Current Lab Members
Elizabeth L. Tighe, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology
Assistant Director of Adult Literacy Research Center
Dr. Tighe is the lab director of the AL3 Lab. She is also affiliated faculty with the Language and Literacy Initiative at GSU. Her ongoing projects encompass multidisciplinary perspectives, theories, and methodologies from cognitive, developmental, and educational psychology. Her primary areas of focus are adult literacy and quantitative methodology.
Principal Investigator
Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology
Assistant Director of Adult Literacy Research Center
Dr. Tighe is the lab director of the AL3 Lab. She is also affiliated faculty with the Language and Literacy Initiative at GSU. Her ongoing projects encompass multidisciplinary perspectives, theories, and methodologies from cognitive, developmental, and educational psychology. Her primary areas of focus are adult literacy and quantitative methodology.
Samantha McCool
Graduate Student, Developmental Psychology
Samantha is a second-year graduate student in the Developmental Psychology program. Her research interests involve environmental factors and their relationship with literacy and language development.
Fun fact: Samantha is a voracious reader and named her dog Holden Caulfield after her favorite literary character.
Graduate Student, Developmental Psychology
Samantha is a second-year graduate student in the Developmental Psychology program. Her research interests involve environmental factors and their relationship with literacy and language development.
Fun fact: Samantha is a voracious reader and named her dog Holden Caulfield after her favorite literary character.
Christina Doan
Graduate Student, Developmental Psychology
Christina is a third-year graduate student in the developmental psychology program. Her interests are in reading comprehension for both children and adults.
Fun Fact: Christina enjoys planning in her multiple planners in her spare time.
Graduate Student, Developmental Psychology
Christina is a third-year graduate student in the developmental psychology program. Her interests are in reading comprehension for both children and adults.
Fun Fact: Christina enjoys planning in her multiple planners in her spare time.
Mehrnoush Karimi
Graduate Student, Applied Linguistic & ESL
Mehrnoush is a third-year PhD student in the Applied Linguistics and ESL department at Georgia State University. Her primary areas of focus are reading, writing, and corpus linguistics.
Fun Fact: Mehrnoush's favorite activity is hiking.
Graduate Student, Applied Linguistic & ESL
Mehrnoush is a third-year PhD student in the Applied Linguistics and ESL department at Georgia State University. Her primary areas of focus are reading, writing, and corpus linguistics.
Fun Fact: Mehrnoush's favorite activity is hiking.
Cara Sanford
Graduate Student, Communication Sciences and Disorders
Cara is in her third and final year of the Communication Sciences and Disorders Master’s program. She aspires to work with individuals on the autism spectrum through empowerment-based, neurodiversity-affirming practices.
Fun fact: Her favorite way to stay active is roller skating!
Virginia O’Reilly
Graduate Student, Educational Psychology
Virginia is studying Educational Psychology at Georgia State University. She graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. Her interests include teacher education and reading comprehension.
Fun Fact: Virginia likes to create stained glass art in her free time.
Graduate Student, Educational Psychology
Virginia is studying Educational Psychology at Georgia State University. She graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. Her interests include teacher education and reading comprehension.
Fun Fact: Virginia likes to create stained glass art in her free time.
Tram Nguyen
Undergraduate, Psychology
Tram Nguyen is a freshman undergraduate student at Georgia State University pursuing a degree in psychology. Her plan as of right now is to become a clinical psychologist in the future.
Fun Fact: A fun fact she's pretty good at digital sudoku, just not physical paper copies.
Undergraduate, Psychology
Tram Nguyen is a freshman undergraduate student at Georgia State University pursuing a degree in psychology. Her plan as of right now is to become a clinical psychologist in the future.
Fun Fact: A fun fact she's pretty good at digital sudoku, just not physical paper copies.
Previous Lab Members
Postdoctoral Scholars
Marcia Davidson, Ph.D. - Currently at United States Agency for International Development
Amani Talwar, Ph.D., 2019-2021 - Currently at American Institute of Research
PhD Students
Nonyé Nwosu, 2018-2019, currently a Behavioral Health Program Development Manager at Brightline
PhD Research Assistants
Dilan Sinema Basaran, Communications, Summer 2018-Fall 2021
Mary Fernandes, Clinical Psychology, Summer 2017-Summer 2021
Stephen Skalicky, Applied Linguistics, Spring 2018-Fall 2018
Sandy Lawrence, Educational Psychology, Spring 2018-Fall 2019
Ali Heidari, Applied Linguistics, Summer 2017-Fall 2017
Jamila Barton, Applied Linguistics, Summer 2017
Masters Graduate Research Assistants
Irma Montana, Communication Science and Disorders, Fall 2022
Daniel Hughes, Applied Linguistics, Summer 2022
Michelle Tobar, Educational Psychology, Spring 2022
Lisa Yildirim, Applied Linguistics, Fall 2021-Spring 2022
Tyesha Ferron, Applied Linguistics, Fall 2019-Spring 2021
Kristen Maust, Applied Linguistics, Spring 2020
Jihoon Polk, Applied Linguistics, Fall 2019-Spring 2020
Steven Valentine, Applied Linguistics, Fall 2019
Christina Doan, Reading & Literacy, Spring 2019-Spring 2020
Shania Eaglin, Educational Psychology, Spring 2019-Spring 2020
Rebekah Lawson, Communication Sciences & Disorders, Spring 2019-Spring 2020
Katherine Mullinax, Communication Sciences & Disorders, Spring 2019-Spring 2020
Morgan Bennings, Learning Technologies, Spring 2019-Summer 2019
Jacklyn Byrd, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Fall 2018
Tien Tran, English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Fall 2018
Robert Phillips, Applied Linguistics, Spring 2018
Alyssa Outlaw, School Counseling, Fall 2017-Fall 2018
Jonathan McNair, Applied Linguistics, Summer 2017-Fall 2017
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Kayla Burton, Psychology, Spring 2020
Laura Chevrier, Psychology, Brigham Young University - Idaho, Fall 2019
Marcia Davidson, Ph.D. - Currently at United States Agency for International Development
Amani Talwar, Ph.D., 2019-2021 - Currently at American Institute of Research
PhD Students
Nonyé Nwosu, 2018-2019, currently a Behavioral Health Program Development Manager at Brightline
PhD Research Assistants
Dilan Sinema Basaran, Communications, Summer 2018-Fall 2021
Mary Fernandes, Clinical Psychology, Summer 2017-Summer 2021
Stephen Skalicky, Applied Linguistics, Spring 2018-Fall 2018
Sandy Lawrence, Educational Psychology, Spring 2018-Fall 2019
Ali Heidari, Applied Linguistics, Summer 2017-Fall 2017
Jamila Barton, Applied Linguistics, Summer 2017
Masters Graduate Research Assistants
Irma Montana, Communication Science and Disorders, Fall 2022
Daniel Hughes, Applied Linguistics, Summer 2022
Michelle Tobar, Educational Psychology, Spring 2022
Lisa Yildirim, Applied Linguistics, Fall 2021-Spring 2022
Tyesha Ferron, Applied Linguistics, Fall 2019-Spring 2021
Kristen Maust, Applied Linguistics, Spring 2020
Jihoon Polk, Applied Linguistics, Fall 2019-Spring 2020
Steven Valentine, Applied Linguistics, Fall 2019
Christina Doan, Reading & Literacy, Spring 2019-Spring 2020
Shania Eaglin, Educational Psychology, Spring 2019-Spring 2020
Rebekah Lawson, Communication Sciences & Disorders, Spring 2019-Spring 2020
Katherine Mullinax, Communication Sciences & Disorders, Spring 2019-Spring 2020
Morgan Bennings, Learning Technologies, Spring 2019-Summer 2019
Jacklyn Byrd, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Fall 2018
Tien Tran, English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Fall 2018
Robert Phillips, Applied Linguistics, Spring 2018
Alyssa Outlaw, School Counseling, Fall 2017-Fall 2018
Jonathan McNair, Applied Linguistics, Summer 2017-Fall 2017
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Kayla Burton, Psychology, Spring 2020
Laura Chevrier, Psychology, Brigham Young University - Idaho, Fall 2019