Meet Our Doctoral Students
Ben Atzmon
Ph.D. Student, Cognitive Science in Education
Research Discipline/Bio
Ben E. Atzmon received his bachelor of arts in psychology with combined studies of qualitative and quantitative research methods from Richmond, the American International University in London, and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in cognitive science in education at Teachers College, Columbia University. He is interested in how STEM college students’ problem solving choices and motivations are impacted by failure experiences in the STEM classroom environment.
Educational Background
Bachelors of Arts, Psychology with Combined Studies, Richmond the American International University in London, 2016
Last Updated: Oct 21, 2024
Caroline Botvin
Ph.D. Student, Developmental Psychology
Dissertation Advisor: Tyler Wayne Watts
Prior to coming to TC, Caroline worked as a Senior Research Coordinator at National Health Promotions Associates. There, she developed intervention materials and coordinated research activities for several NIH-funded projects designed to attenuate various risk behaviors among adolescents.
Research Discipline/Bio
Caroline Botvin is a PhD Candidate in Developmental Psychology mentored by Dr. Tyler Watts. Her research explores the potential for early childhood interventions to produce compounding benefits across various domains of development. Caroline has primarily focused on the short- and longer-term effects of early childhood programs on children’s cognitive, social-emotional, and behavioral outcomes. Much of her work examines publicly-funded initiatives designed to foster the development of children experiencing poverty.
Prior to coming to TC, Caroline worked as a Senior Research Coordinator at National Health Promotions Associates. There, she developed intervention materials and coordinated research activities for several NIH-funded projects designed to attenuate various risk behaviors among adolescents.
Educational Background
Master of Philosophy, Developmental Psychology, Teachers College, 2024
Master of Science, Applied Psychological Methods, Fordham University, 2016
Bachelor of Science, Psychology, Fordham University, 2015
Honors/Awards
Provost Dissertation Research Fellowship, Teachers College, 2024 ($6,000)
Education Policy and Social Analysis Dissertation Research Fellowship, Teachers College, 2024 (Selected for funding; declined due to concurrent award restrictions)
Summer Undergraduate Research Grant, Fordham University ($4,000)
Publications/Exhibitions
Botvin, C. M., Jenkins, J. M., Carr, R. C., Dodge, K. A., Clements, D. H., Sarama, J., & Watts, T. W. (2024). Can peers help sustain the positive effects of an early childhood mathematics intervention?. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 67, 159-169. doi: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.11.001
Last Updated: Oct 11, 2024
Haleigh Brown (She/Her/Hers)
Ph.D. Student, Developmental Psychology
Research Discipline/Bio
Haleigh is a doctoral student working under Drs. Sonya Troller-Renfree and Kimberly Noble. She is interested in studying how early-life adversity becomes biologically embedded in the developing brain, as measured by electroencephalography (EEG). Haleigh is trained in data collection for a host of physiological measures (e.g., EEG, RSA, cortisol, DNA) and is dedicated to working with diverse global populations. Through her research, Haleigh is interested in examining how inflammatory markers, fetal programming, and mother-child synchronicity can further elucidate how adversity impacts child brain development. Haleigh has worked under Dr. Catherine Monk at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and previously as an undergraduate research assistant in three psychology laboratories (clinical, school, neuropsychology) to support her thesis, in authoring and disseminating a book on improving child health outcomes.
Educational Background
Bachelor of Science, Neuroscience and Psychology: Neurodevelopment and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of South Carolina Honors College, 2023.
Honors/Awards
Shirley Chisholm Trailblazer Award Nominee, Teachers College, 2024; Teachers College Scholarship, Teachers College, 2023; M. Kershaw Walsh Academic Achievement Award, University of South Carolina, 2023; Neuroscience Upstanding Student, University of South Carolina, 2023; Academic Elite Scholarship, University of South Carolina, 2019-2023; Poster Honorable Mention, University of South Carolina, 2022.
Publications/Exhibitions
Brown, H.M., Gray, K.N., & Troller-Renfree. S.V. (in prep). Childhood Adversity and Resting Functional Brain Development: A Systematic Review and Guiding Framework.
Troller-Renfree. S.V., Rosen, M., Brown, H.M., & Smith, H. (in prep). The Impact of Poverty on Brain Architecture. In A. Mastergeorge & M. Barnett (Ed.), The Impact of Poverty on Early Development: Implications for Practice and Policy.
Last Updated: Oct 11, 2024
Ishaq Chowdhury (He/Him/His)
Ph.D. Student, Cognitive Science in Education
Dissertation Advisor: John B Black
Research Discipline/Bio
Ishaq Chowdhury is currently a PhD candidate studying how educational technology can be better implemented to facilitate learning. He is exploring ways for digital tools to be more effective in supporting classroom environments. His immediate focus is investigating how different types of feedback in formative assessments can influence student performance and understanding of learned material. Currently, Ishaq is conducting studies comparing different levels of interactive feedback to examine how they play a role in cognitive load, student engagement, and student reception towards feedback.
Educational Background
Master of Arts, Cognitive Science in Education, Teachers College, 2024
Bachelor of Arts, Cognitive Psychology, CUNY - Hunter College, 2021
Honors/Awards
Psi Chi Honor Society, Teachers College, 2024
Ben & Grace Wood Scholarship, Teachers College, 2021-2024
Publications/Exhibitions
Chowdhury, I., Chodorow, M. Detecting subject-verb number agreement errors: Effects of distance and interference from number mismatched distractors. Annual University of Maryland Virtual National Conference for McNair Scholars. Oral Presentation on March, 2021.
Last Updated: Oct 1, 2024
Katie Gray (She/Her/Hers)
Ph.D. Student, Developmental Psychology
Research Discipline/Bio
As a doctoral student under the mentorship of Dr. Sonya Troller-Renfree, my research revolves around the associations between early adversity, neurodevelopment, and school readiness. I am particularly interested in examining environmental factors that could be targeted through policy interventions. I am experienced with the collection and processing of physiological markers (e.g., EEG, RSA, and cortisol) and analyzing data in SPSS and R. I gained work experience as a research coordinator under Drs. Kristin Buss and Koraly Perez-Edgar at Penn State University, and I volunteered as an undergraduate research assistant with Dr. Rebecca Brooker while I studied at Texas A&M University.
Educational Background
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Texas A&M University, 2021.
Honors/Awards
Undergraduate Research Scholar (Texas A&M University), 2021; University of North Texas Excellence Scholarship, 2018.
Publications/Exhibitions
Troller-Renfree, S. V., Gray, K. N., Sandre, A. S., Hart, E. R., Sperber, J. F., Dettmer, A. M., Meyer, J. S., & Noble, K. G. (under review). Associations between prenatal maternal stress and infant resting brain activity: A preregistered investigation.
Geraci, L., Kurpad, N., Tirso, R., Gray, K. N., & Wang, Y. (2023). Metacognitive errors in the classroom: The role of variability of past performance on exam prediction accuracy. Metacognition and Learning, 18, 219-236.
Last Updated: Oct 8, 2024
Yoojin Hahn
Ph.D. Student, Cognitive Science in Education
I am a PhD student in the Cognitive Science in Education program. My research broadly explores mathematical learning and performance across different age groups. Currently, I am investigating how children and adults understand graphs and how specific aspects of the learning environment influence their learning.
Research Discipline/Bio
Dissertation Advisor: Robert S Siegler
I am a PhD student in the Cognitive Science in Education program. My research broadly explores mathematical learning and performance across different age groups. Currently, I am investigating how children and adults understand graphs and how specific aspects of the learning environment influence their learning.
Educational Background
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology (Honors Program), Columbia College, Columbia University, 2019
Honors/Awards
Doctoral Fellow, Department of Human Development, Teachers College, 2019-2024
Phi Beta Kappa Society, Columbia College, Columbia University, 2019
Last Updated: Nov 4, 2024
Emma Hart
Ph.D. Student, Developmental Psychology
Dissertation Advisor: Tyler Wayne Watts
Emma’s research examines the role that early skills and contexts play in shaping later development. Towards these ends, she studies the longitudinal effects of interventions that are designed to experimentally change children’s skills and contexts. Her work has primarily focused on programs designed to support children experiencing poverty.
Through her research, Emma strives to shape policymaker investments in programs that are most likely to promote equity, while also strengthening and refining theories of fundamental developmental phenomena. She approaches this work with advanced statistical techniques and an interdisciplinary lens cultivated through her training at TC.
You can find more on her work at emmarosehart.com.
Research Discipline/Bio
Emma Hart is a PhD candidate in Developmental Psychology mentored by Drs. Tyler Watts and Kimberly Noble. Her doctoral research is supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
Emma’s research examines the role that early skills and contexts play in shaping later development. Towards these ends, she studies the longitudinal effects of interventions that are designed to experimentally change children’s skills and contexts. Her work has primarily focused on programs designed to support children experiencing poverty.
Through her research, Emma strives to shape policymaker investments in programs that are most likely to promote equity, while also strengthening and refining theories of fundamental developmental phenomena. She approaches this work with advanced statistical techniques and an interdisciplinary lens cultivated through her training at TC.
You can find more on her work at emmarosehart.com.
Educational Background
Master of Philosophy, Developmental Psychology, Teachers College, 2024
Bachelor of Science, Child Development & Public Policy, Vanderbilt University, 2020
Honors/Awards
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP), 2022-present
Society for Research on Child Development Dissertation Award, 2024
Education Policy Dissertation Fellowship, TC, 2024
Dean’s Grant for Student Research, TC, 2024
Vice President’s Grant for Student Research in Diversity, TC, 2023
Publications/Exhibitions
Select publications (see emmarosehart.com for a full list):
Hart et al. (2024). Fadeout & persistence of intervention impacts on social-emotional & cognitive skills in children & adolescents: A meta-analytic review of randomized controlled trials. Psych Bulletin.
Hart et al. (2024). The effect of unconditional cash transfers on maternal assessments of children’s early language & socioemotional development: Experimental evidence among U.S. families residing in poverty. Developmental Psych.
Last Updated: Nov 4, 2024
Jullia Lim
Ph.D. Student, Cognitive Science in Education
As an interdisciplinary researcher, Jullia approaches complex problems from multiple perspectives, informed by her diverse professional experiences, including running an edtech startup, serving as a PM for an education app, and teaching in the classroom.
Her research interests focus on the interaction between individuals and technology. She has designed immersive experiences, such as an augmented reality (AR) social skills game for autistic individuals and a virtual reality (VR) speech therapy app for stuttering patients. Through her work, Jullia aims to leverage technology to create more equitable and inclusive learning environments, ensuring that tech tools meet the diverse needs of all learners.
Research Discipline/Bio
Jullia is a PhD candidate in Cognitive Science in Education, currently researching the effects of AI-generated videos with pedagogical agents (virtual instructors) on cognition and learning. She is particularly interested in the dynamics of human-AI interaction within educational contexts.
As an interdisciplinary researcher, Jullia approaches complex problems from multiple perspectives, informed by her diverse professional experiences, including running an edtech startup, serving as a PM for an education app, and teaching in the classroom.
Her research interests focus on the interaction between individuals and technology. She has designed immersive experiences, such as an augmented reality (AR) social skills game for autistic individuals and a virtual reality (VR) speech therapy app for stuttering patients. Through her work, Jullia aims to leverage technology to create more equitable and inclusive learning environments, ensuring that tech tools meet the diverse needs of all learners.
Educational Background
Master of Philosophy, Cognitive Science in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2024
Master of Arts, Instructional Technology and Media, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2018
Bachelor of Education, Secondary Education, University of British Columbia (UBC)
Bachelor of Arts, Visual Arts and Minor in Asian Area Studies, University of British Columbia (UBC)
Honors/Awards
CHI 2024 Student Research Competition (Graduate) First Place Winner, CHI, 2024
Vice President’s Grant for Student Research in Diversity, TC, 2024
Dean’s Grant for Student Research, TC, 2024
Provost's Grant for Conference Presentation, TC, 2024
International Travel Grant, TC, 2024
Ben D. Wood Fellowship, TC, 2020-23
Verizon 5G EdTech Challenge Winner, 2019
TED Resident, 2018
Microsoft Imagine Cup, US National Finalist, 2018
Adobe Design Achievement Awards Semifinalist, Social Impact, 2018
Publications/Exhibitions
Lim, J. (2024, May 11-16). The Potential of Learning With AI-Generated Pedagogical Agents in Instructional Videos. Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA ’24).
Lim, J. (in final revision). The Potential of AI-Generated Instructional Videos with Pedagogical Agents. Online Learning Journal.
Chang, Y.K., Lim, J. & Burkland, J., (in final revision). How can AR-enhanced books support early readers? Exploring informal literacy development through AR design principles, International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction.
Last Updated: Nov 4, 2024
Xinyu Pan
Ph.D. Student, Cognitive Science in Education
Dissertation Advisor: John B Black
Notable projects:
- evaluated the longitudinal effects of a randomized control-trial early childhood skills intervention as part of two multi-year grants funded by the Institute for Educational Sciences and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- designed curriculum that promotes storytelling as a means for mathematics learning and engagement as part of a three-year project funded by the National Science Foundation
Research Discipline/Bio
Xinyu Pan is a Ph.D. Candidate in Cognitive Science in Education. She is trained in both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Inspired by her previous experience as a high school teacher and Program Director at NYC Department of Education, her primary research interests are teacher beliefs’ influence on instructional behaviors and the longitudinal effect of school-based skills interventions. Outside of her Ph.D. studies, she is a Research Associate at Bank Street College of Education and an Instructional Coach for NYC Public Schools.
Notable projects:
- evaluated the longitudinal effects of a randomized control-trial early childhood skills intervention as part of two multi-year grants funded by the Institute for Educational Sciences and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- designed curriculum that promotes storytelling as a means for mathematics learning and engagement as part of a three-year project funded by the National Science Foundation
Educational Background
M.Phil, Cognitive Science in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2023
M.S.Ed, Adolescent Special Education, Hunter College - The City University of New York, 2014
B.A., Art History and International Studies, Boston College, 2012
Honors/Awards
Department Minority Scholar, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2020 - 2022
Psi Chi, Teachers College, Columbia University 2020
Kappa Delta Pi, Hunter College 2014
Phi Beta Kappa, Boston College 2012
Order of Cross and Crown, Boston College 2012
Golden Key, Boston College, 2012
Publications/Exhibitions
Pan, X. S., Li, C., Watts, T. W., (2022). Associations between preschool cognitive and behavioral skills and college enrollment: Evidence from the Chicago School Readiness Project. Developmental Psychology, doi.org/10.1037/dev0001431. Advance online publication.
Watts, T. W., Li, C., Pan, X. S., Gandhi, J., McCoy, D. C., Raver, C. C., (2022). Impacts of the Chicago School Readiness Project on Measures of Achievement, Cognitive Functioning, and Behavioral Regulation in Late Adolescence. Revise and Resubmit at Developmental Psychology
Watts, T. W., Das, S., Li, C., Pan, X. S., Gandhi, J., McCoy, D. C., Li-Grining, C., Roy, A. L., Jones, S. M., & Raver, C. C. (2022). Chicago School Readiness Project: Adolescent Follow-Up, United States, 2004-2019. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], [Submitted for distribution].
Pan, X. S., Losurdo, C., (2023). Student Facing Lesson Plans: the answer to "what are we doing?". Presentation at the Annual Conference of International Society for Technology in Education, Denver, CO.
Pan, X. S., Botvin, C., (2022). Reconceptualizing the Factor Structure of School Readiness: a Bifactor Model. Poster presentation at the Annual Meeting of Consortium of Early Childhood Intervention Impact, Laguna Beach, CA.
Pan, X. S., Watts, T. W., (2022)., Association Between Preschool Cognitive and Behavior Skills and College Enrollment. Poster presentation at the Annual Conference of American Educational Research Association, Virtual.
Pan, X. S., Watts, T. W., (2021). Association Between Early Cognitive and Behavior Skills and College Enrollment. Poster presentation at the Annual Conference of Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness, Virtual.
Pan, X., (2018). Building School Capacity to Prepare Students for a SkillFULL Life. Presentation at Personalized Learning Summit 2018: Shaping the Future Together, San Francisco, CA.
Last Updated: Nov 4, 2024
Mindy Rosengarten (She/Her/Hers)
Ph.D. Student, Developmental Psychology
Mindy is currently a research fellow with the Minnesota Department of Education working on their longitudinal data system. In this role, she examines what government programs mothers access and how use of such programs is associated with mothers' returns to education and the workforce.
Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Mindy was a Research Coordinator at the Brazelton Touchpoints Center where she supported program and policy evaluations focused on child and family education and health.
Research Discipline/Bio
Mindy is a third year PhD student mentored by Tyler Watts and Kimberly Noble. Her research examines the long-term impacts of educational interventions and asks what features of interventions are most predictive of such long-term impacts. Mindy is also interested in the impacts of early childhood education on parents' earnings and educational attainment.
Mindy is currently a research fellow with the Minnesota Department of Education working on their longitudinal data system. In this role, she examines what government programs mothers access and how use of such programs is associated with mothers' returns to education and the workforce.
Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Mindy was a Research Coordinator at the Brazelton Touchpoints Center where she supported program and policy evaluations focused on child and family education and health.
Educational Background
Master of Arts, Child Study and Human Development, Tufts University, 2020
Bachelor of Arts, Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, 2018
Honors/Awards
Institute for Education Sciences Pre-Doctoral Fellow (IES) 2023 - Present
Eliot-Pearson Tuition Scholarship (Tufts University) 2018
Publications/Exhibitions
Rosengarten et al. Using Meta-Analytic Data to Examine Fadeout of Constrained and Unconstrained Skills (In-Prep).
Rosengarten et al. Measuring Socioeconomic and Stress Disparities in Infant Declarative Memory Using the VPC Task (2024). Developmental Psychobiology
Kao, K., Hornstein, J., Rosengarten M., Kennel, P., Zapata, M., & Ayoub, C., (2022) Working with Families during COVID-19: Identifying Challenges, Finding Resources, and Adapting Family Engagement Coaching. Zero to Three Journal.
Last Updated: Oct 13, 2024
Ji Young Song (She/Her/Hers)
Ph.D. Student, Developmental Psychology
Ji Young earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, where she worked under Dr. Ki-Hak Lee in the School and Counseling Lab. She was awarded a Study Abroad Scholarship from the Korean Government to pursue her PhD.
Research Discipline/Bio
Ji Young (Christie) is a PhD student in the Developmental Psychology program, working under Dr. Sonya Troller-Renfree. Her research interests include, but are not limited to, understanding how poverty and early childhood stress impact children’s neurodevelopment and socioemotional well-being. She is experienced in data collection and processing of physiological markers, such as EEG and cortisol.
Ji Young earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, where she worked under Dr. Ki-Hak Lee in the School and Counseling Lab. She was awarded a Study Abroad Scholarship from the Korean Government to pursue her PhD.
Educational Background
Master of Arts, Psychology, Yonsei University, 2023.
Bachelor of Science, Culture and Design Management, Yonsei University, 2020.
Honors/Awards
Korean Government Scholarship for Studying Abroad, Ministry of Education, Korea, 2023.
Graduate Student Idea Incubation Fund, Yonsei University, Korea, 2021.
Mayor’s Award of Excellence, Incheon Metropolitan City, Korea, 2020.
Social Innovation Scholarship, Yonsei University, Korea, 2019.
Highest Honors, Yonsei University, Korea, 2016-2019.
Academic Excellence (Veritas) Scholarship, Yonsei University, Korea, 2015-2019.
Publications/Exhibitions
Song, J., & Lee, K. H. (2023). Influence of economic and academic barriers on perceptions of future decent work: A moderated mediation model of work volition and social support. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 141, 103842.
Last Updated: Feb 23, 2025
Jessica Sperber
Ph.D. Student, Developmental Psychology
Dissertation Advisor: Kimberly G Noble
Prior to coming to TC, Jessica worked as a Project Coordinator at the Bates Social Development Lab at Indiana University. She also worked as a Research Coordinator for ParentCorps at NYU, a large-scale socioemotional intervention for under-resourced preschools across NYC. In 2024, she received the prestigious NRSA F31 from NICHD to fund her dissertation research, which will examine the associations between family SES and maternal stress with epigenetic aging and cognitive/behavioral outcomes across early childhood.
Research Discipline/Bio
Jessica is a 5th year doctoral student mentored by Dr. Kimberly Noble and Dr. Tyler Watts. Her research examines the effects of poverty and maternal stress on developmental outcomes across the lifespan, and the ability of early life interventions to ameliorate those effects. Jessica is particularly interested in biological mechanisms of early life adversity to explain disparities in health and behavior, leveraging techniques such as EEG, cortisol, and epigenetics.
Prior to coming to TC, Jessica worked as a Project Coordinator at the Bates Social Development Lab at Indiana University. She also worked as a Research Coordinator for ParentCorps at NYU, a large-scale socioemotional intervention for under-resourced preschools across NYC. In 2024, she received the prestigious NRSA F31 from NICHD to fund her dissertation research, which will examine the associations between family SES and maternal stress with epigenetic aging and cognitive/behavioral outcomes across early childhood.
Educational Background
Masters of Arts, Developmental Psychology, Teachers College, 2024
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Muhlenberg College, 2017
Honors/Awards
National Research Service Fellowship (NRSA) F31 Award, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2024 ($95,388)
Education Policy and Social Analysis Dissertation Research Fellowship, Teachers College, 2024 ($6,000)
Ball-Stick-Bird Fund, Berkshire Taconic Foundation, 2023 ($20,000)
Deans Grant for Student Research, Teachers College, 2022 ($2,000)
Crist Student Research Award, Muhlenberg College, 2017 ($3,000)
Publications/Exhibitions
Sperber JF et al. (2024). Gratification delay and adult outcomes: The Marshmallow Test does not reliably predict adult functioning. Child Development.
Sperber JF et al. (2023). Unconditional cash transfers and maternal assessments of children’s health, nutrition, and sleep: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open.
Sperber JF et al (2023). The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on infant development and maternal mental health in the first two years of life. Infancy
Last Updated: Oct 2, 2024
Educational Background
Bachelor of Arts, Applied Mathematics, University of California at Berkeley, 2022
Minor in Data Science and Education, University of California at Berkeley, 2022
Last Updated: Oct 21, 2024
We are delighted to announce the launch of our new online profiles for Doctoral Students at Teachers College.
If you are a currently enrolled doctoral student at Teachers College, please visit the profile submission page for more information on how you can create your own profile.