Our Team

Jessica Stern, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychological Science at Pomona College. A proud alum of the Claremont Colleges (PO ’12), she went on to her PhD in child psychology from the University of Maryland. She has more than 10 years of experience conducting research with children and families and recently completed a National Research Service Award fellowship from the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development at the University of Virginia. As Director of the FAM Lab, Dr. Stern welcomes families of all backgrounds to participate in the fun and fascinating science of child development. When not in the lab, Dr. Stern can be found hiking with her family, chatting with growers at the farmer’s market, and playing with her neighbors’ dogs.

Edwin Wu is currently a junior at Pomona College from Ellicott City, Maryland, studying Psychological Science, with a potential double minor in Italian and Economics. He has spent his last two years involved in a research lab at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, researching language development and concept formation in children and adults in order to enhance learning for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and, more recently, volunteered at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, working as a clinical assistant in the Pediatric Feeding Disorders program. In his free time, he enjoys trying new restaurants, listening to music, traveling, and biking around the Claremont Village. 

Maria Zhang is a current junior at Pomona College interested in studying Cognitive Science. She loves learning about topics in cognitive and linguistic development, along with developmental and cultural psychology. She is dedicated to supporting children’s social-emotional health, especially in underserved minority communities. Hailing from the greater Seattle area, she loves swimming and skiing, anything film related, and trying various new cuisines.

Jacob Zarate is currently a junior at Pomona College studying Neuroscience. He also is involved with Health Bridges, through which he manages projects in the local San Bernardino area that aim to educate youth on health topics like mental health, nutrition, and managing the healthcare system. He is hoping to pursue a career in either developmental neuropsychology research or pediatrics. In his free time, he enjoys reading developmental psychology and parenting books, crocheting, and writing poetry.

Maaniya Kaur is a current senior at Scripps College studying Psychology. She is passionate about understanding how childhood and family experiences shape emotional development, resilience, and mental health. She hopes to pursue a career focused on understanding these differences and developing interventions that can better support children and families facing adversity. Outside of research, she enjoys trying new restaurants, spending time with friends and family, and saying yes to new adventures. 

Nursulu is a junior at Pomona College, originally from Kazakhstan, majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Psychological Science. She is interested in understanding the neural and psychological mechanisms underlying attachment and the development of resilience in children and adolescents, particularly how attachment relationships and family environments shape responses to stress and how protective factors can promote resilience and reduce vulnerability to anxiety and depression across development. Outside of the classroom, Nursulu is the founder of the 5C NEURA Club and a Russian Language Partner. In her free time, she enjoys pottery, going to the gym, meditating, and baking desserts. 

Elly Cuevas is a junior at Pomona College majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Psychological Science on the pre-med track. She is passionate about the brain and addiction, and is particularly interested in how cultural context, family dynamics, and environment influence substance use disorders in adolescents. She hopes to pursue a career in addiction medicine, pairing her understanding of risk and protective factors with compassionate, patient-centered care. This past summer, she interned with Future Leaders of America, a local opioid-safety nonprofit, and shadowed an internal medicine physician specializing in addiction and chronic pain. On campus, she is an Intro to Psych TA and a mentor for the FLI and LEAF programs. Outside of academics, she volunteers at a hospital as a COPE Health Scholar and enjoys oil painting, lifting weights, and spending time with her infant niece. 

Isabella is currently a junior at Pomona College double majoring in
Psychological Science and English (Creative Writing). She is interested in the
intersections between developmental, cultural, and clinical psychology, also
serving as a research assistant at the Cultural Influences on Mental Health
Center at CMC. Beyond psych-sci, she works as a Writing Partner at the
CSWIM, edits the literary magazine Agave Review, and spends the rest of her
time on the slopes with the 5Cs Ski and Snowboard Team.