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
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.
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.
Research Coordinators / Lab Managers
Michelle Salas is a research assistant and recent UC
Davis graduate with a Bachelor of Art in Psychology
and minors in Human Development and Education. Within the
lab, she codes videos of students in classrooms initiating
spontaneous communication with their teachers and peers.
Following graduation, Michelle plans to attend a graduate program
in School Psychology to receive her Master’s
degree.
Kaitlyn
McNamara is a recent graduate, earning a BA in
Psychology and a minor in Education. Within the lab, Kaitlyn
administers DAS-II and Early Social Communication Scales (ESCS)
assessments with student participants. She also codes emotion
regulation in classroom video observations. Her research
interests include exploring the intersection of mental health and
neurodevelopmental disabilities in school-aged students and
its impact on their learning. In the future, Kaitlyn hopes to
further her education either in a clinical or school psychology
graduate program.
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
Gustav Oppermann
is a graduate student in Human Development. He had thus far
earned his AA in Psychology, BA in Early Childhood Education from
Sonoma State University. He has worked for many years as a
preschool teacher and spent summers working with students on
the autism spectrum both in nature-based play environments and in
focused therapy settings. His research goals are grounded in
philosophy and pertain to the abolition of deleterious education
practices couched in outmoded paradigms.
Johanna Vega
Garcia is a doctoral student in the School of
Education. She is interested in studying the intersection between
race and autism, and how this intersection affects the quality of
education students receive. Johanna also works alongside faculty
and students from different departments to tackle global issues
as a Global Education for All fellow.
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.
Undergraduate Research Assistants

Bayleigh Baldwin is an undergraduate student
pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and History with a minor
in Linguistics. Within the CARE lab, Bayleigh administers
assessments at local schools and helps with assessment checking
and data entry. Following graduation, she plans on attending
graduate school to one day become a professor or teacher.
Caroline Van Zant is an undergraduate student
majoring in Political Science, Public Service. Within the
lab, she codes videos of teacher-student interactions in the
classroom. She plans to pursue a teaching credential and make
education policy.
Rianna Banaga is
an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in
Psychology and a minor in Education. Within the CARE lab, she
codes for activity among the students and their teachers within
the classroom environment. After graduating from UC Davis, Rianna
plans to attend graduate school to get her Master’s degree in
Marriage and Family Therapy.
Juliana Griswold
is an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in
Human Development with a minor in Education. At CARE lab,
she codes videos for productivity assessing student
opportunities for engagement in the classroom. After graduation,
Juliana plans to get a Master’s in Education and teaching
credential.
Stefano Cantos is
an undergraduate student majoring in English with a minor in
Education. Within the lab, he helps with coding classroom
activities and context. After graduating from UC Davis, Stefano
plans to pursue his Master’s in Education.