Lab Leadership

Allison Master

Lab Director and Assistant Professor
amaster@uh.edu  
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Allison Master is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences at the University of Houston College of Education. She earned a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Stanford University in 2011 and a B.A. in psychology from Yale University in 2003. Her research interests include social-psychological processes that form the foundation of motivation and identity from early childhood through adulthood, as well as how cues to identity may affect stereotyping and other social judgments and behaviors. Currently she is investigating how stereotypes affect students’ interest in STEM fields.   

Lab Members

Sydney Baker

Graduate Student

Sydney Baker is a Ph.D. student in measurement, quantitative methods, and learning sciences at the University of Houston. She is an experienced K-12 educator where she served as a classroom teacher, an advanced academic specialist, and a district-level content specialist throughout her time in public education. She currently serves as a program director for Institutional Research and Effectiveness at the University of Houston. Her research focuses on improving mental health and educational outcomes for both boys and men. Specifically, she aims to understand how motivation, parental structure, and learning environments impact boys' development throughout their lifespan.

Juliana Dahlhoff

Undergraduate Student Research Assistant

Juliana Dahlhoff is from Cologne, Germany, majoring in psychology and minoring in human development and family sciences at the University of Houston. She currently assists lab members Sydney Baker and Paul Turcotte by conducting literature reviews and helping analyze data for their research projects. Her career goal is to earn a Ph.D. and become a clinical psychologist.

Kahyun Lee

Graduate Student Assistant

Kahyun Lee is a Ph.D. student in measurement, quantitative methods, and learning sciences at the University of Houston College of Education. She is interested in applying quantitative methods, such as SEM and multilevel modeling, to address psychological and educational topics. Specifically, she aims to explore mindsets, enhancing motivation in STEM fields, and reducing stereotypes associated with them.

Roopa Prasad

Graduate Student

Roopa Prasad is a student in the school psychology program. She is broadly interested in assessing academic skills in neurodiverse learners, with a specific passion for enhancing school engagement by accurately identifying learning needs via assessment. 

Summer Robinson

Graduate Student Research Assistant

Summer Robinson is a Ph.D. student in the measurement, quantitative methods, and learning sciences at the University of Houston. She is an educator with experience as a classroom teacher, creating video lessons for local television, and a district-level instructional specialist. Her research focuses on making STEM education more equitable for underrepresented and special populations, aiming to boost academic achievement and career success.

Pooja Roy

Graduate Student

Pooja Roy is a Ph.D. student in the measurement, quantitative methods, and learning sciences program. Her research focuses on understanding how students' motivation for STEM learning is influenced by key socializers, particularly in supporting emotion regulation during challenging situations. Under the guidance of Dr. Weihua Fan, Pooja aims to explore the nuanced effects these socializers have on adolescents' and young adults' interest in STEM education. Pooja's current research interests are deeply rooted in her prior experiences as a science teacher in India, and a curriculum and instruction student at UIUC. Outside of her academic work, she enjoys sketching, playing the keyboard, trekking, cooking and spending time with family and friends.

Tamal Joyti Roy 

Graduate Student

Tamal Roy is a Ph.D. student in measurement, quantitative methods and learning sciences at the University of Houston college of Education. His research interests include educational technology, student engagement and motivation, learning theories and cognitive development, interdisciplinary and integrated STEM education. 

Jennifer Thompson

Researcher

Jennifer Thompson received her B.B.A in Management from Texas A&M. Prior to joining the I AM Lab, she worked as a research assistant in the Nittrouer Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lab and conducted research on diversity trends within academia, with her focus being primarily on the geosciences. She now serves as a research study coordinator with the I AM Lab.

Paul Turcotte

Graduate Student

Paul Turcotte is a Ph.D. student in measurement, quantitative methods, and learning sciences at the University of Houston. He has extensive experience in institutional research and assessment, serving as a senior research analyst at the University of Houston, director of institutional research at Texas A&M University-Central Texas and program director at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. His research explores the impact of belonging on women’s motivation to pursue STEM fields. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Paul combines his diverse background in data analytics and finance to advance equity and inclusion in educational settings.

Lab Affiliates

Amin Alipour

Associate Professor, Computer Science Department, University Houston

Amin Alipour studies approaches to improve self-efficacy and self-regulation in intelligent tutoring environments. He earned his Ph.D. in computer science from Oregon State University. Read more about his research. 

Norma Olvera

Professor, Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences Department, University of Houston
nolvera@central.uh.edu

Norma Olvera is a USDA E. Kika de la Garza Science Fellow and The Obesity Society Fellow. She is a founding member of the UH Women of Color Coalition and Hispanic Health Coalition President. She received her doctoral degree in developmental psychology at UH with focus on maternal and child health. Through her BOUNCE program, Olvera has 30 years of developing innovative interventions designed to promote healthy eating, exercise and positive body image in Latino and African American families. She has conducted programs to promote STEM within the context of healthy eating, food sciences, and exercise in middle school students. 

Lab Alumni

Yasmine Al Abdul Raheem 

Yasmine Al Abdul Raheem earned her Ph.D. in the measurement, quantitative methods, and learning sciences program at the University of Houston College of Education in 2022. She is currently a research specialist in the Milwaukee Public School District.

Taylor Alexander 

Taylor Alexander earned her Ph.D. in the measurement, quantitative methods, and learning sciences program at the University of Houston College of Education in 2023. She is a quantitative researcher at Digital Promise. Contact info: talexander@digitalpromise.org 

Aledrian Kemp

Aledrian Kemp majored in human development and family sciences and nonprofit leadership at the University of Houston.

Craig Maddox

Craig Maddox is a research coordinator at the University of Washington.

Suppanut Sriutaisuk

Suppanut Sriutaisuk earned his Ph.D. in the measurement, quantitative methods, and learning sciences program at the University of Houston College of Education in 2022. He is a quantitative psychology faculty member at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. 

Lizzy Stier

Lizzy Stier was a research coordinator in the I AM Lab at the University of Washington. Lizzy is a data analyst with Baltimore's Promise who enjoys exploring different approaches for fostering confidence, resilience and empathy in young people.

Daijiazi Tang

Daijiazi Tang earned her Ph.D. in the measurement, quantitative methods, and learning sciences program at the University of Houston College of Education in 2023. She is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan. 

Mackenzie Tennison

Mackenzie Tennison is a research coordinator and graduate student at the University of Washington.

Krysti Turnquest

Krysti Turnquest earned her Ph.D. in the measurement, quantitative methods, and learning sciences program at the University of Houston College of Education in 2022. She is a principal user experience researcher at Optum (a business of UnitedHealth Group) and a lecturer at the UH College of Education.