducting surveys and interviewing professionals. Outside of school, Lilah likes to crochet, collage, cook, and write. After completing her undergraduate degree, she hopes to pursue a master's in Education.

Irene is a first-year majoring in Sociology and pursuing a certificate in Leadership. She also intends on double majoring in Psychology. This is her first research position and she is excited to jump right into this new experience! In her spare time, Irene likes to listen to music and play video games. After graduation, she intends to obtain her medical degree and become a child psychiatrist.

Jana is a third-year double majoring in Psychology and Human Development and Family Studies. She is broadly interested in how integrating modern technology affects adolescents' lived experiences. She is also interested in how family systems are impacted by various family policies. Outside of school, Jana works as an ABA line staff therapist for autistic children. In her spare time, Jana loves running, swimming, tennis, and playing card games. She also loves to paint, and almost attended art school instead of pursuing psychology! After graduation, Jana intends to go to graduate school and pursue a research career.

Caroline is a second-year majoring in Human Development and Family Studies. She has a passion for working with children, and is specifically interested in how trauma impacts children and family dynamics. Working at the CDM Lab is her first research assistant role, but she has had prior experiences working as a summer camp counselor! Outside of school, Caroline loves to bake and go on walks. After graduation, Caroline hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in psychology and become a child psychologist. 

Elizabeth received her B.A. in Psychology, Summa Cum Laude, from Eastern Illinois University in 2013. During her undergraduate career, she served as the secretary for the international honors society Psi Chi and worked as a teacher in a local day care for three years working with children aged six weeks to 10 years old. Her research interests include child development, specifically early cognition in young children ages birth to three, and attention and learning. Elizabeth earned her M.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from UW-Madison in August 2015. Her thesis was based on the extent to which preschool-age children learn from educational, interactive media. Elizabeth is currently a Program and Data Support Specialist in Early Childhood at the Colorado Department of Education.

Koeun worked in the Cognitive Development and Media Lab from 2011-2016, studying the impact of interactive media on learning with a focus on cognitive processes. Koeun's dissertation research examined the role of working memory in toddlers' transfer from interactive and non-interactive video. She earned her PhD in Human Development and Family Studies in 2016. Koeun also holds a B.A. in Child Development & Family Studies/Psychology and an M.A. in Child Development from Seoul National University in Korea. She worked as a postdoctoral scholar in the Childhood Cognition Lab at the University of California, Riverside with Dr. Rebekah Richert between 2016-2017, conducting eye-tracking studies to understand how children pay attention to and learn STEM-related concepts from media characters. In 2017-2018, she worked with Dr. Elizabeth Bonawitz as a postdoctoral fellow in the Computational Cognitive Development Lab at Rutgers University - Newark, studying the process of children's scientific inquiry in the context of interactive digital media technology. She is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech. kchoi.org 

Seung worked in the Cognitive Development and Media Lab from 2015-2021, studying young children's learning from different types of media. Seung's dissertation research examined the extent to which preschool-age children learn from animated vs. live action video. He received his B.S. in Human Development from Cornell University and his M.A. in Child Studies from Seoul National University, Korea. Prior to joining the lab, he served as a protocol officer in the Republic of Korea Air Force, taught 4- and 5-year-old children at a preschool in Korea, and worked as an administrative assistant in the Division of Consumer Science and Child Studies at Seoul National University. Seung is now a postdoctoral associate working with Dr. Karl Rosengren in the Cognitive Development Lab at Rochester University.

Meng worked in the Cognitive Development and Media Lab from 2016-2021, studying how children learn from screen media with the support of fundamental cognitive systems such as attention and symbolic representation. Meng’s dissertation research examined the information processing of digital media content and the impact of child and media characteristics. She received her B.A. (from Central China Normal University) and M.Ed. (from University of Hong Kong) in Early Childhood Education. Prior to joining the lab, she worked as a class teacher of 4-year-olds at a preschool in Hong Kong and then as a research associate in educational technology at University of Hong Kong. In 2021-2022, Meng worked with Dr. Joshua Hartshorne as a postdoctoral fellow in cognitive developmental psychology at Boston College, studying the development of intuitive physical reasoning. She is currently a Researcher at the Boston College Center for Thriving Children. 

Roxy graduated with a PhD from the Cognitive Development and Media Lab in 2022. Roxy received her B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies with an additional major in Psychology and her M.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is interested in how media, such as books, videos, and apps, can enhance children's cognitive development and family well-being. Roxy is currently a doctoral student studying young children's learning from eBooks compared to print books. She is also interested in caregiver-child joint reading behaviors, caregiver perceptions and preferences for children's media, and children's individual differences in learning from different types of media. Roxy previously worked as a preschool teacher and a youth ski/snowboard instructor. She currently runs Those Media Moms, an online business that provides parents with evidence-based resources on how to approach early childhood media use, with fellow graduate alumni, Dr. Liz Horgan.

Liz graduated with a PhD from the Cognitive Development and Media Lab in 2023. Liz earned an M.S. in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison researching individual differences in young children's science learning from interactive technology. Her current interests include children's educational outcomes from play-based interactive media. Broadly, her interests focus on the educational potential of digital media to equip young children with essential skills and effect positive change. Liz is passionate about aiding media producers in aligning content with developmental goals grounded in research and ensuring that high-quality media content is accessible to youth across opportunity levels. Liz previously served as an AmeriCorps volunteer, a lab coordinator at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.,  and a consultant for the Education Research team at Child Trends. She holds undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Media Studies from The Catholic University of America. She currently runs Those Media Moms, an online business that provides parents with evidence-based resources on how to approach early childhood media use, with fellow graduate alumni, Dr. Roxy Etta.