Hello! I'm Dr. Lara

I received a B.S. in Psychology from the University of California, Davis in 2010 and my Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of California, Davis in 2019. In 2019, I was recognized for my outstanding teaching and mentoring with the Psychology Graduate Student Teaching Award. Currently, I am an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Southwestern University. Here, I teach Principles of Psychology (Intro), Lifespan Development, and Research in Developmental Psychology Capstone. I also have experience teaching Social Psychology and Cognitive Development at other institutions. I love teaching and working closely with students. I strive for the combination of an exciting and caring learning environment. I want students to love psychology as much as I do!

My program of research surrounds understanding children’s and adults’ beliefs about and experiences of the connections between expectations and affective experiences (i.e., preferences and emotions).