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 

Adelaide 

Adelaide is a fifth-year psychology major and bassoonist in Bard College and Conservatory’s five-year double degree program. Last year, she completed her psychology senior project, titled “From Damsels to Directors: Does Identification with Disney Princesses Predict Agency and Self-Esteem?” under the supervision of Professor Natalie Wittlin. After graduation, she hopes to return to her home city of Boston to pursue a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy while continuing to play bassoon in local orchestras. She has a strong interest in art and music therapy and is particularly passionate about working with children.

Kaeyla 

Hi! My name is Kaeyla. I am a junior at Bard College, where I am majoring in Psychology and minoring in Theater and Performance. I have been working with kids since I was about sixteen– babysitting being my first ever job! Since then, I have counseled at summer camps and worked with a plethora of different age groups over the past four years. I truly have found a passion for working with children and am fascinated by their development. They have such intricate minds and the rapid pace at which they learn and grow is so exciting to watch and study. I believe that through psychology and observation, we as psychologists can help children develop in better and healthier ways to help them flourish as they grow. That is why in the future I hope to become a Child Psychologist and then hopefully a Child Therapist as well. But as for right now, I am so excited to be a part of producing this study!

Nakai

Hi, my name is Nakai (he/they). I’m a junior studying Psychology with a concentration in Gender and Sexuality Studies. I love working with children and hope to become a child psychologist in the future, with a focus on supporting kids in marginalized communities. When I’m not in class, you’ll probably find me journaling, working out, or binge-watching shows. A fun fact about me is that I love musicals; I could talk about them for hours!