DUCK Lab People
Research Directors
Janet
Dr. Janet Boseovski (B.Sc., University of Toronto; M.A., McGill University; Ph.D., Queen’s University) is a Professor in the Psychology Department and Co-Director of the DUCK Lab. Her research examines children’s understanding of the social world, including their impressions of others (e.g., judgments about personality, social status, wealth, and power). Recent work focuses on the development of body image and children’s understanding of nutritional needs. Together with co-author Dr. Ashleigh Gallagher, Janet has written a book on the development of body image in young girls. Written for mothers and maternal guardians, this is the first book to address how to equip girls to build a healthy body image beginning in early childhood. It can be pre-ordered here or here. See this Psychology Today blog, which addresses some of the topics covered in the book.
Janet’s research has been published in top professional academic journals and her work has been supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Jean Piaget Society and the Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Board of Directors of the Greensboro Science Center. Janet also created “Crafts & Conversation,” a community-engaged event for children and families in the Greensboro community.
See her personal page for more information about her current research foci.
Dr. Stuart Marcovitch (B.Sc., McGill University; M.A., Ph.D., University of Toronto) is a Professor and Co-Director of the DUCK Lab. Broadly, his research focuses on how children learn to control their behavior in challenging circumstances, with an emphasis on the role of reflection.
Stuart’s research has been published in professional academic journals such as the Journal of Cognition and Development and Developmental Science, and his work has been supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. He was recently the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Cognitive Development and is currently the president of the Jean Piaget Society. In his spare time, he cheers for ill-fated sports teams, enjoys fine foods, and really enjoys not-so-fine foods.
Dr. Jessica Caporaso (B.S., High Point University; M.A., UNCG; Ph.D., UNCG) is an Academic Professional Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department and Co-Director of the DUCK Lab. Jessica’s research interests include the development of cognitive control, social competence, moral understanding, and the relations between the three. In addition, Jessica leads the research team that works in collaboration with the Greensboro Science Center and is interested in understanding how children learn and interact with others in informal learning environments.
Jessica’s research has been published in professional academic journals such as Infant and Child Development and Cognitive Development. She serves on the board of the Jean Piaget Society as the Emerging Scholars Representative. She is also "PsyAdvise" - the person in charge of undergraduate advising within the department. When she is not answering advising emails, Jessica can be found doing puzzles with her husband or beating him in Scrabble, sorting an endless amount of legos with her 6-year-old son, honing her British accent while reading Peppa Pig books with her 2-year-old daughter, or snuggling with her dog while reading a book (this makes her sound smart, but rest assured, her books of choice are not considered “sophisticated”).
Graduate Students
Brandi McDonald (B.S., University of Houston; M.A., UNCG) is a fourth-year graduate student. Her research interests include children's developing understanding of the mind. In particular, she is interested in how children think about and understand different types of thoughts (such as desire, planning, and mind-wandering). In her spare time, Brandi enjoys playing videogames with friends and trying new coffee shops.
Julie Peebles (B.A., B.F.A., UNCG) is a third-year graduate student. Her research interests focus on children’s development of adaptive body image, with particular interest in the convergence of middle childhood and aesthetic sports. She is specifically interested in how dance training might promote body appreciation and functionality appreciation, and how positive and negative body image constructs may coexist or conflict within the dance context. Additional research interests of hers include self-concept, athletic identification, and social and environmental influences such as instructors, peers, and intensity of training. Outside of her scholarship, Julie continues performing with local contemporary and ballet choreographers in the Greensboro area.
Maddy
Madalyn Prince (B.A., Boston College, M.A., John Jay College of Criminal Justice) is the lab manager and a fourth-year graduate student in the lab. Madalyn's primary research interest includes children’s perceptions of different body types, with a focus on muscularity. She is particularly interested in how these judgments develop in the context of gender; specifically how children learn and endorse gendered body ideals. In her free time, Madalyn likes to run, hike, read, and spend time with friends.
Taylor
Taylor Wood (B.A., University of California, Davis, M.A., UNCG) is a fourth-year graduate student studying how children reason about wealth, status, power, and personality traits. Her research examines how children make inferences about these factors and how they use them to evaluate others and navigate social hierarchies. Outside of research, she enjoys reading, traveling, and creating paint-by-number masterpieces.
Research Assistants
Bekah R.
Bekah Ruzylo is a junior at UNCG majoring in Psychology and minoring in Sociology. She is interested in pursuing graduate school and attaining a Ph.D. in Psychology after graduating with her B.S., and has interests in clinical and developmental psychology. For her career, she plans on becoming a counseling psychologist, which she has known she has wanted to pursue since a young age as she has had an interest in helping people and psychology since she was 10. She has previous experience working with children in family settings and as a volunteer at a church, and plans on working with children in the future as an ABA before settling into her career. In her free time, she likes to weightlift at the gym, go for long runs on the greenway, cook, and hang out with her family, partner, and cat.
Cam Casas
Clara L.
Clara Lussier is a Senior at UNCG majoring in Psychology with a minor in Dance. She has experience working with kids from teaching swim lessons to the classroom and has a special interest in Developmental Psychology. She hopes to complete a doctorate and gain a professorship so she can both research and teach. She loves all things music and spends much of her free time singing and playing her ukulele/guitar!
Lashanti D.
Lashanti Dupree is a freshman at UNCG majoring in psychology. She plans to obtain a master’s degree and pursue a career as a therapist or counselor working with adults, children, and couples. During high school, she took AP and honors classes and gained experience tutoring other students, which strengthened her interest in learning, mentorship, and helping others succeed. She is especially interested in mental health and human behavior and hopes to make a meaningful impact through counseling. During her downtime she loves going to the gym, creating art, or listening to music.
Lillian D.
Lillian Deaton is a Junior UNCG majoring in Psychology with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. After graduating with a B.A., she plans on going back to school for a Master in school counseling. Lillian has been a camp counselor at a variety of summer camps and has done volunteer work wherever possible. She enjoy cooking, going to local shows, and hikes!
Morgan J.
Morgan Jones is a Sophomore at UNCG majoring in psychology. She plans to become a behavioral psychologist with a focus in adolescence. She has held a passion for psychology as a subject for as long as she can remember, especially child behavior and development. She has experience as a summer camp counselor, which has allowed her to experience so many different joys and challenges that come with working with children. In her free time, she likes to soak up the sun outside, listen to music, and hang out with her cats!
Ruth E.
Ruth Esayas is a Senior at UNCG majoring in Psychology with a minor in Mental Health Literacy and Wellness. She has experience working with kids through babysitting, leading youth groups at her church, and working in a daycare for over 4 years. After graduating, she plans to attend graduate school to earn a Master’s degree in Counseling. In her free time she enjoys taking walks, listening to music, and journaling.
Serenity W.
Serenity Womack is a Junior at UNCG majoring in Psychology with a minor in Recreational Therapy. She has experience working with kids of all ages from being a camp counselor and helping out with the younger kids in her family. Her passion is to become a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) where she will combine her love of the arts and desire to help others. With this career she hopes to work specifically with children who are blind/visually impaired and create an environment that encourages growth and learning!
Zion H.
Zion Hobbs is a senior psychology major interested in behavior and development. She wants to pursue a career studying the behavior of children. She has experience with children at work. She enjoys music, crafts, kpop, and anime.
