Mahmut Gurdal (msgurdal@vt.edu ): Mahmut is a student in the Child and Adolescent Development program area in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. He has been a part of the Children’s Emotions Lab since the fall of 2021. He is currently working on his dissertation proposal that examines the role of screen media in children’s developmental outcomes and the factors that shape children’s screen media use.
Isabel Valdivia Leiva (isabelvl@vt.edu): Isabel is a student in the Child and Adolescent Development program area in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. She is working with the Children’s Emotions Lab to conduct her dissertation study. Her dissertation focuses on understanding the interplay among executive functions, self-regulation, and chronic stress in learning outcomes across elementary school years.
Caryl Faulks (carylfaulks@vt.edu): Caryl is a second-year M.S. to Ph.D. student in the Family science program area in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. She has been a part of the lab since the fall of 2024. Her research focuses on exploring the associations between race-related stressors and wellbeing within BIPOC (monoracial and interracial) relationships and examining how those factors impact those relationships.
Li “Lizzie” Zixin (zixinli@vt.edu): Lizzie is a first-year student in the Child and Adolescent Development program area in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. She joined the Children’s Emotions Lab in the fall of 2025. Her research focuses on the intersectionof trauma and parent-child relationships, primarily during infancy but also across other stages of development.