Human Development Program

Observation Room in the Center for Young Children

Dr. Natasha Cabrera with her students in the Family Involvement lab

Amanda Burkholder, Human Development student, and Research Assistant

Jeeyoung interviewing a child in a study

The Human Development Program focuses on studies of developmental changes in social behaviors, social cognitions, and social relationships and how such changes are related to, caused by, or predictive of features of cognitive, emotional, motivational, neuropsychological, and psychopathological development. Specializations within the department include the following.

Educational Psychology: The faculty in the Educational Psychology Specialization focus on the processes involved in learning across the lifespan. Themes include cognitive development focusing on language, mathematics, and reading. There are significant strengths in language learning, bi-lingualism, and cognitive neuroscience of reading.

Developmental Science: The faculty in the Developmental Science Specialization focus on the processes involved in social and cognitive development across the lifespan. Themes include the importance of early experience on brain and behavior, the importance of peer relationships, moral reasoning, research on families and the influence of socio-economic status on children's development.


	Patricia Alexander, Distinguished University Professor 3304F Benjamin Building (301) 405-2821 \| palexand@umd.edu Specialization: Educational Psychology Lab: Disciplined Reading and Learning Research Lab
	Donald Bolger, Associate Professor 3304N Benjamin Building (301) 405-9103 \| djbolger@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Laboratory for the Neurodevelopment of Reading and Language
	Lucas Butler, Associate Professor 3304P Benjamin Building (301) 314-1815 \| lpbutler@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Cognition and Development Lab
	Natasha Cabrera, Professor 3304E Benjamin Building (301) 405-2827 \| ncabrera@umd.edu Specialization: Developmental Science Lab: Family Involvement Laboratory
	Jimena Cosso, Assistant Professor 3304N Benjamin Building (301) 405-2820 \| jcosso@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Home Opportunities for Latine in Advancing (HOLA) STEM Lab
	Nathan Fox, Distinguished University Professor 3404D Benjamin Building (301) 405-2816 \| fox@umd.edu Specialization: Developmental Science Lab: Child Development Lab
	Melanie Killen, Distinguished University Professor 3304B Benjamin Building (301) 405-3176 \| mkillen@umd.edu Specialization: Developmental Science Lab: Social and Moral Development Laboratory
	Doug Lombardi, Associate Professor 3304T Benjamin Building (301) 405-3604 \| lombard1@umd.edu Specialization: Educational Psychology Lab: Science Learning Research Group
	Kelly Mix, Professor 3304M Benjamin Building (301) 405-5914 \| kmix@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Learning and Cognition Lab
	Richard Prather, Associate Professor 3304S Benjamin Building (301) 405-2806 \| prather1@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Cognition and Development Lab
	Geetha Ramani, Associate Professor 3304R Benjamin Building (301) 405-8777 \| gramani@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Early Childhood Interaction Lab
	Rachel Romeo, Assistant Professor 3304Q Benjamin Building romeo@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Language, Experience, And Development (LEAD) Lab
	Min Wang, Professor 3304C Benjamin Building (301) 405-8798 \| minwang@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Bilingual and Biliteracy Research Lab

Current Graduate Students


	Gavkhar Abdurokhmonova ga2541@umd.edu / 3rd year / Dev Sci Advisor: Rachel Romeo Undergrad Institution: Research Interests:
	Victoria Alexander valexa@umd.edu / 4th year / Ed Psych Advisor: Kelly Mix & Rachel Romeo Undergrad Institution: The University of Central Florida Research Interests: My research interests center around identifying ways students, especially those from underrepresented populations, can use the arts to strengthen cognitive processes necessary in mathematical learning.
	Jenna Alton jalton@umd.edu / 6th year / Dev Sci Advisor: Lucas Butler Undergrad Institution: St. John's College Research Interests: I study how children make evaluative judgements across social groups, and how empirical evidence may influence the process by which children make judgements such as stereotyping.
	Jonah Brenner jb1998@umd.edu / 1st year / Dev Sci Advisor: Melanie Killen Undergrad Institution: Skidmore College Research Interests: Social-cognitive development, inequality, bias
	Michaela Brooks mrbrooks@umd.edu / 3rd year / Ed Psych Advisor: DJ Bolger Undergrad Institution: Research Interests:
	Maiofan Chen miao922@umd.edu / 2nd year / Ed Psych Advisor: Richard Prather Undergrad Institution: Research Interests:
	Yi Dai ydai1@umd.edu / 2nd year / Ed Psych Advisor: Min Wang Undergrad Institution: Jiangxi Normal University Graduate Institution: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Research Interests: My research focuses on second language acquisition and processing, particularly the orthographic representation and its role in L2 written word recognition and production.
	Marley Forbes mforbes2@umd.edu / 3rd year / Dev Sci Advisor: Melanie Killen Undergrad Institution: Research Interests:
	Jannah Fusenig jfusenig@umd.edu / 6th year / Ed Psych Advisor: Patricia Alexander Undergrad Institution: California State University, Chico Research Interests: Jannah's research focuses on multimedia learning, or the study of how we learn from both text and pictures. More specifically, she is interested in understanding the influence of pictures on students' ability to learn from textbooks.
	Muhammad Fusenig mfusenig@umd.edu / 2nd year / Ed Psych Advisor: Patricia Alexander Undergrad Institution: Research Interests:
	Nancy Gans ngans@umd.edu / 4th year / Ed Psych Advisor: Doug Lombardi & Patricia Alexander Undergrad Institution: The Ohio State University Research Interests: Nancy's interests include: Cognition and motivation of elementary-aged students, Socio-cultural learning in diverse communities, & Epistemic cognition and critical analytic thinking in younger students and teachers
	Teresa Garcia teresamg@umd.edu / 3rd year / Dev Sci Advisor: Lucas Butler Undergrad Institution: Research Interests:
	Gillian Grose ggrose@umd.edu / 5th year / Dev Sci Advisor: Dr. Geetha Ramani Undergrad Institution: Cornell University Research Interests: My research focuses on how parent-child interactions and beliefs about math can impact children's early math learning. I am also interested in intervention work that aims to make math more accessible.
	Melike Hanedar mhanedar@umd.edu / 1st year / Ed Psych Advisor: Doug Lombardi Undergrad Institution: Research Interests:
	R. Pinar Karan rpkaran@umd.edu / 2nd year / Dev Sci Advisor: Natasha Cabrera Undergrad Institution: Research Interests:
	Elise Kaufman ekaufma1@umd.edu / 4th year / Dev Sci Advisor: Dr. Melanie Killen Undergrad Institution: Vanderbilt University Research Interests: Interested in children and adolescent social and moral development in the classroom, how teachers affect these processes, how children think about teacher bias
	Margaret Logan mwlogan@umd.edu / 3rd year / Ed Psych Advisor: Patricia Alexander Undergrad Institution: Research Interests: Thinking and Reasoning, Learning, Problem Solving
	Kate Luken Raz lukenraz@umd.edu / 5th year / Dev Sci Advisor: Melanie Killen Undergrad Institution: University of Washington Research Interests: Children’s moral development, children's understanding of equality and equity, intergroup inclusion and exclusion, as well as cross-race and cross-wealth friendships in childhood.
	Sivan Lurie slurie@umd.edu / 2nd year / Dev Sci Advisor: Geetha Ramani Undergrad Institution: University of Pittsburgh Research Interests: How caregivers’ beliefs and behavior shape children's early math experiences.
	Alina Maki amaki13@umd.edu / 4th year / Ed Psych Advisor: Patricia Alexander & Doug Lombardi Undergrad Institution: Research Interests:
	S. Alexa McDorman samcdor@umd.edu / 5th year / Dev Sci Advisor: Rachel Romeo Undergrad Institution: William & Mary Research Interests: Early childhood risk and protective systems among low-income families; informing strengths-based intervention.
	Maylee Montagut-Ascanio montagut@umd.edu / 2nd year / Ed Psych Advisor: Geetha Ramani Undergrad Institution: Universidad de Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia Research Interests: Parent-child interactions that support early mathematical development; gesture strategies of bilingual learners and their families
	Clara Plutzer cplutzer@umd.edu / 1st year / Dev Sci Advisor: Melanie Killen Undergrad Institution: New York University Research Interests: Children's development of stereotypes, prejudice, and intergroup relations, social cognitive development and identity development
	Jinglei Ren jinglei@umd.edu / 5th year / Ed Psych Advisor: Min Wang Undergrad Institution: University of Waterloo Research Interests: Jinglei's research interests are in statistical learning, language acquisition and reading
	John Robertson jrr@umd.edu / 4th year / Ed Psych Advisor: Doug Lombardi & Min Wang Undergrad Institution: Research Interests:
	Ellie Taylor-Robinette ektaylor@umd.edu / 1st year / Dev Sci Advisor: Rachel Romeo Undergrad Institution: Johns Hopkins University Grad Institution: Georgetown University Research Interests: early experiences prenatal to 5; brain and cognitive development; community-engaged methods; educational & health equity
	Kathryn Yee katyee@umd.edu / 6th year / Dev Sci Advisor: Dr. Melanie Killen Undergrad Institution: New York University Research Interests: My research focuses on how children think about social groups, their perceptions of inequality and social mobility, and the implications for intergroup behavior and reasoning.
	Oksana Zapletina oksanaz@umd.edu / 2nd year / Dev Sci Advisor: Lucas Butler Undergrad Institution: Research Interests:
	Nan Zhang nanzhang@umd.edu / 6th year / Ed Psych Advisor: Dr. Min Wang Undergrad Institution: Beijing Normal University Research Interests: My research focuses on second language acquisition and processing in adults, especially the word reading and spelling.
	Xianglin Zhang xzhang55@umd.edu / 2nd year / Ed Psych Advisor: Min Wang Undergrad Institution: Beijing Normal University Research Interests: The cognitive processes underlying reading and writing development; Second language acquisition

There are two areas for specialization within the Human Development program: Developmental Science or Educational Psychology.

Developmental Science
The Developmental Science specialization is designed to train students in the areas of social, cognitive, emotional, and biological aspects of human development. This specialization involves intensive research apprenticeships with faculty mentors, coursework in core courses and advanced seminars, and exposure to leaders in Developmental Science through the colloquia and professional development weekly seminar organized by the Center for Children, Relationships, and Culture, which is housed in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology.

The goal of the program is to train students for research careers in academic or applied areas of child development; graduates have obtained positions as university professors and research scientists. The program encourages engagement in collaborative research with faculty and students in a wide range of developmental science areas. In addition to coursework, students enroll in a one-credit weekly colloquia series and professional development seminar which hosts invited speakers from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan universities, institutes, and research "think tanks," as well as provides for professional development sessions on various topics such as conference preparations, dissertation projects, grant writing, and career options.

Specific topics investigated include peer relationships, parent-child relationships, attachment, emotional development, developmental neuroscience, social-cognitive development, moral judgment, motivation, social goals, intergroup attitudes and relationships, prejudice, linguistic development, play, cognitive development, parent-child discourse, father involvement, early childhood policy, civic engagement, and cultural influences on development.

Educational Psychology
The Educational Psychology Specialization is a nationally-ranked and internationally-recognized program of study in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology.

The goal of the Educational Psychology specialization is to train students in the processes involved in learning across the life span and competent functioning in educational settings. Based on a mentorship model, students work closely with faculty on research and scholarship. Specific topics of research include cognitive development, as it relates to language, mathematics, and reading, social and academic aspects of motivation and self-regulation, and parent, teacher and peer relationships as they relate to school success. Students take courses and advanced seminars on cognition, motivation, learning, language, social influences on learning, and cognitive neuroscience. Advanced training in quantitative methods is also a specific focus of the specialization.

Educational psychology faculty and students meet bi-weekly as part of a research seminar series that focuses on the discussion of ongoing student and faculty research. The seminar also includes professional development topics such as how to publish and present research, grant writing, job search advice, and networking skills.

While completing their Ph.D., graduate students are also able to pursue concentrations in quantitative methodology, as well as in interdisciplinary areas such as neuroscience and cognitive science and language science.

The doctoral program provides students with core courses and research experience relevant to the social, cognitive, affective, linguistic and neurophysiological aspects of human development from birth through adulthood. Core courses include: History and Systems of Human Development, Language Development, Cognitive Development and Learning, Social Development and Socialization Processes, Psychophysiological Processes, and Research Methods; students also are required to master intermediate-level statistics.

Students also receive close mentoring in developing their research capabilities and agendas through Research Apprenticeship experiences. As part of this apprenticeship experience, all Ph.D. students are required to complete a first-year research project. Students in the general program are welcome to participate in the colloquium series offered by the Developmental Science and Educational Psychology specializations. The required comprehensive examination consists of a portfolio of the student's research reviewed by three faculty members.

Please refer to the

EDHD Doctoral Handbook 2023

for more information on program requirements.

Take advantage of research opportunities offered through the labs and centers affiliated with the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology (HDQM) at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Advising
Academic advisement for graduate students is provided by the graduate faculty in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology (HDQM). For general advising information, please contact the Coordinator of Graduate Studies, Jannitta Graham at (301) 405-8432 or jgraham7@umd.edu.

Graduate Policy
Graduate students in the College of Education are responsible for meeting University and the Graduate School policy, and for meeting Program requirements. The Graduate Catalog is the official listing of Policies governing graduate education at the University of Maryland. The schedule adjustment policy is available from the Office of the Registrar and provides information on adding and dropping courses, penalties, and refund schedules.

Handbooks and Guidelines
The program handbooks provide information about the Masters and Doctoral programs. The handbooks cover topics such as overviews of the programs, milestones, and course requirements.

EDHD Doctoral Handbook 2023

Forms
Graduate students must submit various forms at specific points as required by the Human Development program and as part of the Graduate School process. The Graduate School offers university-level forms, and the College of Education offers college-level forms. To determine the form required by the Human Development program, please refer to the Graduate Student Handbooks.

Templates and Formatting Guidelines for Thesis and Dissertation
Dissertations are to be submitted to the Graduate School in electronic format after final approval of the dissertation by the Dissertation Examining Committee. The University of Maryland Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) website or the University of Maryland Thesis and Dissertation Style Guide include details of this process.

Dissertations submitted to the University through the ETD process will also be deposited in the UM Library's online electronic archive, DRUM (Digital Repository at the University of Maryland). This is a free public archive of academic work by University faculty and graduate students.

Study Fellowships and Awards
A variety of fellowships and awards are available to prospective and current graduate students. Opportunities to apply for these awards are announced through the University, the College of Education, and the Department.

For applicants interested in obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Human Development, please click here.

For applicants interested in obtaining a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Human Development, please click here.

For applicants interested in obtaining a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in Human Development, please click here.

For applicants interested in an Off-Campus Cohort, Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in Human Development, please click here.

Stay up-to-date on the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology with the College of Education's News and Events.


	Patricia Alexander, Distinguished University Professor 3304F Benjamin Building (301) 405-2821 \| palexand@umd.edu Specialization: Educational Psychology Lab: Disciplined Reading and Learning Research Lab
	Donald Bolger, Associate Professor 3304N Benjamin Building (301) 405-9103 \| djbolger@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Laboratory for the Neurodevelopment of Reading and Language
	Lucas Butler, Associate Professor 3304P Benjamin Building (301) 314-1815 \| lpbutler@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Cognition and Development Lab
	Natasha Cabrera, Professor 3304E Benjamin Building (301) 405-2827 \| ncabrera@umd.edu Specialization: Developmental Science Lab: Family Involvement Laboratory
	Jimena Cosso, Assistant Professor 3304N Benjamin Building (301) 405-2820 \| jcosso@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Home Opportunities for Latine in Advancing (HOLA) STEM Lab
	Nathan Fox, Distinguished University Professor 3404D Benjamin Building (301) 405-2816 \| fox@umd.edu Specialization: Developmental Science Lab: Child Development Lab
	Melanie Killen, Distinguished University Professor 3304B Benjamin Building (301) 405-3176 \| mkillen@umd.edu Specialization: Developmental Science Lab: Social and Moral Development Laboratory
	Doug Lombardi, Associate Professor 3304T Benjamin Building (301) 405-3604 \| lombard1@umd.edu Specialization: Educational Psychology Lab: Science Learning Research Group
	Kelly Mix, Professor 3304M Benjamin Building (301) 405-5914 \| kmix@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Learning and Cognition Lab
	Richard Prather, Associate Professor 3304S Benjamin Building (301) 405-2806 \| prather1@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Cognition and Development Lab
	Geetha Ramani, Associate Professor 3304R Benjamin Building (301) 405-8777 \| gramani@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Early Childhood Interaction Lab
	Rachel Romeo, Assistant Professor 3304Q Benjamin Building romeo@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Language, Experience, And Development (LEAD) Lab
	Min Wang, Professor 3304C Benjamin Building (301) 405-8798 \| minwang@umd.edu Specializations: Developmental Science, Educational Psychology Lab: Bilingual and Biliteracy Research Lab

Current Graduate Students

Gavkhar Abdurokhmonova

Victoria Alexander

Jenna Alton

Jonah Brenner

Michaela Brooks

Maiofan Chen

Yi Dai

Marley Forbes

Jannah Fusenig

Muhammad Fusenig

Nancy Gans

Teresa Garcia

Gillian Grose

Melike Hanedar

R. Pinar Karan

Elise Kaufman

Margaret Logan

Kate Luken Raz

Sivan Lurie

Alina Maki

S. Alexa McDorman

Maylee Montagut-Ascanio

Clara Plutzer

Jinglei Ren

John Robertson

Ellie Taylor-Robinette

Kathryn Yee

Oksana Zapletina

Nan Zhang

Xianglin Zhang