Principal Investigator

Alena G. Esposito, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor | CV | aesposito@clarku.edu

Our research group examines cognitive development, particularly in school-aged children in school contexts. We examine the malleable factors influencing learning and subsequent academic achievement, especially for minority race and language students as well as those growing up in poverty. A context of focus is bilingual education. Within these contexts, we examine how children organize semantic knowledge and build a knowledge base both within and across lessons with the long-term goal of informing educational policy and practice. This investigation entails examining the encoding and manipulation of semantic memory as well as conceptual representation across languages. The work is inherently interdisciplinary and we work with others in the departments of education and language and culture. We use a variety of methods, including experimental behavioral studies, observation, and eye-tracking. Our work takes place in the laboratory, in the community, and in collaborating classrooms.

Current Doctoral Students

Sangmi Park

I received a B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Child Psychology and Education from Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea. I am broadly interested in understanding how children learn math and how to improve their understandings and facilitate their achievement in math. My current research explores how children understand numerical concepts such as fractions and decimals, how this understanding relates to their math achievement, and how language and cultural factors influence children’s math comprehension. I am also interested in finding ways to improve children’s math performance!

Jayantika Chakraborty

I graduated with a BA in Psychology from Loreto College, India, and then pursued an MA in Clinical and Cognitive Psychology from West Bengal State University, India. After my master’s, I have been able to accrue industry experience as a subject matter expert in psychology in an IT-based company. As a graduate researcher, I am broadly interested in understanding the maturational shifts in cognitive faculties across the lifespan and how that affects learning. I am passionate about translational cognitive science research- utilizing quantitative models of cognition to facilitate real-time, qualitative change in learners. Additionally, I also happen to enjoy studying about bilingualism and neuroscience.