Lab Researchers

Andrea Marquardt Donovan

I am interested in cognitive development and mathematical learning in children. My current research investigates the role of manipulatives in children’s mathematical learning and conceptual understanding of equations, and how children express new knowledge in performance, speech and gesture.

Email: amdonovan2@wisc.edu

David Menendez

I’m a fifth year graduate student advised by Martha Alibali and Karl Rosengren. My research broadly centers on conceptual development. More specifically, on children’s understanding of the natural world, and how visual representations aid or hinder learning about biology. I am also interested in how socio-cultural factors influence cognitive development.

Email: dmenendez@wisc.edu

Lauren Anthony 

I am a second year graduate student co-advised by Martha Alibali and C. Shawn Green in the Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience area. As an undergraduate at UCLA, I studied problem representation in mathematics and memory strategies. My current research investigates how students engage with patterns in mathematical contexts and the extent to which experience with patterns affects both procedural fluency and knowledge about mathematical relationships.

Email: leanthony2@wisc.edu

Victoria Jay

I am a first year developmental psychology PhD student advised by Martha Alibali. I’m a Wisconsin native who got my B.S. in Psychology & Neurobiology here at UW-Madison, and am excited to be back after receiving my M.S. in Psychology from the University of Illinois. Broadly, my interests lie in the development of systems and representations that underlie our abilities for more formal mathematics.

Email: vjay@wisc.edu

Rui Meng

I am a sixth year graduate student advised by Martha Alibali and Percival Matthews. My research focuses on cognitive development and cuts across cognitive, developmental, and educational psychology. In particular, I study how young children and adults understand and interpret covariation data, and its connections with other numerical and mathematical concepts.

Email: rmeng5@wisc.edu

Anna Bartel

I am a fifth year cognitive psychology PhD student advised by Martha Alibali. My current research revolves around how visual and data representations influence student understanding of algebra and statistics. Some of my most recent projects include: (a) assessing different error patterns in algebraic symbolization as a function of different diagram types, (b) investigating how graphical and textual framing cues influence problem solving accuracy and strategy use on constant change problems, and (c) exploring the effects of graphical depictions of variability in how people interpret graphs. You can find me tweeting about math, stats, and beyond at @annabartel_ .

Email: anbartel@wisc.edu

Nicholas Vest

I am a second-year graduate student advised by Martha Alibali. My current research investigates numerical cognition with a focus on the development of abstract mathematical concepts such as zero. Additionally, I am interested in gesture and action and how our motor behaviors influence learning. Prior to graduate school, I obtained a B.S. in Psychology at Indiana University where I also worked as a lab manager for two years. You can find me on Twitter @nicholas_vest.

Email: navest@wisc.edu

Elena Silla

I am one of the project managers in the lab. The projects I am working on investigate how children think about math and whether the use of tools such as diagrams and manipulatives enhance student understanding. I am a former teacher and am now interested in developing research-based tools and techniques that can be used by educators to improve student education and hope to pursue this in later graduate studies. 

Email: esilla@wisc.edu

Olympia Mathiaparanam

I am a new project manager being advised by Martha Alibali and Karl Rosengren. Our research broadly investigates how visual diagrams help children learn about biological variation and aid in their understanding of biological concepts including metamorphosis, inheritance, and evolution.

Email: omathhiaparan@wisc.edu