Welcome to the SPARCC Lab! I am Dr. Allison Jobin, a faculty member in the Department of Psychology as CSU San Marcos and director of the SPARCC Lab. I completed my graduate and undergraduate training at the University of California San Diego and Northwestern University, respectively. I first became interested in neurodevelopmental disabilities 20 years ago, after applying to a job ad on the bulletin board in my school’s psychology department. Much of my passion for conducting community-based work is informed from my own experiences as a clinician, where I directly experienced disparities and shortfalls in access to and the delivery of quality services in real life. Prior to returning to academia, I spent many years in a range of clinical and research settings delivering, supervising, and training others in evidence-based diagnostic and treatment practices. At CSUSM, it is a joy to mentor and work alongside my driven and innovative team in conducting impactful, community-partnered research. We strive to improve community-based intervention services and outcomes for children with autism and their families through research, student mentorship, and community outreach and collaboration. We are dedicated to (1) conducting high-quality research that advances understanding of how to effectively support autistic youth and their families, (2) sustaining bi-directional community partnerships that improve capacity to meet child and family needs, and to (3) providing meaningful undergraduate and graduate research training and mentorship. You can learn more about the work that we do by browsing our website or reaching out to our team!
Taylor is a third-year graduate student in the CSUSM M.A. Program in Psychological Sciences. She attended Chapman University for her undergraduate studies, where she earned a B.A. in Psychology. Taylor is passionate about improving the quality of life for individuals who are neurodivergent, particularly children. Taylor is currently working on her thesis, which intends to assess factors associated with the ability to self-report quality of life in autistic children. In her free time, she likes to read, crochet, do puzzles, attend concerts, and sometimes rollerblade. Unlike her peers who enjoy hiking in general, she only likes hiking in cooler temperatures.
Brittney is a second-year graduate student in the M.A. Program in Psychological Sciences. She earned her B.A. at CSUSM, majoring in Child and Adolescent Development and minoring in Psychological Sciences. She is also apart of the ROCKSTAR Lab at CSUSM where she investigates children's social cognitive development. Brittney's thesis will bring aspects of both labs by investigating selective trust among typically developing children and children with autism. When she is not doing research, she works as an academic advisor for children in the San Diego Foster Care System under the San Diego County of Education.
Cody is entering his second year at CSUSM majoring in Child and Adolescent Development. He plans to continue his education after graduating. Cody switched to a focus of child development after discovering ABA and early intervention practices. Through his studies and mentorship, he has worked on skills used to create fun, natural, and effective intervention strategies to assist in children's growth. He is approaching ten years of working with Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (IDD) with two years as a Registered Behavioral Technician (RBT) with a plan to continue working under ABA practices.
Emily is a fourth-year undergraduate student at CSUSM majoring in Psychological Sciences. She is set to graduate in December of 2025 and plans to go to postsecondary school to expand her knowledge upon graduation. Emily spent her first two years of undergrad focusing on exploring the full field of psychology through her studies to determine where her passion is. After a brief internship with a school psychologist at an elementary school, Emily was inspired by the psychological testing she witnessed to pursue a career in that field. For this reason, she intends to specialize in psychological testing. She looks forward to someday being the person who helps guide people to answers about their mental well-being and providing them with the resources necessary to maximize the quality of their lives. When Emily is not focused on her studies, she likes to crochet, go to concerts, paint coffee mugs, and spend time with her loved ones.
Delaney is a fourth year undergraduate student pursuing a major in Psychological Science and will be graduating in December of 2025. Delaney plans to go to graduate school to pursue a masters in marriage and family therapy. Delaney has worked extensively in childcare throughout her life and is passionate about supporting children and their families through fostering a caring and inclusive environment. Because of this, she looks forward to pursuing a career where she can equip children and families with the tools they need to encounter various life challenges. In her free time, Delaney enjoys painting, reading, teaching Sunday school in my church, and going to the beach.
Merielle is a junior undergraduate student majoring in Psychological Science. They are part of the graduating class of Fall 2027. They plan to attend graduate school to support their goal of becoming a clinical psychologist. Merielle has experience as a Peer mentor of the Aspiring Scholars Program, a program that aiding students with intellectual disabilities in their holistic college experience. They are also part of the ROCKSTAR Lab, which focuses on study how children experience and engage with the world. In their free time, Merielle likes to cook, read manga, and take care of her plants.
Juan “JJ” Ibarra, is a fourth year undergraduate student at CSUSM, pursuing a major in Psychological Science and a minor in Political Science. JJ has worked as an early childhood interventionist providing ABA therapy to families with children with ASD. JJ also volunteers as a Peer mentor with the Aspiring Scholars Program at CSUSM, assisting students with intellectual disabilities with studying, coursework, and self expression. JJ has a passion for the understanding of personality disorder and how to effectively reach out to individuals suffering from emotional dysregulation, dysfunctional identity / self-perception, and anti-social behavior. Over the past year, JJ has incorporated his work with people with “special needs” into his understanding and passion for personality disorder, and is interested in the intersectionality of “classical” neurodiversity & the pathology of personality. In his free time, JJ loves to surf, garden, cook, read, write, and organize concerts for local bands.
Rachel Soliven is a fourth year Psychological Science major at California State University San Marcos and is set to graduate in Spring 2026. She plans to pursue graduate studies after graduation with the goal of becoming a clinical psychologist specializing in child and adolescent psychology. Her long term aspiration is to open a private practice dedicated to supporting children’s mental health and emotional well being. Currently, Rachel works as a Registered Behavior Technician, providing individualized ABA therapy to children with developmental disorders. This experience has deepened her passion for working with children and given her valuable hands on training in evidence based care. She also serves as a research assistant in the ROCKSTAR Lab at CSUSM, where she contributes to studies focused on children’s social and cognitive development.
Katelin is a fourth-year undergraduate student, majoring in Psychological Sciences with a Minor in Dance. She loves involving herself on campus and in her community, currently holding a treasure position for CSUSM’s Psychology Honors Society club called Psi Chi. Katelin is set to graduate Spring of 2026. She’s been working with kids from a young age and began working with peers with ASD in high school through various volunteer groups. She has continued in the field of ABA for four years now, primarily working as a Behavior Interventionist and teaching dance classes for kids with intellectual disabilities. Katelin intends to join a graduate program post-graduation, keeping her involvement in the ABA field. She currently wants to go into Marriage and Family Therapy as well as hopes to incorporate her dance education into her work by going into somatic movement therapy for children with ASD. In her free time, Katelin likes to read, go to the beach, hang out with her friends, go on walks with her family, and tend to her numerous house plants.
Alexandria Mulqueen, who also goes by Alli, is a senior undergraduate student at CSUSM, pursuing a major in Psychological Science and a minor in Linguistics. Alexandria is co-president of the CSUSM chapter of Best Buddies, where she works towards advancing the social inclusion of peers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) both on and off the CSUSM campus. Her involvement in Best Buddies has heavily influenced her desire to research the quality of life and psychological well-being of students with IDD enrolled in inclusive postsecondary education programs. As a provider of DIR/Floortime therapy for youth with ASD, Alexandria is also interested in studying socioemotional and relationship-based therapeutic strategies for neurodivergent individuals. In her free time, Alexandria loves spending time in nature, going to concerts, reading, and learning new recipes.
Libby is a third-year graduate student in the CSUSM M.A. Program in Psychological Sciences. She completed her undergraduate studies at CSUSM, where she earned B.A. degree in Psychological Sciences. Libby is currently the SPARCC Lab Manager, as well as the coordinator for several of Dr. Jobin's projects. She is interested in mental health interventions for children with autism, and embedding naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBI) in early childhood education classrooms for children with and without developmental disabilities. Libby loves to go on hikes and read in her free time!
Fun Fact: Libby bowled semi-professionally for 11 years!
Libby Keck, M.A.
Kris Nelson, M.A.
Veenavi Fernando, M.A.
Alli Mulqueen
Alyson Portillo
Cora Brooks
Kayla Zorn
Paris Graves
Brittney Abundis
Claudia Zepeda
Shani Kreycik
Anastasia Navarro
Libby Keck
Kaela Dandeneau
Perla Elizalde
Jessica James
Mackenzie Foerster
Mackenzie List