Lab Director
Terri J. Sabol is is the director of the Development, Early Education, and Policy (DEEP) lab; Associate Professor in the School of Education and Social Policy; Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University; and Faculty Co-Director for EC*REACH. She is a developmental psychologist who conducts research at the intersection of child development and social policy. She investigates how individual and environmental factors contribute to children’s healthy development and applies this scientific evidence to strengthen early childhood education (ECE) programs and policies in the United States. Her broad goal as a scholar is to produce innovative research to help optimize investments in ECE and support children in the 21st century. She is a former first grade teacher in Chicago Public Schools and holds a PhD in Applied Developmental Science from the University of Virgina. CV
Graduate Students
Julia Honoroff (she/hers) is a doctoral student in Human Development and Social policy. Julia is interested in addressing issues of access and equity in early childhood and family policy. With a strong focus on developmental science and social policy analysis, Julia seeks to address questions related to how the early care and education space can contribute to the larger ecosystem of family support systems, and can better address individual and community needs to improve health, human capital, and overall family well-being. Before joining Northwestern, Julia was a Junior Research Scientist at New York University where she worked on projects related to the city’s Pre-K for All Initiative and a large-scale RCT testing a school readiness program integrated into pediatric primary care. Julia received her B.A. in Psychology from University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Melanie Muskin (she/hers) is a doctoral student in Human Development and Social Policy. Melanie is interested in advancing professional dignity for early childhood educators nationwide. As a scholar-practitioner, Melanie draws on her experience working with children ages 0-8 as an educator and center director. Before joining Northwestern, Melanie was a teacher and school leader for over a decade in New York City. Melanie received her M.A. in Organization and Leadership from Teachers College at Columbia University and her B.A. in Cognitive Science from Vassar College.
Sosthène Guei (he/him) is a PhD student in Human Development and Social Policy at Northwestern University. His interest lies at the intersection of home and school environments, focusing on how they influence each other and their cumulative effects on children’s literacy outcome. Based on the aforementioned, he is also interested in the policy implications for designing contextually appropriate and effective interventions that address the unique needs of children in resource-limited settings. Prior to his doctoral studies, Sosthene held positions as Research Manager within non-profit organizations and advisory firms operating in Africa for the implementation of programs spanning areas of child development, education, child labor and gender issues. Sosthene received his Master’s Degree in Child Development from in the University of Haifa in Israel.
Zina Noel (she/they) is a doctoral student in human development and social policy. Zina is interested in policy around maternal and infant well-being and early care and education, focusing on maternal support systems, culturally responsive and community-based practices, and workforce development. Previously, Zina has worked as an early childhood educator and in research, policy, and strategy development for education and early childhood initiatives in the US and abroad. Zina has a master’s in education from Harvard Graduate School of Education in International Education Policy and a post-bac certificate from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs in Early Childhood Policy.
Post Doctoral Research Fellows
Sophia Magro (she/her) is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with Northwestern’s Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences. Her work with DEEP focuses on understanding the impacts of Chicago’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten program on children’s development. More broadly, Sophie is interested in the roles that parents, teachers, and schools play in together supporting children’s development of socioemotional skills. She is also interested in the development and evaluation of school-based early childhood interventions. Beyond her work with the DEEP Collaborative and EC-REACH, Sophie is a clinician at Lurie Children’s Hospital, where she works with the Center for Childhood Resilience and sees patients through the Little Ones program. She earned her BA in Psychology and Music from St. Olaf College and her PhD in Developmental Psychopathology and Clinical Science from the University of Minnesota, where she was mentored by Drs. Glenn Roisman and Betty Carlson.
Research Staff
Arthur Raines (he/him) is a Research Data Analyst Associate at the Early Childhood Research Alliance of Chicago (EC-REACH). Arthur graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Economics and a minor in Public Policy. He is interested in better understanding the causes of economic growth and development and the role education plays in that development, particularly early childhood education. Before joining the EC-REACH team, Arthur was a junior municipal bonds analyst at Nuveen, a TIAA Company, where he worked on producing credit reports for Private Higher Education and General Obligation bonds.
Kathryn Gonzalez (she/hers) is a researcher at Mathematica where her work focuses on efforts to improve early care and education access and quality and to support the early childhood workforce. Kathryn has expertise in early childhood policy and program evaluation, and is interested in understanding the outcomes of policies and programs at federal, state, and local levels. Her work also focuses on the development of new measures for early childhood researchers and practitioners. Kathryn received her Ph.D. in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Kevin Wallace (he/him) is a Research Data Analyst Associate at the Early Childhood Research Alliance of Chicago (EC-REACH). Kevin is interested in how changes in the education system affect later-life outcomes, as well as how the gaps in access to education affect economic growth across communities. Previously, Kevin worked as a Research Assistant in the Baker Program for Undergraduate Research and investigated the relationship between sibling composition and educational/career outcomes. He graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Economics and a minor in Environmental Policy.
Research Assistants
Evie Valadez is a Master’s student studying Learning Sciences at the School of Education and Social Policy. She will graduate in 2024.
Leila Stoll is an Undergraduate student studying Economics and Psychology, minoring in Global Health Studies. She will graduate in 2025.
Nicole Wallace is an Undergraduate student studying Biological Sciences and Spanish, minoring in Political Science. She will graduate in 2024.