Michael Osfeld

Michael is a 1st year PhD student in the PBS department concurrently working in the CAL lab and the Mayer lab. His research applies insights from evolutionary psychology to the science of learning and explores the evolved design features of social cognition such as status regulation mechanisms and the representation of free will. He received his B.S. in Psychological & Brain Sciences with distinction in major from UC Santa Barbara in 2021, and worked as a research assistant at WestEd until 2024.

David Pietraszewski

David Pietraszewski (Pea-tra-zoo-ski) received his B.A. from Ithaca College and his Ph.D in Psychological and Brain Sciences from UCSB in 2009. He then took a postdoc at Yale University until 2014. He was a Research Scientist (the equivalent of assistant professor) at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development (Bildungsforschung) in Berlin, Germany. He became a faculty member at UCSB in March 2024.

Emma Gareis

Emma is a third year undergraduate at UCSB working on a B.S. in Psychological and Brain Sciences with a minor in Applied Psychology. She is interested in developmental psychology, hoping to pursue a career in research at a university. Outside of the lab Emma is the President of Rho Psi Eta Pre-health Sorority and works as a captain in Dr. Jimerson's Power of Play! She is excited to lead the developmental project for the CAL lab!

Yunli (Catherine) Liang 

Yunli (Catherine) is a second-year Pre-Psychological & Brain Sciences student. She is interested in cognitive psychology and evolutionary psychology, and aspires to pursue a PhD and become a researcher in cognitive neuroscience. 

Anna Teitelbaum

Anna is a fourth year major in Psychological and Brain Sciences, with particular interest in social and developmental psychology. Driven by her diverse upbringing in Russia and her transition to the United States, she has developed a deep passion for understanding human relationships. After graduating, she plans to pursue law school and hopes to practice family law. Anna is particularly enthusiastic about the CAL lab to explore evolutionary psychology and gain hands-on experience in the field.

Naomi Monahan-Miller

Naomi is a fourth-year Psychological and Brain Sciences major with a strong interest in group and mate psychology from an evolutionary perspective. She plans to travel after graduation before pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology, aiming to become a sex and relationship psychologist. Outside her academic and research pursuits, Naomi works as an undergraduate learning assistant and a zumba instructor.