Meet our lab memebers!
Joshua Hartshorne
Principal Investigator
B.A. Mathematics, Oberlin College
M.A. Psychology, Harvard University
Ph.D. Psychology, Harvard University
I am interested in understanding what allows humans, but not current machines, to learn language – and why it is that children, despite their salient limitations of both cognition and experience, are so much more successful at language learning than adults. I am particularly interested in applying new and emerging methods (such as computational modeling and crowdsourcing) to core problems in the language sciences.
Jesse Storbeck
Software Engineer
Jesse is a software engineer working on Pushkin, AI4CommSci's open-source project which helps researchers in the cognitive and behavioral sciences to implement large-scale online experiments. He previously completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Boston College and a PhD in linguistics at the University of Southern California.
Samantha Gutierrez
Lab Manager
I graduated from Swarthmore College with a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Linguistics. I’m interested in all things relating to language, especially English neopronouns and language processing in general. Excited to get to work at the lab!
Wael Mohamed
Lab Manager
In May 2024, I graduated from Colgate University with a double major in Computer Science and Psychology. Towards the second half of my time at Colgate, my interest in language and it's related topics grew immensely. I joined the AI4CommSci group hoping to fulfill my linguistics interests and my passion for Computer Science!
Wei Li
Graduate Student
website
I graduated from Cornell University with a major in developmental psychology. I’m interested in how children learn words, concepts, and language in only a few years with limited cognitive capacity and limited experience with the world. I’m also interested in integrating computational modeling and big data into cognitive development research.
Tianyi Li
Graduate Student
I earned my bachelor degree in software engineering and then a master in cognitive neuroscience. Having been exposed to a diverse of perspectives from different disciplines along the way, I am broadly interested in cognitive science, especially language and cognition related topics. I seek to learn how people understand each other through learning, exchanging, and interpreting abstract information and how this knowledge in turn can help us more intelligent machines. I use a combination of computational modeling and empirical studies.
Allie Janineh
Master's Student
I graduated from UMass Amherst with a major in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, and am continuing my education at the MGH Institute for Health Professions seeking my Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. I'm interested in helping others improve their quality of life through a variety of avenues... technology being one of them!
Joel Iglesias Lopez
Undergraduate RA
Hi, I'm Joel, a sophomore at Boston College, where I'm studying history and transformative education with a special ed. concentration. Although I love education, after graduating from BC I hope to go into social work. As a RA at AI4CommSci, I work with lab members and affiliates to help run the lab smoothly. I've particularly enjoyed my time at AI4CS, as it has allowed me to work within the worlds of psychology and computer science.
Elena Negron Reichard
Undergraduate RA
Hey there, I'm Elena Negron-Reichard! I'm a junior diving into the world of Psychology on the premed track. Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Spanish is my first language, but I have learned French since elementary school. When I’m not studying, you'll find me soaking up sunshine, chowing down on tasty bites, and exploring the outdoors. I am thrilled to be able to use my skills and passion to make a positive impact at AI4CommSci!
Hunter Scheppat
Undergraduate RA
Hi, I'm Hunter, a rising sophomore majoring in Finance and Computer Science. I'm thrilled to be a Research Assistant here at the AI4CommSci Group, where I get to delve into the Pushkin project. My goal is to harness the power of data analytics and machine learning to drive innovation and make impactful contributions to both the scientific community and the business world. Looking forward to an exciting and productive time at the lab!
Camila Cruz
Undergraduate RA
I’m a senior at Suffolk University with a major in psychology and a minor in creative writing. My parents are both from Colombia and taught me and my older brother to speak Spanish before English, so I am bilingual. I’ve always been an observer, I like to people watch sometimes and just see how people interact with each other. In highschool, I took a Psychology 101 class and since then I have been so interested in the human brain and seeing why people think the way they do and how that impacts their behavior. Being an RA in the AI4CommSci group in the Intuitive Physics lab is perfect for me because I’m going to do exactly what interests me, learn how kids process information. When I graduate, I plan on going to grad school and get my license so I can become a practicing therapist, either mental health or developmental, I’m not sure yet.
Lilly Ohr
Postbac RA
I graduated from Boston College majoring in Computer Science and Linguistics. I have always been interested in open-source software, so I'm excited to join the lab and contribute to the Pushkin project. I’m looking forward to learning and contributing to meaningful work in this role.
Iris Oved
Affiliated Researcher
B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies (Psychology, Philosophy, Symbolic Systems), University of Arizona
Ph.D. Philosophy, Rutgers University
Postdoc, NSF Computing Innovations Fellow, University of Arizona
I am interested in mental and linguistic representations in humans and machines, with a special focus on concept acquisition through perception and language. My favorite insights come from designing virtual human toddlers who learn by exploring their virtual environments.
