People

Dr. Glenn Roisman
Dr. Roisman is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor and the Robert Holmes Beck Chair of Ideas in Education at the Institute of Child Development. Professor Roisman’s scholarly interests concern the legacy of early relationship experiences as a foundation for psychological, interpersonal, physical, and cognitive health across the lifespan. As such, his program of research focuses on the childhood antecedents of adaptation within the developmentally salient contexts of adolescence and adulthood. This work is multi-informant and multi-method, employing self-report, observational, psychophysiological, and interview-based methods with individuals and couples.

Jacob Kunkel
My primary research interests include the role that lifespan interpersonal experiences have on physical, cognitive, and mental health into adulthood. Working with Dr. Glenn Roisman, I leverage longitudinal and/or genetically-informed datasets to explore these broad domains.


Ayah Phuly
My main research interests are focused on the relationships that young children cultivate in their early years of schooling, both at home and in school, and how they impact development and educational achievements/beliefs. Particularly, I am interested in the role infant attachment plays in teacher-student relationship quality and how the relationship quality can be improved, especially among historically underserved children. I collaborate with Dr. Glenn Roisman.

Victoria (Vic) Zhu
Vic is a first-year student in the Developmental Psychopathology and Clinical Science track from Auckland, New Zealand. Vic majored in Psychology with minors in Social Research & Public Policy, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Studies, and Art History at New York University Abu Dhabi.
She's interested in understanding the developmental significance of early attachment relationships, their antecedents and sequelae, and the intergenerational transmission of attachment and psychopathology. She's interested in leveraging genetically informative designs to better understand the mechanisms underlying these associations. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, cooking spicy foods, and practicing yoga.
GRADUATE STUDENT ADVISEES
Ashley Holland (Developmental Psychology), PhD (2009; University of Illinois)
Keren Fortuna (Developmental Psychology), PhD (2009; University of Illinois)
Ashley Groh (Developmental Psychology), PhD (2012; University of Illinois)
K. Lee Raby (Child Psychology; co-advisor), PhD (2014; University of Minnesota)
Ryan Steele (Child Psychology), MA (2014; University of Minnesota)
Jacob Anderson (Child Psychology), MA (2016; University of Minnesota)
Rachel Foster (Developmental Psychology; co-advisor) PhD (2020; University of Minnesota; Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship)
Paul Caldo (Developmental Psychology), MA (2021; University of Minnesota)
Marissa D. Nivison (Developmental Psychology) PhD (2023; University of Minnesota; Society for Emotion and Attachment Studies Dissertation Award for Excellence in Attachment Research, 2024)
Sophia W. Magro (Developmental Psychology), PhD (2024; University of Minnesota; Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship; University of Minnesota Best Dissertation Award, Social Sciences category, 2024)
Phil Lamb (Developmental Psychology), MA (2024; University of Minnesota)
POST-DOCTORAL ADVISEES
Katherine C. Haydon, PhD (2009-2011)
John D. Haltigan, Ph.D. (2010-2011)
Samantha (Worzalla) Bindman, Ph.D. (2012-2015; NICHD NRSA co-sponsor with Eva Pomerantz)
Theodore E. A. Waters, Ph.D. (2013-2015; NICHD NRSA sponsor)
Jodi Martin, Ph.D. (2014-2016; Canadian SSHRC sponsor)
Keely A. Dugan, Ph.D. (2023-2024; NIMH T32 Training Grant NRSA primary advisor)