People of the Social Development Lab

Dr. Alli Cipra

Dr. Cipra is the director of the Social Development Lab (SDL) at Governors State University. She is an Full Professor in the Department of Psychology. She received her PhD in Human Development from Indiana University. Prior to joining the faculty at Governors State University in 2014, she served as faculty at Siena Heights University. As a systems theorist, her interests are wide-ranging and interdisciplinary. One of her main lines of research focuses on the development of resilience across the lifespan. A second theme focuses on the transition to college, particularly for underrepresented groups.

Kelly Rosenthal

Kelly has been serving as the SDL lab coordinator and copy editor for the Journal of Applied Disciplines (JAD) for two years. She graduated summa cum laude with her bachelor's in psychology and a minor in practical and professional ethics. She is currently considering various master's programs and Ph.D. programs. She is looking forward to the next steps in her academic and career path. She is passionate about continuing education and growth. This motivation for learning is expressed in her research interests, educational pursuits, career plans, and ongoing involvement with the SDL and JAD.

Kelly has recently been drawn to teaching and enjoys designing and facilitating workshops. She is passionate about education and knowledge sharing, whether it be through serving as a panelist at a conference or in weekly lab meetings with students. Kelly is always eager to exchange knowledge with others and develop new skills, strengthening her abilities as a student, researcher, and individual.

Her research interests are diverse and continually evolving. They include but are not limited to: social-emotional learning and child and adolescent development, empathy and prosocial attributes throughout the lifespan, relational approaches to mentorship in research and higher education, research design and methodology, program development, social policy, animal-assisted interventions, creative arts therapies, and multi- and interdisciplinary ethics and practice.

Angelina Knoch

Angelina recently graduated with her bachelor’s in psychology. She plans to continue her education in a master's program. She is interested in studying the effects of bias on minority populations' ability to succeed. She hopes to one day work with institutions to improve their biased practices and policies to create more equitable spaces.

Alyssa Voss

Alyssa is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in psychology, concentrating in pre-clinical psychology, and a minor in criminal justice. She began working in the SDL as an undergraduate research assistant in AY 23-24. She plans to pursue an M.A. in mental health counseling post-graduation and has a strong interest in research. Alyssa’s research interests are focused on childhood and adolescent development and resilience through trauma, relationship dynamics, and the influence of well-being and identity on goal pursuit and development. Alyssa has completed a research paper on the long-term effects of foster care on children and delivered a public presentation on intimate partner violence. She is currently working on collecting data using a mixed-methods survey that is focused on the impact of life skill building and career preparation opportunities in adolescence, and how that early skill development can impact mental health, identity, and other life outcomes in adulthood.

Ian Telschow

Ian is a transfer student in his final year of his bachelor's in psychology at GSU. He has his associate degree in early childhood education and has been working in the field with children and their families for almost 10 years. Ian began participating in the SDL as a research assistant over the summer of 2025 and hopes to enter a master's program in child psychology to one day serve as a therapist for children and adolescents.

Milia Alfarah

Milia Alfarah is an alumna from Saint Xavier University who graduated in May 2025 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Psychology. Milia will start working towards gaining her Doctoral degree in child psychology in the fall semester of 2026. Milia has always had an interest in psychology growing up but was not sure she wanted to pursue it as a career. In the beginning of her second semester of college she began taking psychology courses and she became sure that psychology was her passion. She chose child psychology as her major because she always wanted to be able to help children who are struggling with any mental health issues. Her dream is to open her own clinic and be able to assist children and families that are struggling with mental health issues. She is very excited to explore and to learn more about her interests in psychology through being involved in the SDL in the fall semester of 2025.

Rachel Tadros

Rachel Tadros is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Saint Xavier University, focusing on school psychology. She began participating in the Social Development Lab in the Fall 2025 semester as an undergraduate. Rachel’s research interests are focused on school-based and environment-based research. She is specifically interested in the interplay between environmental/community factors and school dynamics. Rachel’s interest stems from her desire to help students achieve their academic and personal goals within the school environment.

Stephanie Cazares

Stephanie is an undergraduate student majoring in psychology. She is an active member of Psi Chi and her passion for psychology has led her to participating in the SDL for the Fall 2025 semester. Her research interests include cultural/trauma impacts, coping strategies, and development in society through both present and past traumatic events.

Megan Rodgers

Megan Rodgers completed her master’s degree in criminal justice in May 2024 and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Interdisciplinary studies. She works at the YWCA as the Manager of Advocacy and Crisis Intervention for both sexual violence and community violence programs in South Cook County and DuPage County. Megan serves as the Chair for the South Suburban Cook County Sexual Assault Response Team. Ms. Rodgers also serves as a member of the Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force, South Suburban College’s Coordinated Community Response Team, and Governors State University's Advocating for Sexual Assault Prevention team. She has presented and completed research projects on a variety of topics including fictive kin relationships, growth vs fixed mindset, cancer disparities in incarcerated women, domestic violence, multi-disciplinary approaches to crime, and domestic homicide. Her current research project focuses on restorative justice in the U.S. criminal justice system and was presented last fall in Lake Como, Italy. She also serves as a board member for the Institutional Review Board at Prairie State College.

Nadeen Beituni

Nadeen Beituni is a junior pursuing her bachelor's degree in psychology with a pre-clinical concentration at GSU. She joined the Social Development Lab as a research assistant in the fall of 2025. Nadeen is interested in researching how relationship and family dynamics impact adolescent outcomes. She plans to pursue her M.A. in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling. Her goal is to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and work as a couples counselor.

Emma Talamonti

Emma Talamonti is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a minor in industrial and organizational (I/O) psychology. She has plans to pursue a master's in occupational therapy. Spring 2025 was her first semester taking part in the Social Development Lab, and she has a specialized interest in occupational therapy and I/O psychology.

Jessica Beckmann

Jessica Beckmann is an external research assistant as well as working as a children’s counselor at a domestic violence agency. She has served as an undergraduate research assistant for a year and a half and as the research lab coordinator for four years prior to her current position. Jessica graduated with her Master of Arts in Counseling from Governors State University in May 2024. Currently, Jessica is working on research surrounding social-emotional learning (SEL). Jessica’s research interests are focused on gender disparities and trauma, social-emotional learning, social media, and how societal expectations may impact individual development.

David Swanson

David Swanson is a research assistant as well as a Licensed Social Worker, Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselor, and Anger Management Specialist working in the southwest suburbs of Cook County. He received his Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in Social work at Governors State University. His research interests are rooted in trauma and addiction, with a focus on children and families. He aspires to continue his research on trauma with a lens of social determinants of health and is currently applying for a doctoral program in social work for either a DSW or a Ph.D.