Our Team Dr. Maria M. Arredondo, Director Dr. Arredondo is the director of the ChiLDS lab. She completed her Bachelor’s of Psychology at the University of Houston, and her Master’s and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at the University of Michigan. While at Michigan, she was trained on the successful use of fNIRS technology with children. After earning her Ph.D., she completed her postdoctoral work with infants at the University of British Columbia where she lived in lovely Vancouver (Canada) for two full years, before transitioning to Haskins Laboratories at Yale University. In 2020, Dr. Arredondo joined the Department of Human Development and Family Science at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Arredondo’s research focuses on understanding how infants, toddlers and school-age children acquire their language(s). She is especially interested in why some children can become proficient bilinguals while others seem to struggle, what are the cognitive and brain networks that support successful bilingualism, and what provides diverse and multilingual children with the skills to succeed academically. Dr. Arredondo’s favorite memory as a child is taking an afternoon nap while lying on the front yard of her family’s house back in Argentina. Stephanie Castro, Graduate Student Stephanie is a second year PhD student in the Human Development and Family Sciences program at the University of Texas at Austin. She completed her bachelor’s in Psychology and Child Learning and Development from the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). She worked as a lab manager at two labs at UTD: first, at the Developmental Neurolinguistics Lab under Dr. Mandy Maguire, and second, at the Language in Motion Lab under Dr. Lisa Goffman. Stephanie’s research interests lie in bilingualism, language learning and acquisition, culture, and academic success with a focus on Latinx children. In her free time, Stephanie likes to discover new music, play Stardew Valley, and spend time with friends and family. Stephanie’s favorite childhood memory is going to the flea market with her family on the weekends. Virginia Chen, Research Associate Virginia is a research associate at the ChiLDS Lab and currently works full-time in the Department of Women’s Health at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. They received their Bachelor’s of Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, where they worked in the Texas Twin Project under Dr. Elliot Tucker-Drob. They received their Master’s in Psychology from the University of Texas at Dallas, where they worked in the Developmental Neurolinguistics Lab under Dr. Mandy Maguire. Virginia’s research interests include bilingualism, conceptual development, spatial language and development, and L1 and L2 language acquisition. In their free time, Virginia enjoys reading, creative writing, and sketching in pen and ink. Virginia’s favorite childhood memory is exploring bamboo forests and snacking on wax apples in Taiwan. Leah Chhay, Research Assistant Leah is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. She is currently completing a bachelor of science degree in Human Development and Family Sciences. After graduating from UT, she plans to attend graduate school to further my passion of working with children and families. Her current research interests include mental health and diagnoses, child development, and analyzing data. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym, thrifting, and spending time with friends. Her favorite memory as a child is playing with her sisters in their backyard. Dayanara Carbajal, Research Assistant Dayanara is currently a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. Her major at the moment is Psychology of Arts and she’s minoring in Business. After she graduates, she wants to go to graduate school to further her studies in Psychology. Growing up in an immigrant household has granted her abilities that she would not switch with anyone else. She became interested in how children have a much easier time adapting and learning languages while amidst their environments. During her free time, she enjoy watching new movies, painting, going for walks, reading, and spending time with her family. Her favorite childhood memory was catching ducks at the park in her old neighborhood. Dana Ramirez, Research Assistant Dana is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. She is currently completing a B.S.A in Human Development and Family Sciences with a certificate in Spanish for Health Professions. After her undergraduate studies, Dana plans to attend medical school to become a family medicine doctor. As a doctor, she hopes to provide accessible health care and advocate for her community’s health rights. Growing up in an immigrant household, Dana appreciates the importance of being bilingual and how it can help shape a child’s future. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, taking her dog on walks, and spending time with friends and family. Dana’s favorite childhood memory is visiting her cousins and playing games with them during summer and winter breaks. Sophia Guerrero, Research Assistant Sophia Guerrero is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. She is currently completing a B.S. in Honors in Advanced Human Development and Family Sciences with a certificate in Spanish for Medical Professionals. Sophia became interested in bilingualism and language acquisition due to her experiences growing up in a bilingual family. After graduating, she hopes to attend medical school to become a physician. In her free time, Sophia enjoys listening to music, reading, and watching shows and movies with friends. Sophia’s favorite childhood memory is traveling to Mexico during school breaks to see her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Vega Jimenez Millan, Research Assistant Vega is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. She is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a certificate in Spanish for Mental Health Professions. After her undergraduate studies, Vega plans to attend graduate school to become a clinical psychologist. Her research interests focus on understanding the complex relationships between mental health, language, and the experiences of individuals living in a bicultural environment. Vega hopes to explore how these factors interact and influence one another. She spends her free time reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. Vega’s favorite childhood memory is playing pretend and dressing up with her two sisters. Marleen Vega Guerrero, Research Affiliate Marleen is a fourth-year undergraduate student at McMurry University. She is currently majoring in Biomedical Science and hopes to get a minor in chemistry. After graduation, she plans to begin work as a laboratory scientist. In doing so, she hopes to be able to do her own groundbreaking research and provide new insight/discoveries to like minded people or people who may be curious. She grew up in a bilingual environment and it taught her that language is a powerful tool that can unite individuals. Some things that she enjoys are sketching, going on walks, collecting stickers, and spending time with her siblings. Marleen’s favorite childhood memory is staying up late playing video games with her siblings. Guillermo Arellano, Research Affiliate Guillermo is a visiting researcher/scholar with the ChiLDS lab and a fourth-year undergraduate student at Wesleyan University. He is currently completing a double major in Psychology and Neuroscience & Behavior. After graduating, he plans to attend graduate school and obtain a Phd in psychology. Guillermo’s research interests include bilingualism, language brokering, language development, and supporting healthy development in marginalized communities. In his free time, he enjoys going to the gym, trying new food spots, watching shows, cooking, and spending time with his friends and family. Guillermo’s favorite childhood memory is helping nurse two calves with his grandfather, and playing on the street outside his house back in Mexico. Sarah Irene Muller, Research Affiliate Sarah is a volunteer research assistant and a third-year undergraduate student at Scripps College in Claremont, California. She is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Linguistics. After she graduates, she hopes to go to graduate school and continue studying multilingualism and child development. Her experience growing up in a three-language household cultivated her interest in language acquisition in young children. During her free time, Sarah enjoys playing the double bass, completing escape rooms, going on hikes, and reading. Sarah’s favorite childhood memory is exploring and getting lost with her brother in the cornfields behind her grandma’s house in Münster, Germany Catherine Van, Research Assistant Catherine is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. She is currently completing a B.S. in Honors in Advanced Human Development and Family Sciences with a certificate in Spanish for Medical Professionals. After undergrad, Catherine plans to attend medical school and become a pediatric surgeon. With graduate research and pediatrics, she intends to educate parents on newfound childhood risk factors and create practices that combat current disorders. Catherine grew up multilingual, which excites her to discover how her own socio-cultural environment impacted her brain development through the ChiLDS lab. In Catherine’s free time, she enjoys baking, thrifting vintage pieces, and sitting by the pool. Catherine’s favorite childhood memory was learning to bake new recipes with a neighborhood friend during her elementary school summers. Interested in becoming part of the research team? Fill out the undergraduate RA application here!
