DICE LAB – FALL 2023

FACULTY

Dr. Onnie Rogers

Dr. Onnie Rogers, Principal Investigator of the DICE lab, is a developmental psychologist and identity scholar whose research curiosities converge at the intersection of human development, diversity and equity, and education. Dr. Rogers is interested in social and educational inequities and the mechanisms through which macro-level disparities are both perpetuated and disrupted at the micro-level of identities and relationships. Her research centers on the perspectives and experiences of racially/ethnically diverse children and adolescents. As a professor and a researcher, Dr. Rogers advocates for equity with an intersectional lens and does research on race and gender, and their role in identity development among youth in urban contexts. When not in the office, Dr. Rogers enjoys practicing yoga, eating chocolate, or shuttling her daughters (ages 6 and 10) to various activities. 

 Dr. Rogers was named a 2018 “Emerging Scholar” by Diverse Issues in Higher Education and a Rising Star of 2017 by the American Psychological Association. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the Ford Foundation, and her research publications appear in Child Development, Developmental Psychology, Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Human Development, and Journal of Adolescent Research. She is a member of the Society for Research on Child Development, Society for Research on Adolescence, American Psychological Association, and American Educational Research Association. Dr. Rogers also serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Adolescent Research and the editorial board for Personality and Social Psychology Review.  

LAB MANAGER

Vanessa Cordova

Vanessa Cordova, lab manager of the DICE lab, is originally from Valparaiso, Chile. After completing her BA in Music Education at the University of Playa Ancha (Chile), Vanessa moved to Chicago and initiated a career change into psychology; her goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology and work as a researcher and professor. Before joining the DICE lab, Vanessa’s research work focused on ethnic-racial identity development during middle childhood and ethnic-racial socialization practices utilized by Dominican mothers raising their children in the United States. Her research interests center around identity development, social inequities, power systems, and mental health, particularly during adolescence and emerging adulthood. In her free time, Vanessa likes to play music, go on hikes, travel, and discover new brunch places! 

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

Yerin Park

Yerin is a Canady Diversity Science Fellow at the Department of Psychology at Northwestern University. She earned her B.A. in Psychology and Business from Korea University and M.A. and Ph.D. in Child Study and Human Development from Tufts University.  

Yerin is interested in disparities in adolescents’ opportunities for personal identity development. Her current work focuses on how stereotypes against minoritized social groups (e.g., youth of color, immigrants, lower class) challenge the identity exploration processes of young people. Ultimately, Yerin aims to produce research that informs policies and practices to help all youth thrive through supporting healthy identities that are flexible and align with their individual strengths and potential.  

Yerin is originally from Seoul, South Korea. In her free time, Yerin likes taking long walks to explore the city and listening to music (especially live!). 

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Josiah Rosario

Courtney Jones

Courtney is a PhD candidate advised by Dr. Onnie Rogers. Her research primarily focuses on racial-ethnic identity development in people with multiracial backgrounds. Through her research, she hopes to better understand how and why some multiracial individuals may develop a multiracial or a monoracial identity, considering the roles of family, peers, and broader society. She is also interested in unpacking what having a multiracial background during times of heightened racial tension means for individuals’ perceptions of their role in racial justice activism. Some of Courtney’s previous work has looked at how multiracial children talk about the racial identity-targeted messages that they receive from others, and to what extent those messages change over time. When she’s not working on her research, Courtney likes to hike, attempt new yarn crafts, and bake vegan goodies!

Brandon Dull

Brandon is a second-year psychology Ph.D. student in the DICE lab. His research interests focus on racial identity development, racial socialization, and critical consciousness among white children and adolescents. In particular, he is interested in how white youths’ understanding of racism, anti-racist white identity development, and social justice action vary in relation to their multiple social identities and social contexts. His past work has explored the role of white adolescents’ racial contexts in fostering critical action as well as the relation between white racial emotions and civic engagement. Outside of research, Brandon enjoys spending time with his partner and dog, going for runs, and trying new vegan restaurants.   

Amanda-Joy Wright

Amanda-Joy Wright is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Psychology department. Her work explores the impacts of specific social contexts and inequities on Black adolescents and adults’ psychopathology and mental well-being. In addition, she is interested in using an intersectional approach to explore the effects of gender and race-related adversity on Black girls and women’s identity development and mental well-being. Overall, she hopes to inform policy and programs that introduce or reimage better forms of support for people of color. Prior to starting her Ph.D., Amanda earned a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Developmental Psychology from Cornell University. In Amanda’s free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, photography, and live jazz music.

Sohini Das

Sohini (she/her/hers) is a PhD student in the Psychology and Social Intervention PhD program at New York University. She sees research as a tool to support the development and sustainability of critically caring, anti-racist educational spaces with and for Black, Indigenous, Latine, and API youth. Her research focuses on 1. exploring how youth of color negotiate, and particularly resist, intersectional stereotypes within their families, peers, schools, and beyond and 2. understanding and enacting the theory of change in developing resistance to intersectional oppressions within educational spaces. Outside of research, she is a elementary reading teacher and community organizer/political education facilitator with the NYC Liberation Schools, offering remote and accessible anti-racist community programming during the pandemic led by the interests of NYC families, for NYC families. In Sohini’s free time, she enjoys reading science fiction novels, painting, and dancing! 

Lourdes Ixtzai Castillo Silva

Lourdes Ixtzai Castillo Silva is a Social Psychology Ph.D. student. She is a member of both the DICE Lab and the Social Cognition Lab. Her research interests concern the dynamics of prejudice and the impacts of being subjected to prejudice with the ultimate goal of creating prejudice reduction interventions. Lourdes’ current work explores how stereotype salience impacts the memories that women form and recall as well as how sound, specifically music, relates to the racialization of space. Outside of research, she likes to play the ukulele, paint, and go for long walks with her dog, Laika. 

Kenya Tuttle

Kenya Tuttle is a fifth-year doctoral student at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in the area of Pastoral Theology, Personality and Culture. She is currently completing a 3^rd year clinical fellowship at the Center for Religion and Psychotherapy of Chicago.  Her research interest centers Black girls’ interpersonal relationships and attachment styles and ask how Black girls are affected by intergenerational trauma.  Prior to starting the PhD, Kenya taught middle school English and Social Studies for five years to Black and Hispanic girls, where she was also a girls’ basketball Coach and Audubon Conservation Leader. Before teaching, she was a Theological Editor for youth Sunday school materials for a Baptist denominational publishing house.  Kenya has a Master of Theological Studies degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School and a Master of Arts degree in Religion from Vanderbilt University. She was a student-athlete at Rice University obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Managerial Studies and Psychology. In her free time, Kenya enjoys traveling, holistic natural remedies, hiking, sports, and anything in nature or by the water. 

RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

Chiara Dorsi

Hi, I’m Chiara Dorsi (she/her/hers), and I’m a senior from New York City! I’m majoring in Journalism with a minor in Psychology. I’m passionate about pursuing a PhD in clinical counseling. I want to address and reform the disparities in mental health resources for particularly disadvantaged communities—communities of color, lower-income households, LGBTQ+ folk, and those without homes. As a member of the DICE team this summer, I hope to get greater exposure to the scientific methods required for conducting research in the field of developmental psychology. Outside of school and work, I love making Spotify playlists, trying new restaurants with friends, and taking photos!

Joelle Moore

Hi, my name is Joelle Moore, and I’m a senior majoring in Psychology. The kind of research that I am interested in is a blend of developmental and clinical psychology. I would like to examine how cultural factors such as race and gender identity, and social factors like stigmas and stereotypes, affect adolescents who struggle with mental illness. I want to pursue a career in clinical psychology, focusing on the mental health of individuals and families. I developed a passion for mental health work, and I am keenly aware of the disparities and the stigma within communities of color. Many feel silenced or dismissed by their loved ones and communities, so I place special importance on prioritizing mental health and want my career to be focused on reducing that stigma and spreading awareness. In my free time, I enjoy jamming out on the drum set, being outside in nature, and playing basketball with my friends and family.

Michael Chidueme

Michael Chidueme is a 4rd-year medical student at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. He is particularly passionate about the intersection of sociology and psychology and the interplay between one another in the development of individual personalities. He hopes to cultivate this interest through research projects that emphasize analyzing people and how/why they hold the beliefs/ideologies that they do. Although he is pursuing a medical degree, he hopes to pursue a career in which he also conducts psychosocial research to better understand his patients and what drives their goals and motivations for their health. His passion for psychosocial research developed through his experiences working for his father at his family’s grocery store where he had to learn and understand customer preferences to improve sales in a diverse customer population. He believes that psychology plays a role in every career field and facet of our society and thus it is important to have a strong understanding of what drives how we think in the context of the society around us. He also hopes to start his own business one day, connecting his medical and entrepreneurial endeavors. In his free time, some other hobbies he indulges in include DJing, fashion, photography, and being a superfan of the British soccer team Chelsea FC. 

Jade Ross

Hi! My name is Jade Ross. I am a senior majoring in psychology and cognitive science and minoring in data science. I am interested in doing research centered around children, since they have consistently been an underrepresented group in research, and how their environment and identity can inform their values, behaviors, and relationships as they mature into adults. In the future, I hope to pursue a career in clinical psychology so that I can make mental health care services more accessible to low-income people and people of color. In my free time I like to write, bake, and take walks while listening to podcasts!   

Nelianne Warner

Hi! My name is Nélianne Warner and I am a senior majoring in Psychology and minoring in African American Studies. I am interested in understanding how identity factors like race and gender impact not only the psychological health of children, but also how those factors affect their ability to access and utilize mental health support services. As a research assistant in the DICE lab, I hope to explore and better understand how cultural and identity factors impact the psychological development and wellbeing of children. After graduating, I am interested in going to graduate school for clinical social work and hope to pursue a career in counseling/therapy where I can work to provide equitable mental health services to children of color in particular. In my free time, I like to watch TV, write, and do ballroom dancing! 

Elleiana Green

Hello! My name is Elleiana Green (she/her/hers), and I’m a rising sophomore from Omaha, Nebraska. I’m a pre-law student double majoring in Journalism and Political Science with a minor in Spanish. With prior experience in diversity and inclusion, I hope to work toward expanding the rights of marginalized communities. As a research assistant in the DICE lab, I am really interested in investigating biracial identity crises in children growing up in predominantly white environments. After Northwestern, I plan to attend law school and focus on civil and human rights law. Someday, I would like to implement this research into creating educational policies to support the healthy identity development of Black children. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, cooking, reading, and taking long walks down Lake Michigan. 

Ty’Shea Woods

Hi! My name is Ty’Shea Woods and I am a Sophomore studying Psychology and International Studies. I am extremely interested in all things pertaining to the psychological impacts and implications of having marginalized identities. I’m particularly intrigued by notions of marginalized socialization and the social psychology of marginalization. I have and am developing a solid academic foundation for my exploration of these topics through my major and my diversity, equity, and inclusion work on and beyond campus. With that being said, I really believe the next step on my journey is to take a more active role in exploring my curiosity through conducting research. I am looking forward to capitalizing on my experience as a DICE lab assistant where I hope to integrate these interests, and more, through various projects. After graduating from Northwestern, I plan to attend graduate school to earn a master’s in International Affairs and subsequently enter the US foreign service to pursue diplomacy. My most cherished hobbies include poetry writing, dancing, playing and/or watching basketball, painting, and going on spontaneous road trips! 

Sheena Tan

Hi, I’m Sheena! I am currently in my fourth year at Northwestern University, studying psychology, data science, and marketing. I love learning about how people interact and behave. Right now, I’m curious about how language, race, and identity intersect in the experiences of speakers of Singapore Colloquial English (“Singlish”). In the past, I’ve been on projects looking at stereotyping and its effects on students, romantic relationships, and more. Outside the lab, I love spending time baking and decorating cakes, taking a walk by the lake, or listening to Gospel music. Reach me on Instagram or LinkedIn!