Current Professional Activities:
Member, Society for Research in Child development Member, International Society on Infant Studies Member, American Psychological Association Member, Cognitive Development Society Guest Reviewer, Infancy Guest Reviewer, Child Development Current Research Activities
My research program focuses on infant cognitive development and early word learning. I am particularly interested in the interaction between cognition and language acquisition during the first two years of development. In collaboration with colleagues and my students, I examine infants’ ability to discriminate the spatial relations between objects as well as their ability to group these events into spatial categories. A portion of our research explores the degree to which infants’ perceptual and cognitive abilities provide them with the meanings expressed across language-specific semantic categories. The goal of this line of research is to document not only which spatial concepts infants understand (and when they acquire these concepts), but also to delineate the processes that guide how infants acquire this understanding. We also are exploring how specific linguistic input can aid infants in forming spatial categories that they do not form in the absence of language. In related research, we also are exploring how language can direct infants’ attention to the objects versus location in a dynamic event. More recently, we have begun to explore these issues with toddlers and preschool-age children. Finally, we have been studying whether infants learn to comprehend visual gestures as labels for objects earlier and more easily than spoken labels. In addition, my students and I are exploring whether presenting a visual gesture with a spoken word aids infants in comprehending the spoken word. In sum, my students and I are conducting numerous experimental studies that explore developmental changes in infant cognitive development, how these abilities are recruited in the acquisition of language, and whether language can influence how infants organize their world. In addition to studying how infants learn, I also enjoy running, swimming, playing piano and cello. Among my most favorite activities are spending time with my family.
Education
Ph.D. 2000 - University of Texas at Austin Psychology
M.A. 1995 - University of Texas at Austin Psychology
B.A. 1992 - University of California, Berkeley Psychology & Spanish Literature
Selected Publications
Courses Taught
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| B.A. in Psychology, Fergusson College, Pune, 1999 M.A. in Medical and Psychiatric Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, 2001 I am interested in early word learning, specifically in the context of bilingual environments. Currently my research focuses on social cues and lexical principles in word learning in infants and toddlers. I am also conducting research on infants' abilities to differentiate between languages in word learning contexts. My broad research interests include bilingualism, multilingualism and early child development. Career Plans: My career goal is a position that allows me to conduct research and to use that research to inform policy decisions on early child development. jb339@cornell.edu | | 
| Kim Ferguson B.A. in Developmental Psychobiology with Honors in Psychology, Knox College, 2002 I have two primary research focuses, namely categorization development and infant and toddler care in southern Africa. I am interested in the early development of categorization, and the influence of language development on this ability. I am particularly interested in assessing the use of existing methodologies, as well as developing and assessing new methodologies, for assessing categorization development cross-culturally. Further, I am interested in general in the influence of experience on the development of categorization abilities. Related to this, I am interested in how the environment influences early cognitive, and particularly language, development. My dissertation will assess the quality of several infant homes (orphanages) in southern Africa. Eventually, I plan on developing an intervention program that will provide affordable and culturally appropriate improvements to infant homes in this region. Career Plans: A tenure-track research and teaching position at a leading academic institution in the US or South Africa, with the ability to travel to southern Africa periodically for research purposes. ktf2@cornell.edu |  | Makeba Parramore Wilbourn B.A. in Psychology, California State University, Fullerton, 1996 M.A. in Psychology, California State University, Fullerton, 2001 My general research interests are cognitive and language development in infants and toddlers. I am interested in the relationship between language and thought throughout early development. I plan to explore word learning and categorization in infants and toddlers acquiring a spoken and/or manual language (ASL). In particular, I am interested in the types of input, linguistic and social, children receive and how they use this information to acquire language. I am currently studying infants’ and toddlers’ ability to perceive and use intersensory information to understand language. In addition, I am interested in biracial and bilingual children’s pragmatic development and how early linguistic experiences affect later competency. Career Plans: I plan to pursue a tenure-track teaching position at a research university. mmp26@cornell.edu Top | |
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| I am a junior, Biology major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. After I graduate from Cornell I want to go to Medical School and do something with Infertility or delivering babies. I LOVE CISL because the people are great and the children are SO SO SO cute!!!! nlk23@cornell.edu | | 
| Cristy Ricaurte Hello! My name is Cristy Ricaurte. I am a junior at the College of Human Ecology majoring in Human Development. Ultimately, I would like to pursue a career in teaching and psychology. I love being part of CISL because I work with incredible people, and learn about infant language development by working with wonderful children! csr38@cornell.edu |  | Biblia Kim I am a senior Biology & Society major (Arts & Sciences), and I love babies! It's awesome to see the little things that can affect development of infant cognition. I plan on going to med school, and I want to eventually end up in either the inner city or out of the country. bsk29@cornell.edu | | 
| I am a junior Human Development major in the College of Human Ecology. I am also pre-med and am interested in neurology and obstetrics. CISL is fun because I love hanging out with cute babies all day! rst22@cornell.edu | | 
| Caitlin Duffy cwd25@cornell.edu | | Janet Jeon jyj4@cornell.edu | |
| I'm a junior Human Development major in the College of Human Ecology. I love working in the CISL because it gives me a chance to interact with and understand how infants develop, plus how could you not smile at some of those infants! After Cornell, I plan on attending medical school and hopefully taking care of children's healthcare needs. dms238@cornell.edu | | 
| Christen Kisch I'm a senior Human Development major in Human Ecology interested in pursuing my intersts in pediatrics, global health, and languages after graduating from Cornell. CISL is amazing because the research is fascinating, the people are wonderful and the children are adorable! cmk45@cornell.edu | | Hannah Choi hc345@cornell.edu | |
| db344@cornell.edu | |
| Jessica Lake jrl74@cornell.edu | | Mariana Torres-Viso mst37@cornell.edu Top | |
Where Are They Now? What Past Undergradute Students Have Gone On To Do:
