Kunjal Dhanju

ABOUT THE RESEARCHER:

1.     Who are you doing research with this summer and what kind of research project are you doing?

I  am doing research with Dr. Vinaya Rajan in the developmental psychology lab, the CLASS (Cognition, Learning, and School Success) Lab.    Currently, I am studying the impact of parental stress on childrens’ early math skills and literacy achievement.

 2.     What do you find fascinating in the research you’re doing?

I love working with children and studying their behaviors. Children think in a different way than us, and it is fascinating to hear their responses to our experimental questions and activities. This research could definitely help a lot of people, because if we find a correlation between parental stress and childrens’ academic performance, we could start to create learning interventions for children of these environments.

 3.     What skills are you learning through the USURF experience?

Originally, this research was held in person with face-to-face encounters. Now, I have had to adapt to a virtual environment, and I have had the opportunity to learn how to conduct everything online. I have learned teamwork, how to work with children, leadership skills, and lots of developmental psychology ideas put into practice.

 4.     What are the challenges you’re encountering in your research?

The main obstacle has been accommodating for a virtual environment. Originally, we were stressed out because our research relies on face-to-face activities with children and their families; however, we have been able to move everything virtually successfully.

5.     How is your USURF experience impacting the way you view your field?

I am gaining lots of respect for the developmental psychology field. It can be difficult to study real people, but the research that gets done here is impactful and can make a difference to many lives.

 6.     Tell us something interesting about yourself.

I am a third year student, and I have been a member of the CLASS lab since 2019. In my free time, I love to read, play tennis, and explore the city!

7. How has the COVID pandemic impacting you and how are you coping with it ?

As I mentioned earlier, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a major obstacle, since we have had to alter our research work and methods to fit an online environment.