Dr. Elif Isbell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of California Merced and the director of the IDEA research group. She completed her Ph.D. in Psychology (cognitive neuroscience) at the University of Oregon. Before UC Merced, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oregon and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She was a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) T32 Postdoctoral Fellow in Developmental Psychology at the University of Michigan. 

Beyond her academic endeavors, she enjoys indoor and outdoor adventures with her family, reading sci-fi & fantasy books, learning new languages, and cross-stitching.

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Amanda Peters, M.A., is a doctoral student in Developmental Psychology. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2021 with a B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. Her research interests broadly revolve around how, when, and why attentional control lapses. She is particularly interested in examining individual and contextual factors contributing to attentional fluctuations, the neural mechanisms underlying attentional lapses, and developmental changes in the consistency of attentional control across childhood and adolescence. She is also interested in exploring the links between attentional control consistency and academic achievement. 

Outside of her academic work, Amanda enjoys painting and golfing.

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Dylan Richardson, M.A., is a doctoral student in the Developmental Psychology program. He was a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellow. At UC Merced, he earned a B.A. in 2021 and an M.A. in 2024 in Psychological Sciences. His research interests involve examining the development of cognitive control in children and adolescents, and how it relates to math achievement. 

In his free time, Dylan is an avid fisherman and also enjoys hiking, exploring the outdoors, and going to the beach with his Black Labrador, Milo.

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Lois Lopez is a doctoral student in the Developmental Psychology program. She graduated from UC Merced in 2024 with a B.A. in Psychology. Her research interests generally revolve around how children's cognitive control develop in the context of their early experiential factors, such as household unpredictability and family socioeconomic status.

During her free time, Lois likes to sing, act, hike, and spend quality time with her cat and family.

Ariah Marz is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology. She is the lab coordinator of the IDEA lab. Before attending UC Merced, she earned her A.A. in Psychology and Social Science. She is broadly interested in developmental psychology. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music, and spending time with friends.

Elauria Wiggins is a forth-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. She is a registered behavior technician and is broadly interested in cognitive and clinical psychology. She hopes to attend a graduate program in clinical psychology post-graduation. In her free time, Elauria enjoys playing volleyball, reading, and loves concerts.

Hien Ton is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and Sociology. She’s interested in forensic psychology and criminology. Outside of academics, Hien enjoys gaming and spending time with her cat, Toru.