CULTURE LAB

YANA KUCHIRKO

Assistant Professor of Psychology and Lab Director

Dr. Yana Kuchirko is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Brooklyn College College and The Graduate Center. She received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from New York University. Her work is grounded in theories and scholarship across disciplines, with an emphasis on critical perspectives, macro-level ideologies and narratives, and social constructions of childhood. Dr. Kuchirko's current body of work centers on how cultural constructions of childhood guide socialization of young children. Ongoing projects focus on understanding how parents across ethnic/racial groups construct and regulate children’s access to what they deem is emotionally “difficult knowledge.” She loves to cook, read, and take long bike rides around NYC.

ERIKA NIWA

Associate Professor of Psychology and Children & Youth Studies, Collaborator

Dr. Erika Niwa's research examines how cultural context, particularly ethnicity and race, shapes the social, emotional, and cognitive development of ethnically diverse youth and adolescents. Her work focuses on three main areas: the impact of ethno-political violence on social-cognitive and psychological adjustment among children and adolescents; the role of ethnic-racial discrimination in shaping social and psychological adjustment among early adolescents; and the development of ethnic and racial identities.

LANA KARASIK

Associate Professor of Psychology & Collaborator

Dr. Karasik and her research team is interested in how culture and childrearing practices shape infants' learning opportunities thereby affecting developmental outcomes. How does culture affect which skills infants acquire and when? How do cultural practices shape opportunities for infants to practice crawling, walking, and using cultural artifacts and objects? Through naturalistic and experimental investigations, we examine how infants' emerging motor skills offer new ways to explore and navigate their environment, engage with people, and use social information from others. We examine how caregivers update their expectations and behaviors as a result of their infants' changing skills. To answer these questions, we conduct studies in the lab and in the field; in the U.S. and abroad to capture the range of infants' experiences and individual differences. Dr. Karasik directs the Culture & Development Lab located in 4S; visit  www.karasiklab.org to learn more.on’s role and responsibilities, or add a short bio with a background summary. It’s also a great opportunity to highlight how this person is an asset to the team.

JENNY AREVALO-TAYLOR

Collaborator

Jenny Arevalo-Taylor is a post-doctoral fellow with the non-profit community agency, New Alternatives for Children. She received her Bachelor in Arts from New York University and completed her Master of Science in Education and Doctorate in School Psychology at Fordham University, with an advanced certificate in Bilingual School Psychology. She also served as an adjunct professor at LaGuardia Community College in the Social Sciences Department. Prior to embarking on her graduate studies, she worked with a parent education program aimed to empower under-resourced, immigrant families with children from birth to 5 years of age with child development knowledge to promote school readiness. This experience launched her into pursuing her graduate studies. Throughout her graduate school experiences, she has worked with a diverse range of children, adolescents, and adults across school, clinical outpatient, and community-based settings with an emphasis on implementing an integrative perspective to treatment with a socio-culturally sensitive approach. Her dissertation research examined how biculturalism relates to executive functioning skills in U.S. Latinx adolescents. Jenny is interested in promoting a deeper understanding of how the complex cultural experience of immigrant individuals as well as marginalized communities is embedded in their social, cognitive, emotional, physical and spiritual functioning to inform the improvement of the societal systems that serve these individuals within the U.S. In addition, Jenny enjoys spending time with family and friends. In her free time, she loves spending time in nature, reading, painting, dancing, trying various cuisines, traveling, and dog-watching.

KRISTINA AREVALO

Doctoral Student

Kristina Arevalo is a doctoral student in Developmental Psychology at the CUNY Graduate Center. She is interested in ethnic-racial socialization, discrimination, colonialism, and how it shapes identity development and processes in Asian Americans. Currently, she is the lab manager and is involved in several projects. She piloted her own study on anti-Asian discrimination during COVID-19, a project looking at teacher’s racial framework and pedagogy, and a study on how parents talk about difficult topics with their children. When she is not doing research, she enjoys reading books, watching TV, playing video games, and she loves to cook and bake for her loved ones.

DINORAH HUDSON

Doctoral Student

Dinorah Hudson is a doctoral student in Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate center.  Her research interests include the impact of cultural competencies and racial-ethnic socialization of classroom teachers on student achievement, the effectiveness of diversity, equity, and inclusion training in schools, and designing a curriculum that helps promote metacognition and metaemotional management to improve student well-being.  She served as an adjunct professor in the physical sciences department of Westchester Community College and a Yoga instructor for Bronx Community College.  She earned her B.S. in Geology and M.A. in Secondary Science Education at the City College of New York  In addition, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.  She loves to paint, garden, read, practice yoga, go for long walks and spend summers with family in the South.  

MARIMAR PÉREZ

Doctoral Student

Marimar Pérez is a Doctoral Student in Developmental Psychology at CUNY Graduate Center. She received her Bachelors of Arts and Science in Psychology and Master of Arts in General-Experimental Specialization at Iona University. She is interested in exploring gender roles and cultural attitudes within ethnic minority communities, particularly machismo and marianismo attitudes that are prevalent in the Latin community. Fun fact, Marimar was named after a famous Mexican and Philippine telenovela.

SHRISTI KARIM

Doctoral Student

Shristi Karim is a doctoral student in Developmental Psychology at CUNY Graduate Center. She received her Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Education in Developmental Psychology and Education at the University of Toronto. She is interested in learning about socio-emotional development in second and third-generation immigrants, and the effects of intergenerational trauma on child development in immigrant communities. She spends most of her free time with her dog, reading, or playing video games.

TANIA CAMARILLO CONTRERAS

Doctoral Student

Tania Camarillo Contreras is a doctoral student in Developmental Psychology at CUNY Graduate Center. She recently received her BA in English and minoring in Psychology and Middle and High School education. She is interested in exploring the process of acculturation in the school settings. However, she also has interest in discovering how gender differences in the Latino community affects the development of the children as they grow into adults. In her free time she enjoys reading as well as writing poetry.

ANNA BENNET

Doctoral Student

Anna Bennet is a doctoral candidate in the Developmental Psychology program at Steinhardt, NYU. She received her B.A. in Cultural Analysis and Women’s Studies from Gallatin, NYU and her M.A. in Psychology from GSAS, NYU. Anna uses mixed-methods to examine interpersonal processes of identity socialization, their variability, and link to short-, and long-term human development. Anna is currently involved in projects that proceed from a) quantitative methods to investigate variability in peer contexts across early childhood, and how they link to aspects of socioemotional, cognitive and identity development; b) qualitative coding and analyses of socialization-, and identity-related beliefs in mothers of young children.

MARINA PIÑEIRO

Researcher

Marina Piñeiro She is a graduate of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) with a B.S. in Psychology and received her M.A. in Clinical Psychology with a major in Neuropsychology. Her experience includes working at a psychiatric hospital where she oversaw children with developmental disorders diagnosis and their cognitive rehab. She collaborated on cross-cultural neuropsychology projects at Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. She would like to collaborate in reimagining the cognitive skills that emerge during growth in those children who do not belong to the western infantile hegemonic model, especially among Mexicans and Mexican-Americans. She believes that the decolonization of psychology will allow us to set up a children's developmental story to take them away from the perfect child hegemonic ideology, and so it will be possible to stop pathologizing the differences. Shortly, Marina is looking forward to pursuing a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology. She truly loves to observe trees and hug them.

MAI W. ZARU

Doctoral Student

Mai W. Zaru is a doctoral student in the Teaching and Learning department at Southern Methodist University, Texas. She received her B.A. in Special Education and M.A. in Reading Education from Brigham Young University and University of Florida, respectively. Her primary research interests revolve around using dialogic reading practices to support refugees and immigrants who have experienced childhood traumas. Mai is currently using qualitative methods to explore the home literacy practices and cultural identities of first and second generation immigrants in the U.S.

ANASTASIA VORON

Researcher

Anastasia Voron is a graduate student in Counseling in Mental Health and Wellness at NYU. She received her BA in Art History from Columbia University. As a researcher, she is interested in exploring concepts of self-efficacy and identity as they relate to external validation through existential and multicultural lenses. As a counselor-in-the-making, she plans to work with individuals and couples to work through obstacles and instill behavioral change toward an optimal and mindful life. In her free time, she enjoys biking, reading, and traveling with her husband.

JULIE SCARFUTO

Research Assistant

Julie Scarfuto is a graduate of Brooklyn College with a B.S. in Psychology. Julie is interested in many areas concerning the neuropsychological development of infants and toddlers. Currently, she is working on a project transcribing interviews with elementary and high school teachers. In the near future, Julie is looking forward to attending medical school.

MICHELA ARLIA

Research Assistant

Michela Arlia is an Undergraduate student double majoring in Psychology and Theater. Her main interest in the field of Psychology is school and clinical psychology, and she hopes to blend this with her passion for theater and working with children. In the lab, she works on interview transcriptions concerning teacher’s race and pedagogy in the classroom as well as assisting in coding projects focused on parents’ perceptions of qualities that make a good friend for their adolescent children, as well as with studies pertaining to parent investment. When she isn’t in classes or the lab, you can find her teaching young children dance at a local Brooklyn dance studio. Her hobbies include reading, making new food dishes, and she is also an editor for the on-campus newspaper, the BC Vanguard.

LENA NAZARYAN

Research Assistant

Lena Nazaryan is a Masters student majoring in Art Education. She previously got her bachelors in Art & Design with a minor in Psychology. Lena is interested in the overlap between philosophy, psychology and sociology. She’s on track to become an educator, but aspires to do UX research with focuses on user behavior and products. In the lab she works on transcribing interviews regarding teachers’ race and pedagogies. Lena intends to combine her education and technology skills to enhance and improve the learning experience.

ESTHER GONZALEZ

Research Assistant

Esther Gonzalez is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology (BA). Esther is interested in learning more about the effect early childhood experiences have on the way we interact with the world. In the lab, she works on transcribing semi-structured interview data for a study on teacher’s perspectives on race and pedagogy. She is planning on expanding her research experience in order to apply for a PhD program for Clinical Psychology and discover what research she is most passionate about.

STELLA MATHEW

Research Assistant

Stella Mathew is a junior undergraduate student at Brooklyn College majoring in Psychology (BS) and minoring in Neuroscience and Health & Nutrition Sciences. She is interested in the long-term emotional and social effects of childhood experiences and how this differs across cultural groups. In her free time, Stella enjoys trying new cuisines, painting, and doing puzzles with friends. Stella hopes to attend nursing school after graduating.

FREDI RUIZ

Research Assistant

Fredi Ruiz is an undergraduate student at Brooklyn College and a part of the Macaulay Honors program. He is currently working on a project focused on reconceptualizing Mexican children's socialization. However, in his free time he enjoys reading mystery books and playing chess.

ROSENA PETIT HOMME

Research Assistant

Rosena Petit Homme is an undergraduate student at Suffolk County Community College Where she is majoring in Psychology. She is currently a REU Undergraduate student at Brooklyn College where she first learned about the Culture and Child Development Lab. She has worked on the Race and Pedagogy study and the Brick City Research Project where she helps transcribe and code. Rosena Is interested in adolescent and child development, relationships and how it differs in different culture groups, gender identity and many more. She plans to transfer to Stony Brook University In the Fall of 2022 where she will receive her Bachelor's degree in Psychology in order to pursue a career as a School Psychologist. In her free time Rosena enjoys reading, writing short stories, baking and eating different cultural desserts, volunteering, taking nature hikes and many more.

ONYEKACHI WENDY IBE

Research Assistant

Onyekachi Wendy Ibe is an undergraduate student at CUNY Brooklyn College. Her major is health and nutrition sciences with a concentration in public health. She is interested in the body and how daily food decisions affect body functions, this includes the nervous system. Kachi has worked on various research projects such as computational biology: Sequencing the DNA for bacteria from soil extract using ubuntu/qiime computer program. She is also interested in the effects of parental ideologies on childhood experiences. Her long term career goal is to get into an M.D/PH.D. program in Newyork. Kachi goes to the gym whenever she can, she enjoys music and dance. She intends to join an aerial hoops circus class very soon. Kachi also enjoys good food and luxurious self care every once in a while.

SHIFA MAQSOOD

Research Assistant

Shifa Maqsood is  an undergraduate student at Brooklyn College. She is majoring in Psychology B.S.  She joined the Culture and Child Development Lab due to an interest in child development across South Asian immigrants in the United States.  She hopes to pursue PhD to further research into teenage identity crises and address the underrepresentation of South Asian adolescents. She loves reading books and enjoys writing.

AIMEN CHEEMA

Research Assistant

Aimen Cheema is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and minoring in Neuroscience. She joined the Culture and Child Development Lab to pursue her interest in the censorship of topics and the psychological impact that holds and in addition to gaining experience in research. She hopes to attend PA school after graduating. In her spare time Aimen likes to take on craft projects, the most recent one being making a rug from scratch. She also really enjoys growing houseplants, baking, and being outdoors.