Meet the fuel behind SPiEE Lab
1st Generation SPiEEs celebrate after their doctoral hooding ceremony
Members of the SPiEE Lab pose in front of Jay
Lisa Nehring presents SPiEE research at an APA roundtable
Lindi answers questions about research on beliefs about climate change
Psychological insights go well with cold beer
SPiEE members and alumni
Li Li presents research on a "common ground" intervention at APA
Happy graduation to Dr. Claire Chuter!
Kate Cornwall presents her research at JHU's Sustainability Symposium
Lab Happy Hour
SPiEE members Nan, Lisa, and Kate get outside for some adventure
Lisa Nehring presents research on education outdoors at NAAEE
SPiEE loves APA!
A fun gathering of the SPiEE team
Members of the SPiEE Lab present posters at APA
Graduates Nan, Qiyang, Kate, and Aishwarya
Lindi shows off a poster on climate denial and nature of science beliefs
Kate and Rohan catch up at APA
Congratulations to the graduating class of 2024!
Lindi Shepard gives an IMPACT talk on mis- and disinformation at APA
SPiEE members enjoy an annual meeting of psychologists
Lisa Nehring and Jodi Miller present at EdFest at Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Hunter Gehlbach
Founder & Director of SPiEE
Current Lab Members
Katherine Cornwall
Katherine’s current research resides in the intersection of climate change and mental health. She seeks to understand what empowers and inhibits environmental action, how individuals assign responsibility for climate change mitigation, and how well-being can buffer the negative mental and emotional effects of the climate crisis. Kate holds a Ph.D. in Education from Johns Hopkins University, an M.S. in Environmental Science from Washington State University, and a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a focus in Environmental Education from the University of Oregon.
Zia Hassan
Zia is a Ph.D. student and researcher focused on the future of education in an AI-powered world. His work encompasses ethical AI usage, critical thinking, creativity, innovative assessment methods, personal knowledge management, and student motivation. With a diverse background in consulting for industry leaders such as IBM and Microsoft, as well as experience teaching elementary school in Washington, DC, Zia offers a unique and comprehensive perspective to his research.
Zixuan (Hazel) Huang
Hazel is a graduate student in the ITGL program at the School of Education, Johns Hopkins University. She is actively involved in research on sustainable education within the SLC K12 working group. Additionally, she is collaborating with Qiyang Zhang on the Extended Learning project, focusing on Social Media Interventions and Mental Health. She has plans to pursue a Ph. D. with research interests centered around the impact of social media polarization on education and the concept of "parenting yourself again." She completed her undergraduate studies in Czech language at Xi'an International Studies University.
Emily Branch
Emily earned her M.S. in Education Policy at Johns Hopkins University. She is currently a primary teacher in Spain and works as a Community Schools Organizer at the Michigan Education Justice Coalition. Her research interests include environmental education, social perspective taking, community building, and bilingual acquisition. She has two bachelor's degrees from the University of Michigan in Psychology and Education. She became passionate about teaching through volunteering as a tutor in PALMA (Proyecto Avance, Latino Mentoring Association) throughout her undergraduate career. Emily hopes to pursue a PhD in International Education with a focus on environmental topics in schools. She is from rural Southwest Michigan.
Li (Lili) Li
Lili is a Ph.D. student at Johns Hopkins University School of Education. Her research interests revolve around the social-emotional development of adolescents and young adults, especially during their key transition periods, including cross-cultural and college transitions. Before coming to Johns Hopkins, Lili worked as a student affairs practitioner at NYU Shanghai, designing and implementing orientation and first-year programs to foster student success. Lili received her M.A. in International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University, and her B.A. in English with a concentration in Teaching from Zhejiang Normal University, China.
Nan Mu
Nan is a Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology at Indiana University School of Education. Nan’s research interests include children’s social and cognitive development, especially in perspective taking, bilingualism, and language acquisition. Nan earned their Ph.D. in Education from Johns Hopkins University in 2024. Before joining the SPiEE lab, Nan studied educational psychology using both behavioral and neural methodologies at the University of Alabama. For a decade before coming to the US, Nan taught English at the university level, working with Chinese undergraduate students to improve their spoken and written English.
Lisa Nehring
Lisa is a Ph.D student at Johns Hopkins University, School of Education. Through her research, Lisa hopes to better understand the recipe for engagement of all students in meaningful environmental education, including how diverse groups of students perceive and connect with their local surroundings. Her most recent studies include explorations of emerging models in conservation education as well as spiritual connections to nature. Lisa is also a research assistant with the Nobody Asked Me Campaign, a community research project that aims to highlight the experiences of Baltimore youth. She holds a B.A. in Biology from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and an M.S. in Elementary Education from Hunter College in New York City. Previously, Lisa worked as a middle school science teacher in Brooklyn, New York.
Lindi Shepard
Lindi is a PhD student at Johns Hopkins University, School of Education. Her research applies principles of psychology to explore how people learn in and about the natural world. As a teacher, Lindi developed an interest in the learning sciences, inspired by watching children play and co-construct knowledge in community. As Fellowship Director at Words in the Wild, she designs and delivers professional development experiences for educators through an innovative lab school model. She is especially interested in building teacher capacity to leverage students’ innate curiosity as they explore local ecosystems and grapple with socio-scientific issues pertaining to climate and environmental justice. Lindi holds a B.S. in Special Education from the University of Georgia and a M.A. in Cognitive Science in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Molly Robey
Molly Molly is a Ph.D. student in the Earth and Planetary Science department at Johns Hopkins University. She collaborates with the SPIEE lab as well as with Dr. Darryn Waugh on research initiatives through the Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative. Molly’s research areas include science communication, climate science, science education, and community engagement. She currently works as an assistant teaching professor of communication at Loyola University Maryland where she teaches communication courses as well as a meteorology course. Molly followed her dreams to become an on-air meteorologist by attending the Pennsylvania State University where she earned a B.A. in broadcast journalism. While starting her career at AccuWeather in State College, Molly earned her M.S. in Applied Meteorology from Mississippi State University. She went on to work as a meteorologist/reporter at WJLA in Washington, D.C., and currently freelances at WJZ in Baltimore. In addition, she writes a weekly weather discussion for The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang.
Illustrious Alumni
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Rohan Arcot
Rohan is a PhD student in Counseling Psychology at Boston University. He holds a M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Johns Hopkins University.
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Christine Calderon
Christine is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. She earned her PhD and MA in Educational Psychology from the University of Arizona. Christine worked as a postdoctoral scholar in the SPIEE lab, where she helped lead a replication study on teacher-student relationships.
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Claire Chuter
Claire is a researcher with the American Institutes for Research (AIR). She earned her PhD in Education at Johns Hopkins University, School of Education.
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Jonathan Cloughesy
Jonathan is a doctoral student in the behavioral sciences at the University of Southern California.
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Aishwarya Jayabharathi
Aishwarya is school counselor for Baltimore County Public Schools. She earned her Master's degree in School Counseling at Johns Hopkins University School of Education.
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Carly Robinson
Carly is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Brown University’s Annenberg Institute. She completed her Ph.D. in Education at Harvard University in the Human Development, Learning, and Teaching concentration.
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Qiyang Zhang
Qiyang is a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Holistic Initiatives for Learning and Development in Singapore. She earned her PhD in Education at Johns Hopkins University, Graduate School of Education.
