Project on Children's Thinking STAR Lab

Brian Andrus, 6th Year Student in Learning Sciences

Brian employs qualitative and mixed-methods approaches to research and to understand the ways in which technologies and tangible learning materials facilitate enriching learning experiences and meaningful human interactions. He is particularly interested in how individuals and groups of people perceive, experience, and learn in relation to the physical and social dimensions of space around them. Brian has enjoyed designing and facilitating STEM enrichment activities for young children and for after-school programs, including robotics and coding. Outside of work and study he enjoys tinkering and home improvement projects, painting, reading sci-fi and fantasy books, kayaking, and game nights with friends.

Kiley McKee, 4th Year Student in Cognitive Psychology

Kiley’s research focuses on the tools that cognitive psychologists use to measure spatial thinking, especially with children. Part of this research includes examining how characteristics of different tasks such as mental rotation task, affect how children perform on the task. Additionally, Kiley works on the Smart Cubes project, which is examining how researchers can utilize specialized technology and AI systems to capture spatial processes.

Danielle Rothschild, 1st Year Student in Cognitive Psychology

Danielle is interested in children’s spatial learning in different environments, like at school or other outside of school activities. She works on a variety of projects that focus on different types of spatial tasks, such as mental rotation, spatial language and spatial assembly, including the Smart Cubes and Lab Venture projects. 

Jose Sotelo, 6th Year Student in Cognitive Psychology

Jose’s current project is interested in how large-scale environment influences the creations and adaptability of cognitive maps. In the past Jose has investigated the relationship between gender differences in mental rotation ability and people’s confidence and strategy use. Jose is also a predoctoral fellow at Education Testing Service (ETS) as well at a data science consultant at NU-research. Additionally, Jose is obtaining a Masters in statistics at Northwestern.

Elena Fiegen, Research Assistant

Elena works under Naomi Polinsky on TALES, a project in partnership with the Chicago Children’s Museum and Loyola University Chicago. Elena is interested in how different creative building activities children engage in with their parents encourage the variety and type of spatial language that both parents and children utilize while tinkering. She is also interested in how storytelling impacts spatial language usage. Outside of the lab, Elena enjoys reading, photography, and finding new coffee shops!

Lauren Pagano, Postdoctoral Scholar in the STAR Lab

Lauren received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at Loyola University Chicago in May 2022. At Loyola, she contributed to the TALES project and researched how digital storytelling can support children’s engineering learning. In addition to working on TALES, Lauren now works on the SPrEaD project and the LabVenture project. The SPrEaD (Spreading the Geospatial Semester into New Territory) project is focused on incorporating GIS into Chicago Public Schools’ Career and Technical Education curriculum. The LabVenture project, a collaboration with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, is investigating how visual representations and reflections can support students’ science learning during school field trips. Lauren is broadly interested in studying how a wide range of technologies can promote students’ STEM learning and interest.x

Iliana Vargas, SILC Business Administrator

Iliana is the Business Administrator for the Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center, working closely with Dr.’s Uttal and Gentner to run the day to day business of the center. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago with a degree in secondary education and Northwestern University with a Masters in Communication.  Outside of work Iliana enjoys spending time with her son, hiking, and traveling around the world.

Daniela Barajas-Lee, 1st Year Student

Daniela works on the Smart Cubes study and meta-analysis of mental rotation tasks in children with Kiley McKee. She is interested in learning more about human development and how spatial thinking relates to learning STEM disciplines. Outside of the lab, she loves running, watching movies, and spending time with family.

Juliet Burks, 2nd Year Student

Juliet works under Lauren Pagano on Lab Venture and other projects. 

Winnie Chui, 3nd Year Student

Winnie works on the Robots study with Brian Andrus.  Winnie is interested in parental influence on children’s learning, specifically the use of spatial language and how that may impact gender differences in STEM performance. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing video games, drinking boba, and spending time with children.

Yildiz Guclu, 2nd Year Student

Yildiz is a rising junior majoring in Legal Studies and Psychology. She works with Kiley McKee on the Smart Cubes project. She is interested in developmental psychology and exploring cognitive skills in children. Outside of the lab, Yildiz enjoys spending time in the city, playing the violin, and watching true crime shows.

Kaitlyn Hurka, 3rd Year Student

Kaitlyn works under Lauren Pagano on TALES, a project in partnership with the Chicago Children’s Museum and Loyola University Chicago. She is interested in how different children’s activities promote different types and levels of spatial language use in children. Outside of lab, Kaitlyn can be found going to concerts, expanding her record collection, or studying at coffee shops in Evanston and Chicago.

Molly Langer, 2nd Year Student

Molly works with Kiley McKee on a meta-analysis of mental rotation tasks in children and monitors the FISH study, also investigating mental rotation. A Psychology major, Molly is primarily interested in both developmental/cognitive psychology and clinical psychology. Outside of the lab she likes to play with her dogs, read, and spend time with family/friends! 

Brendan Ogden, 2nd Year Student

Brendan works with Kiley McKee on the Smart Cubes study. He is interested in learning more about the role of spatial reasoning, especially during children’s development. He is also fascinated by differences in cognition between people, as well as how people use different strategies for cognitive and spatial tasks. Beyond the lab, he enjoys playing games with friends, cooking new things, and hanging out in a hammock.

Fai Poungpeth, 1st Year Student

Fai works on the Smart Cubes study with Kiley McKee. She is interested in understanding the influence of technology on how people think, and how this in turn affects performance of different cognitive tasks. Outside of research, she enjoys playing sports (particularly badminton), thrifting, going out to eat with friends, and exploring new places.

 Evan Vlahandreas, 3rd Year Student

Evan is a rising senior at Northwestern majoring in Cognitive Science and French with a minor in Data Science. He is interested in user experience design and the ways humans interact with technology. Currently he is working with Lauren Pagano on the TALES study looking at digital storytelling and spatial conversations.

Sereniti Williams, 2nd Year Student

Sereniti works on the Smart Cubes study and the Which Fish Fits study. She is interested in how mental rotation and spatial thinking skills in young children can be a predictor of STEM ability and how we might nurture these skills in children to increase future STEM ability. Outside of the lab she likes baking/cooking, exploring Chicago, and spending time outside.