Director

Dr. Rachel Severson, PhD

UM Living Lab Director, NIH SEPA Co-Investigator, Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology, University of Montana

Dr. Rachel Severson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Montana. She directs the UM Living Lab, located in the new Missoula Public Library, to engage the public with research conducted at the University of Montana. She and her research team at the Minds Lab investigate how children attribute minds and internal states to human and non-human others (non-human animals, inanimate nature, and personified technologies, such as robots) and the social and moral consequences of doing so. 

Dr. Severson received a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Washington. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Montana, she was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of British Columbia and a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Oslo.

Graduate Students

Sarah Sweezy

Doctoral Student in Experimental Psychology, University of Montana

Sarah is a third-year doctoral student in the Experimental Psychology program at the University of Montana with a focus in developmental psychology. She obtained a B.S. in Psychology from Tennessee Technological University in 2019. She researches children’s interactions with personified technologies and, in particular, how children attribute internal states or aliveness to robots.

Tom Macko

Doctoral Student in Experimental Psychology, University of Montana

Tom is a second-year doctoral student in the Experimental Psychology program at the University of Montana with a focus in developmental psychology. He received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Akron in 2018. Tom is interested in understanding how children interface with humanoid artificial intelligence and the implications that relationship might have on moral development. 

Kaetlyn Cordingley, M.Ed., M.A.

Doctoral Student in Experimental Psychology, University of Montana

Katie is a third-year doctoral student in the Experimental Psychology program at the University of Montana with a focus in developmental psychology. She currently serves as Assistant Dean and Director of Career Development, Community Partnerships, and Scholarships at the Davidson Honors College. Katie earned an undergraduate degree in Journalism from the University of Washington, an M.Ed. from Harvard University in Education Policy and Management, and an M.A. in Developmental Psychology from University of Montana. Katie's research focuses on identity development in emerging adulthood, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on college students' identity development and political identity.

Staff

Lydia Owings

Living Lab Manager

Lydia obtained her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Montana in 2022. Her interests are at the intersection of research and science education and she plans to pursue graduate work in counseling. 

Dr. Amanda Duley, PhD

NIH SEPA Project Manager, SciDesigns Communications

Dr. Amanda Duley, owner of SciDesigns Communication, is a trained research scientist who loves to play and create science educational experiences for the public including field trips, school visits, assemblies, high school research programs, and in-museum settings. Her collaborative cross-sector projects include the international award-winning EmPower Place at Missoula Food Bank and Community Center, he Big Sky Brain Project, Brain Lab, and the DNA Playground at the Missoula Public Library.

Dr. Duley received her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Virginia and served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institutes of Health.

Project Collaborator

Holly Truitt

NIH SEPA Investigator, City of Missoula, Holly Truitt Consulting

Holly Truitt lives in beautiful Montana with her husband and boy Finn. Her firm, Holly Truitt Consulting, works globally with institutions and individuals to co-design for a better self, community and world. She teaches at Stanford d.school and is a federally funded researcher in designing for community and personal change. This work has been done with talented teams and supported by more than $13.5 million - think embedding a museum in a food bank, vibrant innovation festivals, design labs for change, and deep human connection. Holly believes that change is our medicine – and, when we learn to design our own medicine, we not only change ourselves, but our businesses, communities and the world.