Meet Our Team

Our team

Jimena Cosso Ph.D

Director

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I am an Assistant Professor in the Human Development program at the University of Maryland. I was born and raised in Argentina. I came to the US to pursue my master’s degree in Comparative and International Education at New York University. Then I did my Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Research Methodology at Purdue University.

 

My overarching research program explores learning contexts that shape how young children develop and learn, with a particular focus on dual language learners (DLLs) from immigrant Latine communities. Latine families bring immense linguistic and cultural assets to schools and communities, yet Latine children are considered among the most vulnerable of young learners. Disparities in learning outcomes, however, rest within structural factors such as cultural and linguistic biases in our knowledge base and the reliance on measures that are not culturally or linguistically sensitive but commonly used to make instructional and policy decisions. 


My research program addresses these main issues through two main strands: (a) culturally sensitive measures and (b) contextual factors shaping early learning, with a specific interest in early mathematics skills


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Past Members

Gala Campos Oaxaca

Graduate Assistant

I am a doctoral candidate in Educational Psychology. I was born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico, and earned my undergraduate degree in Psychology and Biomedical Science at Dordt University in Sioux Center, IA. Before Penn State, I worked at a psychiatric residential treatment facility in Asheville, NC. 

My main area of research focuses on studying the sociocultural and cognitive processes involved in discourse synthesis and academic writing at the higher education level. In particular, I am interested in exploring the power dynamics and resources available to support academic writing communities

Paola del Campo

Graduate Assistant

I am a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology at Penn State. I earned my B.S. in Physical Therapy at Universidad Metropolitana de la Educación in 2016 and a M.Sc. in Neurosciences Applied to Education at Universidad Mayor in 2023. For five years, I used my passion for biology and social change to teach science to young children in underserved urban communities. 

I specialize in the relationship between executive functions and science literacy during child development. I am interested in improving science educational learning in students from marginalized communities.

Annalise Chang

Undergraduate Assistant

I am a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and Statistics.

My research interests include early childhood development, learning processes, and quantitative methods. Alongside working with Dr. Cosso, I study emotion regulation in Dr. Pamela Cole's lab at Penn State. My plan is to attend graduate school for measurement or statistics.