Anna Bechner, Research Laboratory Manager
B.S. Ed., Marian College (Early Childhood Education)
My background includes teaching and research experience with families and young children in childcare, preschool, and the elementary school level. As a teacher I became very interested in understanding how children’s emotional experiences affect learning, behavior, and socio-emotional development. In my current role, I manage laboratory projects focused on examining early life stress and poverty, and the effects these emotional experiences have on child development, with the goal in mind of developing intervention strategies for at-risk children and families.
E-mail: ambechner@wisc.edu
Manjeri Senthilmurugan, Research Assistant
B.S., 2024, University of Wisconsin – Madison (Psychology)
Through my background working with and researching children, I have developed a keen interest towards researching social media’s impact on children’s socio-emotional development, mental health, and well-being. With social media having such a large influence on children’s current cultural landscape, I am interested more broadly in understanding how it impacts their decision making and emotional well-being. I hope to eventually apply these findings to figure out how to promote a more positive social media landscape and better social media usage for children.
E-mail: msenthilmuru@wisc.edu