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Lab Alumni

Kyndra Adams, B.A.
Assistant Teacher, Reggio Emilia Inspired KLA School of Prospect, Kentucky
"Our URSI summer lab explored popularity in middle school. The project initiated anecdotes of our own middle school experiences which reflected the self-assessments of popularity of the participants in the study. It was both comforting and enlightening to study how middle-school adolescence and the importance of popularity affects outcomes later in life."

Christy Barrow, B.A.
Program Associate, Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Research Alliance, The Pershing Square Foundation
“From pre-major advisor to professor, boss, mentor, and dear friend, Abby was instrumental in defining my time during and after Vassar. Not only did she provide me with the incredible opportunity to work in her lab the year after I graduated and co-author a paper on how the research on adolescent neurological development should (and shouldn't) be used to influence policy, but she gave me guidance and the confidence to excel in anything I chose to take on. She was extremely collaborative, treated me as an equal, and was always interested in hearing my thoughts on an article, topic, or book chapter. She truly appreciates “nerding out”! I couldn’t have worked with a more talented and intelligent individual who helped me grow mentally, professionally, and personally.”
Lab Publications: |PDF|

Ally Hamilton, M.S.
Student, Georgetown University
Medical School Applicant
"As a student working in the lab, I was able to gain experience writing and publishing scientific articles. This required extensive editing and resubmission. It was memorable to work with Professor Baird as she was open to student suggestions and encouraged discussion and collaborative work."

Molly Richard, B.A. ‎
Analyst, Center for Social Innovation
"What does brain science have to do with abortion and the death penalty? I had the opportunity to co-author a paper with Abby to try to answer this question, and through that experience I learned that scientific writing could be creative, merge different fields, and serve as a powerful advocacy tool."
Lab Publications: |PDF|

Kelindah Schuster, B.A.
Teaching Artist, Brooklyn Arts Exchange/Marquis Studios/Recess Dumbo/Child's Play NY
"My work with Dr. Baird, particularly while helping edit her research on the role gender plays in teenagers, gave me insight into the psychology of child and adolescent development through the framework of identity and social positioning. This lens is the foundation of my pedagogy as an NYC teaching artist and I feel incredibly grateful to have been supported, enriched, and challenged by my work with Dr. Baird as it continues to manifest in my daily life."

Shari H. Silver, J.D.
Staff Attorney, Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Maryland
"Working in the lab with Abby taught me so many fundamental skills that I use everyday as a lawyer. The hands-down, most important ones are how to think critically and ask questions and how to write. Even as an undergraduate, I was privileged to co-author an article with Abby, who took the time to mentor me and help me find my passion in law. I credit Abby for my decision to attend law school: she was the first person to suggest I become a lawyer, and she was unfailingly supportive of that goal."
Lab Publications: |DOC| |PDF|

Olivia Westbrook-Gold, B.A.
Masters Student in Social-Organizational Psychology, Columbia University Teachers College
Research Assistant, Diversified Search
"Working with Abby in the lab was an incredible experience. The amount of fun we had formulating critical questions and analyzing data solidified all of our statuses as full blown nerds! I will never forget when Abby let us sleep on the lab floor because it was air conditioned and our dorms were stifling. We lived and breathed middle school questionnaire data that summer and loved every minute of it."

Chloe Wheeler, B.A.
After School Program Coordinator, America SCORES New York
"As an URSI research fellow at Vassar College, I was lucky to have the opportunity to work under Professor Baird in analyzing data from her imaginary audience project examining adolescent neural responses to perceived peer influence. Working in the lab, I learned about the efforts that go into the investigative research process while gaining a better understanding of fMRI technology and the intricacies of the often misunderstood adolescent brain."