Lab Members

Dr. Melanie Killen 

Position: Professor of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, Director of the Lab
E-mail: mkillen@umd.edu  CV: Killen CV
Education: B.A., Clark University; Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley

Bio: Melanie Killen, Ph.D., is Professor of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, Professor of Psychology (Affiliate) and Distinguished Scholar-Teacher at the University of Maryland. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Association for Psychological Science, and Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. Dr. Killen’s primary research expertise includes origins of prejudice and bias, conceptions of social inequalities in childhood, morality and theory of mind, and facilitating social justice in school contexts. Her team developed a school-based program called Developing Inclusive Youth to promote intergroup friendships in childhood. She was an expert witness for the Office of the Attorney General in Massachusetts for a federal school desegregation case. Her research was profiled in CNN AC360’s Kids on Race: The Hidden Picture. Funding for her research is provided by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Her interests include swimming, gardening, biking, hiking, and sitting at cafés drinking decaf cappuccino with her friends and colleagues

Kathryn Yee

E-mail: katyee@umd.edu CV: Yee CV

Education: B.A., New York University; Doctoral Student, University of Maryland, College Park.

Bio: Kathryn (Kat) Yee is a sixth-year doctoral student in Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, with a specialization in Developmental Science. Her research investigates the development of social group biases, conceptions of status and inequality, and the implications for children's intergroup behavior. The overarching goal of her research is to inform researchers, parents, and educators in their efforts to help children overcome marginalized group identities and barriers to success. 

Kate Luken Raz

E-mail: klukenraz@gmail.com CV: Luken Raz CV

Education: B.S., University of Washington, Seattle; Doctoral Student, University of Maryland, College Park.

Bio: Kate (They/Them) is a fourth-year developmental science Ph.D. student in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Kate studies children’s understanding of equality in intergroup contexts. More specifically, they are interested in children's social inclusion and exclusion decisions and cross-group friendships, with a particular focus on those involving racial/ethnic and wealth status group membership. Outside of the lab, Kate enjoys cross-stitching and discovering new horror and fantasy podcasts.

Elise Marie Kaufman

E-mail: ekaufma1@umd.edu CV: Kaufman CV

Education: B.S., Vanderbilt University; Ed.M., Harvard University; Doctoral Student, University of Maryland, College Park.

Bio: Elise is a third-year PhD student in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology. Inspired by her years teaching high school, Elise is interested in child and adolescent moral and social development in the school context. She is particularly interested in the relationship between teacher language, behavior, and instructional choices and student moral development and thinking.

Marley Forbes

E-mail: mforbes2@umd.edu CV: Forbes CV

Education: Psychological Sciences B.A., University of Connecticut; Doctoral Student, University of Maryland, College Park.

Bio: Marley is a second-year PhD student in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology. Her research aims to explore the development of prejudice and bias through the examination of children’s social and moral reasoning, with the ultimate goal of identifying strategies for effective prejudice reduction. She is currently developing a project looking at how children predict, evaluate, and reason about peers who confront gender and racial stereotypes in STEM contexts.

Elena Kilby

Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant

E-Mail: ekilby@umd.edu

Major: B.A. Pyschology 2022

Research Interests: Impact of Childhood Adversity on Young Adults, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Enhancing Cultural Sensitivity in Anxiety and Depression Research for Diverse Populations

Nathaniel Pearl

E-Mail: npearl@terpmail.umd.edu CV: Nathaniel Pearl CV

Major: Human Development; Minor: LGBTQ Studies

Research Interests:  Theory of mind, developing concepts of justice, and interventions to reduce prejudice.

Fun Facts: "I love creative writing, building LEGO, and roller skating!"