The STRONG Kids Project explores the interdisciplinary study of biological, psychosocial, and environmental factors that influence children's eating habits and developmental outcomes. It is one of the first studies to take a longitudinal look at eating habits from birth to age seven. I was hired as a research assistant for the project in May 2023. This hands-on experience involves direct interaction with research participants (mothers and children) during home visits, as well as the contribution to both biometric data collection and survey data collection. I have also been able to develop important research skills such as data entry, organization, and professional interactions with child and adult participants.

The LittleBeats™ Projects in the Interdisciplinary Lab for Social Development are investigating a new piece of wearable technology (called LittleBeats™) that will allow researchers to get a closer look at early childhood development. The device measures motion, heart rate, and audio, and can be used by participants in their own homes, making research participation easier and more accessible to all families. Within the various LittleBeats™ Projects, I have been involved in many aspects of the research process including: -Assisting in the development a behavioral coding manual to identify children’s engagement, attention, and emotional affect, meticulously notating these variables during virtual mother-child play sessions-Designing visually appealing study recruitment materials, including social media advertisements, flyers, brochures, and videos-Leading live observational coding sessions with infants at the Early Child Development Laboratory, notating infant states, posture, movement, location, and feeding-Notating discussions with teaching staff at the Early Child Development Laboratory, incorporating their feedback on study design

As a part of my applied coursework at The University of Illinois, I was trained in administering the BAYLEY IV Developmental Screening Method for infants and toddlers. This experience allowed me to: -Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to collect and organize data regarding risk assessment and early identification of developmental delay-Participate in multiple live training sessions for the BAYLEY IV Scale of Infant and Toddler Development as well as informational sessions on the Speed DIAL-4 screening tool -Interact directly with children in multiple classrooms to successfully conduct developmental screening tests, building effective rapport with each child to ensure positive, fear-free experiences

In the summer of 2024, I served as a teaching assistant for the Illinois Scholars Program (ISP). In this role, I assisted with an abridged version of STAT 100, which focused on statistical modeling and data visualization. ISP is a summer experience aimed at easing the transition for incoming students to the University of Illinois. The program provides students with academic workshops, personalized instruction, and campus integration activities to support their academic success and personal growth throughout their university experience.

Operating under The University of Illinois' Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES), Accessible Media Services guarantees that educational materials are suitably captioned and accessible to every student.In my capacity as a closed captioning editor, I verified that the captions produced precisely matched the spoken words. The videos I captioned included educational materials such as recorded lectures and class videos. This responsibility demanded high attention to detail and intense concentration.

Within the Moms' and Kids' Experiences in Transition Lab, I worked on the Assessing Safer Attorney Practices project. This project aimed to evaluate continuing education coursework that was created to educate lawyers on ways to safely navigate difficult family law cases including situations of domestic violence. During my time on the project, I was responsible for gathering and organizing a high volume of online information to aid in the recruitment of study participants. I also attended regular meetings with our large team of researchers and participated in training sessions on cultural humility and professional development.

The Child Development Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign focuses on the support of teaching, research and outreach/engagement activities, while at the same time providing high quality early care and education services for enrolled children and their families.As a student worker, I ensured smooth facility operations by:-Collaborating with teaching staff to maintain a safe, clean, and positive learning environment in classrooms of up to fifteen children, aged six weeks to five years-Caring directly for infants and toddlers, providing comfort, feeding, and developmentally engaging play-Interacting professionally with parents and caregivers to share skills growth and discuss child behavior