People in the Lab
Lab Director
Kenneth H. Rubin (B.A., McGill University; Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University)
Kenneth H. Rubin (B.A., McGill, 1968; Ph.D., Pennsylvania State, 1971), is a Professor of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology and Distinguished Scholar-Teacher at the University of Maryland – College Park. In 1995, upon arrival at the University of Maryland, he founded, and served as Director of the Center for Children, Relationships, and Culture. Previously, he was a Professor of the Department of Psychology at the University of Waterloo, and has held visiting appointments at Stanford University, University of Washington, University of Melbourne (Australia), and the Max-Planck-Institut fur Psychologische Forschung (Munich). His research interests include the study of child and adolescent social development, especially peer and parent-child relationships; social and emotional adjustment and maladjustment in childhood and adolescence; the origins and developmental course of social competence, social withdrawal, and aggression; and “all of the above” from a cross-cultural perspective. Many of his over 350 peer-reviewed publications have been co-authored by colleagues on five continents. Among his recent books are the Handbook of Peer Interactions, Relationships, and Groups (with Bill Bukowski and Brett Laursen, 2018); the Handbook of Child and Adolescent Aggression (with Tina Malti, 2018); The Development of Shyness and Social Withdrawal (with Rob Coplan, 2010); Social Anxiety in Childhood: Bridging Developmental and Clinical Perspectives (with Heidi Gazelle, 2010); and Socioemotional Development in Cultural Context (with Xinyin Chen, 2011). His book, The Friendship Factor (2002) received the National Parenting Publications Gold Award.
Rubin was the President of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development (1998-2002), an elected member of the Society for Research in Child Development Governing Council (2009-2015), and an elected member of the APA Division 7 Executive Board (1987-1990). He has served as Associate Editor of Child Development (1981-1984; 1998-2001) and as a review panelist for NIH (USA) and SSHRCC (Canada). He is a Fellow of the American and Canadian Psychological Associations, the Association of Psychological Science, and the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development. Among his honors are the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development Lifetime Achievement Award; the Society for Research in Child Development Distinguished Contributions to Understanding International, Cultural, and Contextual Diversity in Child Development Award; the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Research and Theory in Behavioral Development; the Developmental Psychology Mentor Award of the American Psychological Association; and the Pickering Award for Outstanding Contribution to Developmental Psychology in Canada. In 1987, Rubin was awarded the Killam Research Fellowship by the Canada Council; this is one of Canada’s most distinguished research awards given annually to approximately 5-to-7 scholars in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences and engineering. He was the first Developmental Scientist to receive the Killam Fellowship. At the University of Maryland, Rubin has received the Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year Award, (2006) and the Exceptional Scholarship Award, (College of Education, 2013). In 2015, he was named a Distinguished Scholar-Teacher by the University of Maryland.
Graduate Students
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Rachel GhoshRachel Ghosh is a second-year Human Development doctoral student with a specialization in Developmental Science. She received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a minor in Community Action and Social Change. Her research interests include father-child relationships, father absence, and the impacts of father involvement on children’s social and emotional development throughout the lifespan. She is also interested in father-inclusive parenting interventions, and intervention work that promotes healthy development and resilience among fatherless children. Rachel is co-mentored by Dr. Natasha Cabrera in the HDQM department, where she works on a parenting intervention for low-income black and Latinx first-time parents and their infants. Rachel is also working on our lab's international COVID-19 Project (see COVID page here).
Resume Email: ghoshra@terpmail.umd.edu Mazneen HavewalaMazneen is a second-year doctoral student in the School Psychology program (Dr. Cixin Wang, advisor). She earned her first Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology in 2008 in India, after which she worked as a Clinical Psychologist for two years. She moved to the United States in 2011, and received her second Master’s degree in Personality and Social Psychology from the American University, Washington, DC in December 2012. Mazneen is interested in studying the effects of parental influences and culture on child development, with a specific focus on child and adolescent internalizing symptoms. In addition, she is coordinating the data gathering responsibilities for the India site that is involved in our lab's international COVID-19 Project (see COVID page here).
Curriculum Vitae (CV) Email: mazneen@umd.edu Hailey FleeceHailey is a first-year doctoral student in the School Psychology program (Dr. Hedy Teglasi, advisor). She graduated from the University of Maryland in 2020 with a Master’s degree in Human Development, mentored by Dr. Rubin. Her thesis focused on the effects of observed friendship formation on group level peer experiences in behaviorally inhibited preschool children. Her current research interests include early childhood shyness and social withdrawal, friendships, and parent-child relationships.
Email: hfleece@umd.edu |
Post Doc
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Kelly SmithKelly Smith received a Ph.D. in Human Development and Quantitative Methodology in 2020. She received a B.A, in psychology from Georgetown University. Kelly's research interests include the development of the role of personality and emotion regulation in the development of social reticence and withdrawal. Additionally, she is interested in the influence of parenting on children's social development and interventions to improve the quality of children's relationships. Read about Kelly's recent dissertation study here which focused on children's social interactions while playing video games. Kelly is currently doing a Post-Doc with Nicholas Wagner (Boston University) and continues to provide leadership in the lab's COVID-19 and shyness intervention projects (for details, refer to our research pages).
Curriculum Vitae (CV) Email: ksmith56@umd.edu |
Research Assistants
Amber KaiserAmber Kaiser is a sophomore pursuing a B.A. double major in Psychology and Criminology & Criminal Justice. Her research interests include abusive relationships during adolescence, specifically on how they impact future romantic relationships and parent-child relationships as a predictor of how healthy future romantic relationships for the child will be. In the future, Amber plans to attend graduate school. |
Stephanie PhamStephanie Pham is a junior pursuing a B.A. in Psychology and Hearing and Speech Sciences. Her research interests include adult and child psychopathology, social and identity development, and mental health outcomes and interventions in underrepresented and at-risk populations. Stephanie ultimately wants to attend graduate school to pursue a degree in clinical psychology or speech-language pathology. |
Abigail WidmerAbigail Widmer is a junior working towards a B.S. in psychology with a minor in neuroscience. Her research interests include developmental pathways of psychopathology, parent-child and peer relationships, and early intervention. Abigail plans to attend graduate school to attain a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. |
Stacey CabreraStacey Cabrera is a junior pursuing a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Human Development. Her research interests include parent-child relationships and their impact on children's academic, social, and emotional development, particularly among ethnic minority and low-income communities. Stacey plans to attend graduate school to obtain her Ph.D. in Developmental or School Psychology. |