OUR TEAM
Principal Investigators (PIs)
Ana Stephens
Ana is a researcher at UW-Madison’s Wisconsin Center for Education Research. Her research interests include studying the development of elementary and middle school students’ algebraic reasoning and supporting teachers in developing this thinking in their students. She co-authored an early algebra curriculum for grades K–5 based on big algebraic ideas and thinking practices. Prior to her graduate studies, she spent four years teaching high school mathematics.
Percival Matthews
Percival is the associate dean in the office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and an associate professor in the educational psychology department at UW-Madison. He is the lab director of the Mathematics Education Learning & Development Lab. His research is organized around two primary goals: 1) to understand some basic underpinnings of human mathematical cognition, and 2) to find ways to leverage this understanding into effective educational techniques that can be used to impact the life chances of everyday people. His research has spanned all stages development and has included work both in K-12 schools and in the laboratory.
Martha Alibali
Martha is a professor in the psychology department at UW-Madison. She is the lab director of the Cognitive Development & Communication Lab. She conducts research at the interface of developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, and mathematics education. Her primary line of research investigates mathematics learning and development, with a special focus on the role of gesture in mathematical thinking and knowledge change. She is also interested in the role of gesture in thinking and communication, particularly in educational settings.
Alexandria Viegut
Alex is an assistant professor in the psychology department at UW-Eau Claire. Her current research focus is measuring and supporting students’ understanding of fractions, especially through visual models. She earned Ph.D. (2022) and M.S. (2019) degrees in Educational Psychology at UW-Madison, and she holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame. After completing her Ph.D., she worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Learning Sciences at the University of Delaware. Her work draws from both psychology and math education research.
Daniel Bolt
Dan is a professor in the Educational Psychology department and the chair of the Quantitative Methods area at UW-Madison. His research interests are in the theory and application of psychometric methods in education and psychology. He is especially interested in the application of latent variable models for purposes of test validation, assessment of individual differences, and the modeling of student growth. In addition to his own research, he collaborates on various projects, especially as related to the development and statistical analysis of educational and psychological tests.
Research Staff
Lauren Westerberg, Postdoctoral Researcher
Lauren is a postdoctoral researcher at UW-Madison. She earned Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University, and she earned a B.A. in Psychology at Elon University. Her research focuses on the development of STEM knowledge and skills, and relations between STEM and other school readiness domains. Additionally, her work focuses on STEM measure development and evaluation.
Sangmi Park, Postdoctoral Researcher
Sangmi is a postdoctoral researcher at UW-Madison. She earned her B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Child Psychology and Education from Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea, and she earned a Ph.D. in Psychology at Clark University. Her broad research interests include children’s learning in mathematics. Her most recent research explores how children understand rational numbers and how this relates to their mathematics achievement. Her research interest also includes identifying linguistic and cultural factors that impacts children’s math comprehension. Her work aims to provide insights that can help improve children’s math performance.
Jennifer Murray, Graduate Student
Jennifer is a second-year graduate student in the Cognitive Development & Communications lab, and she is advised by Martha Alibali. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Montana. After graduating, she taught high school math for five years before coming to UW-Madison. Her research interests are at the intersection of developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, and education. In particular, she is interested in conceptual understanding of mathematics, especially fractions and division.
Xiang Cheng, Graduate Student
Xiang is a first-year graduate student in the Math Education, Learning, and Development lab, and she is advised by Percival Matthews. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Education Studies and Mathematics at UW-Madison in 2024. She is interested in how individuals perform nonsymbolic ratio comparisons across different sensory modalities, particularly with visual and auditory stimuli. She aims to determine whether the ratio processing system is generalized across the broader sensory domain through her research.
Valerie Berg, Project Manager
Valerie is a project manager for the Fractions & Algebra Project. She graduated from UW-Madison in 2022, where she earned a B.S. in Psychology and Neurobiology. After working as a special education paraeducator for a year, she was excited for the opportunity to return to research.
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Devon Adams
Devon is a first-year undergraduate majoring in Neurobiology on a pre-physician assistant track. She is also working towards a certificate in either Global Health or Gender & Women’s Studies. This is her first year in the MELD Lab. Her hometown is Onalaska, WI, and some of her hobbies include reading, baking, and spending time with friends and family.
Catherine Axness
Catherine is a fourth-year undergraduate student from La Crosse, Wisconsin. She’s majoring in Psychology and this is her first year in the CD&C Lab. She hopes to go on to graduate school to study Clinical Psychology. Outside of the lab she enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time with friends.
Madilyn Kaiser
Madilyn is a senior at UW-Madison from Pulaski, Wisconsin. This is her first semester working in the MELD Lab. She is majoring in Psychology, and hopes to go to graduate school to become a Physician’s Assistant. Outside of school, work, and the lab, Madilyn enjoys traveling, movies, and spending time with friends and family.
Isabel Rojas
Isabel is a third-year student from Cincinnati, Ohio. This is her first year working in the CD&C Lab. She is majoring in Psychology and looking to receive a certificate in Global Health. After graduation, Isabel hopes to attend medical school as an aspiring a physician and work in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation. In her free time, Isabel enjoys running, cooking, and making time for friends and family.
Maddie Pritz
Maddie is a second-year undergraduate student at UW-Madison from Grayslake, IL. She is majoring in Psychology and this is her first year working in the MELD lab. After finishing her undergraduate degree, she aspires to go to graduate school on the Cognitive Psychology track. Outside of school and the lab, she finds joy in playing the guitar, creating art, and eating good food.
Sophia Komosa
Sophia is a second-year undergraduate student from Waunakee, Wisconsin. She is majoring in Data Science and Psychology with hopes to pursue further education in either Cognitive or Behavioral Psychology. This is her first year working in the CD&C Lab. Outside of school, she enjoys being a barista, playing oboe, and spending time in nature.
Xiaoran Sun
Xiaoran is a second-year undergraduate student. She is majoring in Psychology and working toward certificates in Statistics and Disability Rights & Services. This is her first year in the CD&C Lab, and she hopes to pursue graduate studies in either cognitive or clinical psychology. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, running, traveling, and playing the guitar.
Sofia Bruschi
Sofia is a fourth-year Psychology major at UW-Madison from San Anselmo, California. This is her first semester in the CD&C Lab. She hopes to go on to graduate school to explore the intersection of applied Psychology and Neuroscience. Outside of her academic pursuits, she enjoys being with family and friends, reading, baking, and creating visual art.
Michelle Zhou
Michelle is a second-year undergraduate at UW-Madison, majoring in Statistics and Psychology. This is her first semester in the CD&C Lab. She hopes to pursue biostatistics in her graduate studies and become a research statistician. Outside her academic pursuits, she enjoys cooking, playing volleyball, traveling, and playing the violin.
Jack Christensen
Jack is a high school special student with an interest in the effects of psychological, cognitive, emotional, cultural, and social factors on decision-making and learning. This is his first semester in the MELD Lab. He is hoping to deepen his understanding of the relationship between the brain and behavior while being exposed to real-world research practices, including the actual techniques and methodology scientists and professors use to conduct it. Outside the lab, he enjoys curling, fencing, horseback riding, playing Magic the Gathering, and volunteering as an ambassador for JDRF.
Advisory Board Members
Daniel Chazan
Dan is the Jean, Jeffrey, and David Mullan Professor of teacher education in the Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership and director of the Center for Mathematics Education at the University of Maryland. He studies the teaching of mathematics in high school settings as a practice embedded inside societal institutions that is carried out by individuals with their own identities. Chazan has studied the teaching and learning of high school geometry, algebra, and calculus and has worked on the improvement of teaching collaboratively with teachers.
Anderson Norton
Andy is a professor of mathematics education in the Department of Mathematics at Virginia Tech. His research concerns building psychological models of students’ mathematics by identifying the mental actions students coordinate in solving mathematical tasks and developing mathematical concepts. His models have informed design of curricular materials and instructional tools, and he has authored 100+ publications. Norton has served as the chair of the steering committee for the North American Chapter of the Psychology of Mathematics Education.
Dietram Scheufele
Dietram is the Taylor-Bascom Chair in Science Communication at UW–Madison and one of the world’s most frequently cited experts on science communication. He is a lifetime associate of the National Research Council and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Scheufele currently co-chairs the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication.
Jon Star
Jon is a professor of educational psychology at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He studies children’s learning of mathematics in middle and high school, particularly algebra. His current research explores the development of flexibility in mathematical problem solving as well as th instructional and curricular interventions that may promote mathematical understanding. Star is also interested in the preservice preparation of middle and secondary mathematics teachers. Prior to his graduate studies, he spent 6 years teaching middle and high school mathematics.