Our Team

Dr. Sarah Dunphy-Lelii: I earned my undergraduate degree in Psychology from The Pennsylvania State University, with a senior thesis on how preschoolers understand aerial photographs. I then worked as study review coordinator for the Cognitive Evolution Group at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, exploring cognition in captive chimpanzees. I moved to the University of Michigan to earn my doctorate in developmental psychology; my Master's work focused on visual perspective-taking in infants, and my dissertation focused on self recognition in children with autism, children with developmental delay, and typical preschoolers.  I arrived at Bard College in 2007; my work ranges across a number of topics in the social cognitive development of preschoolers, including self-awareness, Theory of Mind, imitation, and perspective-taking. I continue to be interested in non-human primate cognition and behavior - I recently spent seven months at Ngogo, Kibale National Park in Uganda observing and collecting data on the development of vocal greeting behavior in wild chimpanzee infants. I also write creative non-fiction (see here). Find my CV here. 

For more information, email me at: sdl@bard.edu 

Sarah Corwith Eckert (she/her)

Hi everyone, my name is Sarah, and I’m a senior at Bard studying Psychology and Religions. I’ve always loved working with and learning from children, so I’m super excited to be part of this project!

Adi David (she/her)

I am a senior psychology major at Bard College. I am interested in the connections between social, cognitive, and developmental psychology. Before beginning research in various psychology labs, I worked as a teacher’s assistant at the Nursery and Children’s Center on the Bard College campus. It was there that I became fascinated by the developmental years of childhood as well as the social and cognitive factors that play into that research.  

Denise Rodriguez (she/her)

Hi, my name is Denise and I’m from sunny Los Angeles! I am a junior at Bard College majoring in psychology. It’s very exciting to be a part of this project as I am interested in social and developmental psychology. Other responsibilities I am involved with at school are being director of Gilson Place, the BIPOC safe space on campus, and managing two of the athletic teams, men’s basketball and women’s lacrosse. I love meeting new people and being involved in my community so if you see me around, say hi!

Syd Senft (he/him)

My name is Sydney Senft! I am a third-year Bard college student and a Psychology major. My enthusiasm for child psychology was sparked by my experiences working with third graders in a special education classroom, and I have continued pursuing child psychology ever since. I love working with children, and I am especially passionate about the encouragement and support of special education students in the public school system. I hope to use my degree in psychology to educate families and classrooms on how best to support the neurodivergent children in their care. 

Carolina (she/her)

I am a third year Bard College student majoring in Psychology and I am also a member of Bard EMS. I am from Mexico and have a seven year old daughter. Watching my daughter grow, reach milestones and develop into her own unique person is how I became interested in the field of child development. I am excited to be a part of this research project.

Olivia Weeks (they/she)

Hello! My name is Olivia, and I am a third-year psychology student from Maine. I am currently looking forward to a future in child psychology and therapy; the mind and how humans interact with each other and the world around them have been interests of mine for years. Outside of the lab, I love spending time relaxing in nature, playing with my dog, Beaux, and doing crafts like crochet and sewing with my friends!