Principal Investigator
Nicole Sparapani,
Ph.D. is an Associate Professor within the School of
Education and the MIND Institute. Her research interests center
on the development and evaluation of effective educational
practices for students on the autism spectrum, emphasizing
the dynamic interplay between children and their classroom
environment. Dr. Sparapani practiced as a certified
speech-language pathologist on an interdisciplinary team serving
preschool children on the spectrum for several years before
pursuing her Ph.D. in Communication Science and Disorders at
Florida State University and postdoctoral training with Dr. Carol
McDonald Connor at Arizona State University. See her
complete faculty profile here.
Collaborative Partners
Nancy Tseng, Ph.D. is
an Associate Professor of Teaching in the School of Education.
She began her career in education as a public elementary school
teacher. Her research interests focus on the development of
productive student-teacher relationships in mathematics
classrooms, identifying instructional practices that support
mathematics learning and teaching, supporting student
participation in math classrooms, and pre-and in-service teacher
education. Dr. Tseng received a BA in psychology, elementary
teaching credential, and MA from the University of California,
Davis. She has a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from the
University of Maryland, College Park.
Peter Mundy, Ph.D. is
a Lisa Capps Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the
MIND Institute, and a Distinguished Professor in the School of
Education. He is an expert in the education and development of
children on the autism spectrum. As a developmental and clinical
psychologist, Dr. Mundy has been working on defining the
major dimensions of autism for several decades. Dr.
Mundy’s research focuses on understanding the role that
attention, and especially joint attention plays in learning,
language and social-cognition of individuals on the autism
spectrum.
Postdoctoral Research Scholars
Jennie Bullen,
Ph.D. is a
recipient of the NIH Autism Researcher Training Program
fellowship under the guidance of Drs. Nicole Sparapani and Peter
Mundy. Her research interests are to understand the
development of mathematical and numerical cognition in children
on the autism spectrum and individuals with dyscalculia.
Prior to her postdoc position, Dr. Bullen received her
Ph.D. in Human Development from the University of California,
Davis.
Amanda Dimachkie Nunnally,
Ph.D. is a Postdoctoral Fellowship with the CARE lab.
Her research interests focus on exploring the processes of
emotion regulation and self-regulation among young children with
autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities,
specifically within the context of caregiver-child interactions.
Prior to beginning her postdoctoral position at the UC Davis MIND
Institute, Dr. Dimachkie Nunnally received her Ph.D. in
Education, with an emphasis on Human Development and Psychology,
at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Research Coordinators / Lab Managers
Mitchell Madison
is a 2023 UC Davis graduate, earning a BA in psychology.
Influenced by his upbringing in a large family (5 siblings, one
of whom has autism) and his own experience with mental
health. Mitchell is interested in pursuing a career in
clinical social work with specific interests in family systems
theory and generational trauma. Within the lab, he contributes to
the collection of data through leading video observations and
administering assessments. Additionally, Mitchell helps with the
process of data entry and coding.
Graduate Students
Johanna Vega Garcia
is a doctoral candidate in the School of Education. She is
interested in studying teacher-student interactions and
student-teacher relationships with neurodiverse students by
observing teachers’ affect. Within the CARE Lab, she helps
administer literacy assessments to students, assists in video
recording, and identifies student communication initiation and
duration of student productivity using video observations. When
she’s not in the lab, she enjoys spending time outdoors and
trying out new coffee shops!
Laurel Towers is a
doctoral candidate in the UC Davis School of Education. She
is originally from the United Kingdom and has extensive
experience supporting students with autism as a teacher,
inclusion specialist, and school administrator. Laurel’s research
interests include classroom interactions and practices between
teachers, para-professionals, and students on the autism
spectrum. She is especially interested in how educators’
instructional strategies can facilitate students’ emotion
regulation during classroom learning.
Cindy Parks is
a doctoral student in the School of Education. As a
neurodivergent person, Cindy is passionate in her
belief that educating parents, teachers, mentors and community
members about their children’s and students’ neurodevelopmental
needs can result in the implementation of parenting and learning
strategies that will help children and families to live more
harmonious, productive and loving lives. She believes that
when a disability is truly understood, families and educators can
begin to interact, parent and/or instruct through a lens that
takes into account the learning differences that come with the
diagnosis. By dedicating herself to research into the impact of
that education, she hopes to foster equity and inclusion for
children and people with learning
differences.
Sandy Birkeneder
is a doctoral candidate within the School of Education. She
received her BA from UC San Diego in Political Science and her MA
from San Francisco State. Prior to returning to academia, she
worked in the private sector at NBC’s political headquarters in
Washington, D.C. Her focus at UC Davis is in autism research in
the area of diagnostics and communication.
Hi, I’m Stefano
Cantos, and I am an incoming doctoral student at the
School of Education under the advisement of Dr. Sparapani. I lead
the classroom video collection team and co-lead the assessment
team within the lab. I also code for Emotional Regulation and
Activity. I am interested in understanding the inclusion of
autistic, neurodiverse, and intellectually disabled students in
K-3rd grade classrooms by analyzing teacher preparation,
educational policy, and a student’s sense of belonging.
I am the son of a blind man, which instilled in me the belief in
equitable opportunities for all populations within our schools.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Bayleigh Baldwin is
a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in
Spanish and Linguistics with a minor in History. Growing up in a
family of inclusive educators, Bayleigh is passionate about
improving education for all. She still visits her mother’s
first-grade classroom every holiday break and loves working with
students. Within the CARE lab, she administers math and Early
Social Communication Scales (ESCS) assessments at schools
enrolled in our study. She also codes videos for student language
and works on her own undergraduate language research projects.
She believes in the potential of interdisciplinary research to
contribute to discoveries in education and beyond. Additionally,
Bayleigh is a student ambassador of the UC Davis College of
Letters and Science, where she encourages current and future
undergraduates to explore new academic areas. She also mentors
first-year students annually and answers their questions about
navigating life at UC Davis. This fall, she plans to apply to
Ph.D. and post-baccalaureate programs in Education and
Linguistics. She hopes to earn the first doctorate in her family
and become a professor in the future.
Caroline Van
Zant is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing
a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and minors in
Education and Psychology. She is passionate about advancing
equity and inclusion for students with disabilities. Within the
CARE Lab, she has recorded classroom lessons, administered
literacy assessments, and coded assessment videos. She is
currently working on transcribing videos of assessments. In
addition to her work with the CARE Lab, Caroline works for the
Redwood SEED Scholars Program, a four-year inclusive college
opportunity for students with intellectual disabilities. She also
serves as the club president for Best Buddies at UC Davis, a
program that creates opportunities for friendship between people
with and without disabilities. After graduation, she hopes to
pursue a Ph.D. in special education or education policy.
My name is Simran
Raina, and I am a fourth-year undergraduate student at
the CARE lab. I will graduate at the end of this quarter (March
2024) with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and a
B.A. in Psychology. Currently, I am working on coding teacher
interviews to gain their perspective on the education of
neurodivergent learners. After graduation, I plan on attending
medical school to pursue a career as a neonatologist.
Juliana Griswold
is an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in
Human Development with a minor in Education. At the CARE lab, she
codes productivity, which assesses student opportunities for
engagement in the classroom and is part of the data entry team.
After graduation, Juliana plans to get a Master’s in Education
and a teaching credential.
Cosmos Liu is an
international undergraduate student majoring in Cognitive Science
and Anthropology. In the lab, they work on video transcription
and videotaping. They chose these fields of study to investigate
educational and mental health issues from a global and
culture-sensitive perspective. In their free time, they love
gardening and making illustrations. They also have a taste for
flamboyant vintage and lolita fashion. Cosmos wants to be a
part-time artist to express their feelings about what they do.
They wish every neurodivergent child could grow up knowing
they’re worthy, not problematic, and unique individuals.
Leah Cole is an
undergraduate student studying Human Development with a minor in
Biological Sciences. At the lab, Leah administers math
assessments, conducts video observations, and codes
Initiating Communication within math and literacy lessons.
She joined the CARE Lab because she is passionate about equity
and inclusivity in education. Leah also works for the Redwood
SEED Scholars Program, a four-year inclusive college opportunity
for students with intellectual disabilities. In her free time,
Leah plays for Rogue, the UC Davis Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team.
After graduation, Leah hopes to attend graduate school to become
a speech-language pathologist.
Caroline Callagy is
a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in
Sociology with minors in Education and Music. After graduation,
she plans to attend graduate school to earn her teaching
credential and Masters in Education. A strong advocate for
individuals with disabilities, she is working towards becoming a
special education teacher for elementary students. In the
CARE lab, Caroline codes Productivity under the direction of her
wonderful mentor Mitchell and is interested in the types of
activities students on the autism spectrum engage in.
Hi, I’m Talia
Morones! In the lab, I help with the video observation
and assessment teams. A little about my academic background: I
graduated from Santa Rosa Junior College and recently graduated
with a Bachelor’s in Linguistics from UC Davis. Next in my
educational journey, I plan on pursuing graduate school to
eventually become a speech-language pathologist. A significant
motivator for pursuing this career is the opportunity to work
with neurodivergent individuals. As someone who is
neurodivergent, I am passionate about having a greater
understanding of neurodiverse perspectives and learning different
ways to support and help neurodivergent people thrive. My hobbies
include art, reading, walking, learning, and spending time in
nature. A personal long-term goal of mine is to become
multilingual one day. I would love to become fluent in Spanish
and ASL!
Hello! I’m Elia
Keating, and I am currently in my third year of
undergraduate studies, working towards a Bachelor of Arts in
Political Science, along with minors in Education and Technology
Management. Following my graduation, I plan to pursue graduate
studies to deepen my understanding and involvement in educational
policy. In the CARE lab, I am part of the literacy assessment
team, and I’m enthusiastic about learning more and providing
support to this incredible team!