Esther Sin, M.A.

Esther (she/her) is a doctoral candidate in the Developmental Psychology program at NYU Steinhardt. Broadly she is interested in the intersections of culture, context, and human development. Specifically, Esther uses mixed methods to understand (1) how sociocultural contexts affect developmental trajectories of immigrant youth, (2) how cultural ideologies shape mothers' gender socialization across ethnic groups, and (3) how gender socialization is related to adolescent socio-emotional development. Prior to starting at NYU, Esther completed a B.S. at Boston University and her M.A. at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she worked with Dr. Suniya Luthar. Esther was in brand consulting before she made a shift to developmental psychology.

Yufei Gu, M.S.Ed

Yufei (she/her) is a 5th-year doctoral student in Developmental Psychology at New York University - Abu Dhabi Global PhD Program, co-mentored by Dr. Theodore Waters and Dr. Niobe Way. She pursued her Bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Interactive Media at NYUAD and her Master's Degree in Learning, Science & Technology at University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education. She conducted her bachelor's capstone project on the relationship between infants' attachment security level and their later development of interpersonal relationships. Yufei is interested in the relationship between children's early childhood experience with caregivers and their mental health, academic performance and peer relationships later in life.

Rachel Taffe, B.A.

Rachel (she/her) is a 3rd-year doctoral student in Developmental Psychology at NYU Steinhardt. Broadly, she is interested in interpersonal curiosity’s role in social emotional and identity development processes during childhood and adolescence. Through her research, Rachel hopes to learn more about how children’s innate, relational capacities (e.g., interpersonal curiosity) may be nurtured and leveraged as a means of fostering meaningful social connections within and across groups. Prior to NYU, Rachel earned bachelor’s degrees in Psychological Science and Criminology at the University of California, Irvine, where she also served as the Lab Manager for Dr. J. Zoe Klemfuss’s Child Narratives Lab.

Maggie Wang

Maggie (she/her) is an undergraduate senior (class of 2025) at New York University's School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, Steinhardt. She is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Applied Psychology and a minor in Business Studies. Maggie is interested in how intersections between gender and racial identity play a role in child and adolescent development and mental health. 

Vivien Tierney

Vivien (she/her) is an undergraduate senior (class of 2025) at New York University's School of Individualized Study, Gallatin. Her concentration centers around the study of human connection, focusing on a developmental perspective of ungendered interpersonal connection and a sociological critique of capitalized care. She is planning to minor in CAMS (Child and Mental Health Studies) and is Gallatin's Vice President! 

Joseph D. Nelson, Ph.D.

Dr. Nelson, co-founder of The Listening with Curiosity Project, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Studies at Swarthmore College, and affiliated faculty with the Black Studies Program and the Gender and Sexuality Studies Program. He is also a Senior Research Fellow with the Center for the Study of Boys' and Girls' Lives at the University of Pennsylvania. His research employs interdisciplinary frameworks to examine identity, culture, and urban school reform from a qualitative inquiry stance. In the low-income neighborhood where he grew up, Dr. Nelson taught first-grade in a single-sex class of Black and Latino boys.

Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Ph.D.

Dr. Yoshikawa is the Courtney Sale Ross Professor of Globalization and Education at New York University Steinhardt, and a University Professor at NYU. He is the Co-Director of the Global TIES for Children Center. He conducts work on child and youth development in the areas of immigration, refugee and humanitarian contexts, early childhood, poverty reduction, and sexuality. He engages in research-practice and research-policy partnerships in the United States as well as in Latin America, South Asia, and the Middle East.

Holly Van Hare, M.A.

Holly Van Hare was the Director of The Listening Project. She received her master’s degree in Experimental Humanities and Social Engagement from New York University, where she focused her research on educational spaces and how cultural biases and stereotypes hinder access to education and affect learning experiences for certain groups. Holly has taught in public schools in New York City and Boston, M.A. and has a background in curriculum development. Additionally, she has participated in research in trauma-informed and preventative health education programs, body size and inclusivity in education, and anti-oppressive education.

Nathania B. Zhong, B.S.

Nathania (she/her) is the LCP’s Project Coordinator working under Dr. Niobe Way at NYU Steinhardt. She recently graduated from New York University with a bachelor’s degree in Applied Psychology and a minor in Philosophy. Her senior thesis at NYU focused on integrating critical consciousness and resistance literatures, arguing that true liberation from oppression requires insights from both fields. Currently, she is interested in how resistance can be fostered among children and adolescents through interpersonal curiosity.