Samantha Macksey

Sam Macksey is a third-year PhD student in the Department of Educational Psychology, within the area of Human Development. Her research interests involve the examination of how children’s understanding of science and math can predict how likely they are to go into STEM careers. Also, to navigate mechanisms driving acquisition of math and science understanding which is essential for increasing the capacity for students to enter into biomedical and STEM research. Her research involves storybook learning and imaginative play as predictors science learning and engagement. Her objective is to enhance the early-stage development of the educational system and curriculum.

Awards and Honors

UW-Madison’s Education Graduate (Ed-GRS) Fellowship (2023)

UW-Madison’s Interdisciplinary Training Program in Education Sciences (ITP) Fellowship (2023)

McNair Scholars Program, Scholar (2022)

Best Presentation Award (Social & Behavioral Sciences and Public Health), Annual

Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) (2022)

Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science, Travel Scholarship (2021)

NIH Maximizing Access to Research Careers Training Program, 5T34GM105549-10, Scholar (2022)

Conference Presentations

Macksey S., Nuszen, K., Villacres, M., Rodriguez-Cruz, J., Castaneda, J., Church, R.B., & Young, A.G. (2022, November). Mathematics learning from instructional gestures: Does strategy variability and working memory matter? Poster presented at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists, Anaheim, CA.

Macksey, S., Nuszen, K., Villacres, M., Rodriguez-Cruz, J., Castaneda, J., Church, R.B., & Young, A.G. (2022, July). Do working memory and strategy variability play a role in gesture instruction? Poster presented at the 2022 International Society for Gesture Studies, Chicago IL.

Macksey, S., Nuszen, K., Villacres, M., Rodriguez-Cruz, J., Castaneda, J., Church, R.B., & Young, A.G. (2022, April). Individual differences in cognitive resources predict math learning: Working memory helps, but strategy variability hurts. Poster presented at the 2022 Cognitive Development Society Conference, Madison, WI.

Macksey, S., Nuszen, K., Villacres, M., Rodriguez-Cruz, J., Castaneda, J., Church, R.B., & Young, A.G. (2021, November). Does working memory and strategy variability influence a child’s readiness to learn? Poster presented at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists.

Macksey*, Samantha A., Ezgi M. Yüksel*, Ashely L. Ezpeleta & Haley A. Vlach “What Variables Influence Children’s Metamemory Skills for Newly Learned Words? ”