People
Director-General
Cristine Legare, Ph.D.
Dr. Legare is a professor of psychology and the director of CACS at The University of Texas at Austin. Her research examines how the human mind enables us to learn, create, and transmit culture. She conducts comparisons across age, culture, and species to address fundamental questions about cognitive and cultural evolution. Dr. Legare has expertise in global public health, international education, child development, and cognitive science.
Senior Research Associate
Mona Baniahmadi, Ed.D.
Dr. Baniahmadi received her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh. PA. She has expertise in supervising and evaluating STEM education research projects to assess the impact of various programs across K-12 and college settings. Dr. Baniahmadi conducted mixed methods research focused on designing and delivering teacher professional learning programs and examining the influence of education policy and technology on teacher curricular decision-making. She is a former teacher, tutor, and textbook author with over ten years of experience in implementing innovative instructional strategies to provide equal learning opportunities for all students in classrooms.
Post Doctoral Research Associate
Faiz Hashmi, Ph. D.
Faiz received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. He has five years of experience in quantitative and qualitative research, human-centered design, and program management while working with CARE and Project Concern International. He has deep skills in applying cognitive scientific concepts to develop Theories of Change to devise high impact sustainable Social Behavior Change strategies. Faiz has an M.A. in development studies and a post-graduate diploma in public health management. Faiz is interested in exploring the impact of cognitive and cultural factors on various aspects of public health and gender.
Research Program Coordinator
Zachary M. Taylor, B.A.
Zach oversees operations and provides project management and data management support for CACS projects. He received his B.A. in psychology and Plan II Honors in 2022 from The University of Texas at Austin. Zach is inspired by research across the cognitive and social sciences and is particularly motivated by the field’s recent push to improve the robustness, replicability, and external validity of its experimental methods (i.e., design, measurement, analysis, inference). During his time at CACS, he has honed an interest in causal modeling and Bayesian methods, which has inspired him to pursue a graduate degree in Experimental or Quantitative Psychology.
Senior Data Analyst
Alexander Etz, PH.D.
Dr. Etz received his Ph.D. in Cognitive Sciences from the University of California, Irvine. The main focus of Dr. Etz's research is improving the statistical methods used in the behavioral sciences, with a particular interest in increasing the accessibility of Bayesian methods. He has published tutorials on topics including Bayesian hypothesis testing, guidelines for conducting and reporting Bayesian analyses, and simulation as a tool for understanding Bayesian statistics. In the lab, Dr. Etz applies his expertise in Bayesian analysis to the Culture of Schooling project, acting as the lead analyst for this large, international dataset.
Graduate Student Researchers
Jessica (Yee Jie) Ooi, M.S.
Jessica graduated with an MS in Research Psychology and is intrigued by the dynamics of parent-child relationships. Her research interest lies in exploring how parent-child relationships and interactions shape children's development, mental health, and cognitive learning. Jessica also finds joy in cleaning and analyzing data, driven by a genuine desire to understand human behavior through empirical evidence.
Yousef Elsayed, B.A.
Yousef is a second-year PhD student in the STEM Education department. His research interests are parent-child interactions as well as exploring how knowledge constructed within families and communities informs knowing and learning in science. Through his work, Yousef aims to better understand the role of family environments in shaping children's engagement with science. He has teaching experience within public and private school settings.
Doris Abakah Osei Bonsu, MPhil.
Doris holds an MPhil degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Ghana-Legon. She will be joining the CACS lab in the Fall 2024 as she pursues her doctoral degree in Developmental Psychology at UT Austin. During her master's program, her research focused on how socio-economic factors affect neurocognitive abilities and school performance in children from lower-middle-income communities (LMICs) in Ghana. Doris has field experience in Ghana and has contributed to the Culture of Schooling project. Her current interests lie in studying cognitive functioning and development, particularly how cultural and family diversities influence these abilities among children from diverse LMICs. Doris is dedicated not only to conducting research and publishing papers but also to initiating positive change in the communities she studies.
TALIB EL AISSATI
Talib is a PhD student at the School of Collective Intelligence, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat, Morocco, and a visiting PhD researcher at the Center for Applied Cognitive Science. His research focuses on human cumulative culture, particularly the dynamic interplay between social learning and technological understanding in traditional societies. He is developing innovative methods to aggregate local knowledge and explore experimental scientific reasoning within farming communities. Using a mixed-methods approach, his fieldwork spans Morocco, Mali, and Ghana, investigating how small-scale societies transmit not only technologies but also the underlying understanding behind them.
Leonard K. Kulisch
Leon is a PhD student at Ruhr University Bochum, where he works in the Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and at the German Center for Mental Health. He is currently a visiting PhD researcher at the Center for Applied Cognitive Science. His research focuses on global family wellbeing, examining how cognitive processes, socio-cultural contexts, and physical health influence family relationships and mental health. He studies topics such as socialization goals, cultural change, parental beliefs, and family coping with childhood cancer, with projects spanning Germany, China, Turkey, Canada, and other regions. Leon is committed to advancing innovative research methods and promoting Open Science principles in all his work.
Research Technicians
Aarushi Gupta, B.S.
Aarushi graduated with a Psychology BA from The University of Texas at Austin in 2025. Her research interests revolve around understanding the complexities of cultural differences and how they shape conceptual development, social judgements, and cognitive processes. She is currently working on the Culture of Schooling project and plans to pursue a Psychology graduate degree in the realm of culture and cognition.
Victoria Perugini
Victoria is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, double-majoring in Psychology and Sociology, with a minor in Educational Psychology. She is passionate about making education accessible and equitable, particularly for diverse and underserved student populations. She hopes to pursue a career in educational evaluation research to develop inclusive learning methods that support all students. Her thesis aims to explore the relationship between parents' teaching styles and children’s cognitive strategies across cultures.
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Malka Negret
Mona Afshari
Olivea Ali
Nishi Chatram
Melis Demiralp
Halle Eiwo
Andrea Ensign
Christine Gerhard
Stephanie Hudd
Chelsea Li
Jenelle Medina
Ishwori Mukherjee
Shruthi Mudigonda
Uyen Nguyen
Esha Patel
Aesha Parekh
Ramya Potula
Kayla Tran
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Aditi Subba
Meryl Jiang
Melis Demiralp
Kimberly Mendez
Morgan Newhouse
Karlos Ramos
Hannah Lunkenheimer
Aurora Brinkman
Katie Cullum
Alex Etz
Nicole Wen
Leigh Plummer
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Jesse Peregrino, Ph. D. was a Ph. D. student and researcher at UT Austin.
Alejandro Erut, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the School of Collective Intelligence at the Université Mohamed VI Polytechnique. Dr. Erut was a postdoctoral researcher at UT Austin from 2021-2025.
Angel Filer, Ed.D., is a Director of Training and Learning at TouchMath. Dr. Filer was a project coordinator at UT Austin from 2023-2024.
Oskar Burger, Ph.D., is a Senior Quantitative Specialist at OMNI Institute. Dr. Burger was a postdoctoral researcher at UT Austin from 2018-2022.
Hannah Lunkenheimer, Ph.D., is a Quantitative Research Specialist at OMNI Institute. Dr. Lunkenheimer received her M.A. from UT Austin in 2022.
Ajna Kertesz, Ph.D., is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Wesleyan University. Dr. Kertesz received her M.A. from UT Austin in 2022.
Bruce Rawlings, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Durham University. Dr. Rawlings was a postdoctoral researcher at UT Austin from 2018-2021.
Emily Messer, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Heriot-Watt University. Dr. Messer was a postdoctoral researcher at UT Austin from 2018-2021.
Frankie F.T.K. Fong, Ph.D., is a Lecturer in the School of Psychology at Victoria University of Wellington. Dr. Fong was a visiting postdoctoral researcher at UT Austin from 2019-2021.
Afshan Kamrudin, Ph.D., is a Research Analyst at Lifeworks Austin. Dr. Kamrudin was a postdoctoral researcher at UT Austin from 2019-2021.
Nicole J. Wen, Ph.D., is a Lecturer in the Division of Psychology at Brunel University London. Dr. Wen received her Ph.D. from UT Austin in 2018.
Justin T.A. Busch, Ph.D., is a User Researcher at Arrival in London, UK. Dr. Busch received his Ph.D. from UT Austin in 2018.
Sarah M. Pope, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Georgia State University. Dr. Pope was a postdoctoral researcher at UT Austin from 2018-2019.
Emily E. Little, Ph.D., is the founder and director of Nurturely. Dr. Little was a postdoctoral researcher at UT Austin from 2017-2019.
Aiyana K. Willard, Ph.D., is a Reader in the Division of Psychology at Brunel University London. Dr. Willard was a postdoctoral researcher at UT Austin from 2015-2017.
Jennifer M. Clegg, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at Texas State University. Dr. Clegg received her Ph.D. from UT Austin in 2016.
Daniel Conroy-Beam, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at UC Santa Barbara. Dr. Conroy-Beam received his Ph.D. from UT Austin in 2016.
Rachel E. Watson-Jones, Ph.D., is a Senior User Experience Researcher at Amazon Business. Dr. Watson-Jones was a visiting graduate student and postdoctoral researcher at UT Austin from 2011–2015.
Frances R. Morales, M.A., is an Assistant Professor at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Ms. Morales received her M.A. at UT Austin in 2015.
Andre L. Souza, Ph.D., is an Insights Researcher at Meta. Dr. Souza received his Ph.D. from UT Austin in 2012.
Patricia Herrmann, Ph.D., is a Data Science Strategist. Dr. Herrmann was a postdoctoral researcher at UT Austin from 2011–2013.
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2025-2026: Ishwori Mukherjee
2024- 2025: Jenelle Abigail Medina, Kiera Dicesare.
2023-2024: Ruth Befekadu, Trisha Clennan, Averiana Davis, Isabel Donovan, Kiera DiCesare, Christian Graulau, Shruthi Mudigonda, Jaden Panicker, Rachel Park, Victoria Perugini, Irene Wang, Phoebe Wang, Casey Ray Willingham.
2022-2023: Tamara Garza, Daniela Esquivel Cantu, Amani Saleh, Jana Jimenez, Karsen LaRue, Presley Jones, Sayona Ambastha, Vennila Satheesh, Evan Zou, Sampreeti Bingi, Sohmee Kim, Hui Feng, Taylor Carpenter, Harrison Stotts, Caitlyn Petescia
2021-2022: Julia Abreu, Vanessa Usoh, Teague Marusak, Berivan Barin, Brandon Cambre,Ali Gamboa, Rachel Hershmann, Trisha Lobo, Katie Nguyen, Leo Pratt, Jedsada Thavornfung, Isabel Webb Carey, Klarissa Garza,
2020-2021: Rachel Capao, Christian Denolan, Jana Fahkreddine, Kaya Gorsline, Elizabeth Hartzell, Taylor Knight, Juliette Licon, Austin McGinnis, Catherine Nair, Rohan Skaria, Dharsanaa Srignaneswaran, Dakota Tate, Yuchen Tian, Patricia Tomacruz, Juolin Tsai, Yuhan Wang, Musmin Zar, Keyifan Zhao, Quan Zhou
2019-2020: Samiyah Al-Amin, Alex Barshop, Andrea Bongiovanni, Sabrina Chavez, Anoushka Dasgupta, Sushil Gangasani, Elizabeth Hartzell, Kyle Katigbak, Sydney Lanyon, Sebastien Lauzy, Yanxi Lu, Tiffany McFall, Helen Mokhayeri, Emma Morris, Roshan Nair, Morgan Newhouse, Hayden Rosato, Abilio Sanchez, Shelby Sears, Carolyn Smith, Sana Usman, Heather Wessel
2018-2019: Bunmi Akindona, Janet Akisanmi, Justin Allen, Felicia Calo, Hannah Campos, Michaela Caughy, Lydia Chen, Seoyoung Choi, Summer Crawford, Jensen Edwards, Stephanie Estrera, Aliana Gamboa, Claudia Hernandez, Kathryn Klepac, Sonali Krish, Keyun Li, Anh Nguyen, Yasmeen Nofal, Keonnie Parilla, Matthew Reyes, Danielle Salinas, Adriana Threet, Nawal Umar, Nat Watkins, Lori Woo, Amir Zlaei
2017-2018: Sally Do, Shirin Khakoo, Sarah Kim, Hannah Nazir, Ashley Obregon, Ashley Pham, Evan Wotipka
2016-2017: Alyssa Bohnert, Aurora Brinkman, Zac Buckingham, Aditi Chalise, Shihyin Chung, Nick Gatz, Taylor George, Nicole Griffin, Atira Hinton, Daniel Ikejimba, Vibha Iyengar, Bonnie Johnson, Andi Liang, Jacob Maras, Gaby Morgan, Yasmeen Nofal, Reethika Thakkalapally, Jennifer Velazquez, Aaron Wood
2015-2016: Alexander Abbot, Andrew Arriaga, Mahera Badat, Carmen Cardenas, Nitza Chavez, Grace Cicardo, Emily Cruz, Maria de Leon, Emma Denning, Daniel Dosal-Terminel, Leah Duran, Nicole Garner, Taylor George, Tiffany Huynh, Daniel Ikejimba, Eunice Iyalho, Nicole Jacobs, Ana Jacome, Alicia Kiattinat, Sarah Kim, Emily Lang, Lindsey Leggett, Shirley Li, Joel Lucio, Wanja Muturi, Anisa Nabily, Patty Phewklieng, Graciela Rodriguez, Tara Thankachan, Bryn Terry, Shu Jie Ting, Emily Withrow
2014-2015: Adrian Abellanoza, Bethelhem Belachew, Anuj Bhutani, Jayson Alex Carr, Emily Eck, Quinn Hirschi, Elena Keltner, Shama Momin, Valerie Moreno, Priyanka Patel, Bella Prines, McKenzie Ratcliffe, Annabel Reeves, Michelle Ross, Hyunji Seo, Swathi Sridhar, Kasia Szostak, Sarah Talaat, Allison Tsao, Holly Weir, Debbie Yeh, Rithika Yogeshwarun, Chloe Yu
2013-2014: Niki Akhaveissy, Adam Alcott, Andrea Argueta, Joseph Barron, Casey Brown, Courtney Crosby, Cisse Drame, Stephanie Gonzalez, Irene Jea, Alexa Perlick, Elyssa Proby, Emily Shanks, Allison Tsao, Monica Vela, Viviana Wan
2012-2013: Justin Busch, Nathan Davis, Adrienne Fowler, Eric Harvey, Cintia Hinojosa, Sarah Mohkamkar
2011-2012: Brittani Cobb, Kathryn Christine Chevis, Katherine Cullum, Niki Demkowicz, Teresa Gaytan, Lauren Gragg, Lacey Hutchison, Paige Hartman, Michelle Jorgenson, Riley Little, Becky Nekolaichuk, Tiffany Roshanian, Lukas Thompson, Maya Zein
2010-2011: Erica Beall, Victoria Chapman, Claudia Garate, Erin Griffin, Anna Johnson, Abby Lavine, Christin Lusk, Daniel Martinez, Jr., Victoria Nava, Jenna Segraves, Ariana Stern-Luna, Nicole Wen
2009-2010: Molly Callahan, Stephani Clayton, Milla Impola, Katie Jean, Starr La Salde, Linzi Moss, Naomi Schwendemann, Becca Yasskin
2008-2009: Sara Baird, Justin Cho , Kellie Connors, Sabrina Elddine, Sonali Gadkari, Kaitlin McLaughlin, Jane Park, Cam Plummer, Leigh Plummer, Brooke Woolley
