Ashley Ezpeleta

My research interests are based primarily in language & reading, specifically how word learning, categorization, and generalization are related to a holistic understanding of a story or textbook. Additionally, I am interested in how memory, context, and inferencing play a role in holistic understanding. 

My love for research began when I joined Dr. Joseph Johnson’s Computational Cognition Lab at Miami University, where I worked on research projects surrounding decision making under stress. Eventually, I designed my own project involving elements of decision making, specifically looking at how undergraduate students were able to make inferences and understand texts in stressful conditions.

While studying undergraduate students was very interesting, I have also always loved working with children, which is where I wanted to focus my research efforts post-graduation. During my undergraduate years, I spent much of my free time volunteering and working in schools. I prepared and co-taught a Kindergarten Readiness Course in a pre-school in Colorado and have tutored many elementary school students in reading and math. 

Post graduation, I took a job as a lab manager and project coordinator for the LAMBDA (Longitudinal Analysis of Mathematical Brain Development and Abilities) study in the Educational Neuroscience Lab run by Dr. Edward Hubbard at UW – Madison. In this position, I had the opportunity to work with many undergraduate research assistants as a manager and interact children aged 8 through 15 in a research setting by running behavioral sessions and functional MRI scans via my project coordinator role. This position also gave me time expand on my data organization & analysis skills, as well as my research design and implementation skills.

Ultimately, my goal and hope as a graduate student is to do research that will help kids by enhancing the design and implementation of educational materials to foster comprehension and improve education and learning.

Awards & Honors

Miami University Doctoral Undergraduate Opportunity Scholarships (DUOS)

•       Purpose: Awarded for senior independent project and conference travel
•       Title: Implications for Testing: The relationships among stress, working memory, and comprehension in college students
•       Awarded: Fall 2018

Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society, Miami University 

Cum Laude, Miami University 2019 

Education Graduate Research Scholars (Ed-GRS) Fellowship, UW-Madison, 20

Conference Presentations

Ezpeleta, A. L., Trevethan, M. A., & Johnson, J. G. (May, 2019). Implications for testing: The relationships among stress, working memory, and comprehension in college students. Talk presented at the 2019 Midwest Cognitive Science Conference, Columbus, OH.

Ezpeleta, A. L. ., Trevethan, M. A., Myers, E. M. & Johnson, J. G. (April, 2019). Implications for testing: The relationships among stress, working memory, and comprehension in college students. Talk presented at the 33rd annual Ohio Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference, Westerville, OH.

Ezpeleta, A. L., Dandignac, M., Hosey, V. A., Trevethan, M. A., Ashner, E. R., Capretta, Z. M., Sarver, K., & Johnson, J.G. (May, 2019). Implications for testing: The relationships among stress, working memory, and reading comprehension in college students. Poster presented at the 18th annual Stephen Hinkle Poster Session, Oxford, OH. 

Ezpeleta, A. L., Dandignac, M., Hosey, V. A., Trevethan, M. A., Ashner, E. R., Capretta, Z. M., Sarver, K., & Johnson, J. G. (April, 2019). Implications for testing: The relationships among stress, working memory, and reading comprehension in college students. Poster presented at the Miami University Undergraduate Research Forum, Oxford, OH. 

Ridder, M. E., Dandignac, M., Ashner, E. R., Capretta, Z. M., Ezpeleta, A. L., Hosey, V. A., Melanson, G. E., Trevethan, M. A., & Johnson, J. G. (May, 2018). Stress and Risky Decision-Making. Poster presented at the 17th annual Stephen Hinkle Poster Session, Oxford, OH.

Ridder, M. E., Dandignac, M., Ashner, E. R., Capretta, Z. M., Ezpeleta, A. L., Hosey, V. A., Melanson, G. E., Trevethan, M. A., & Johnson, J. G. (April, 2018). Stress and Risky Decision-Making. Poster presented at Miami University Undergraduate Research Forum, Oxford, OH.