The CDR's staff is pivotal to advancing groundbreaking behavioral science research. Meet our directors and staff members below.
Faculty Director View Profile
Nicholas Epley conducts research on the experimental study of social cognition, perspective taking, and intuitive human judgment. His research has appeared in more than two dozen journals and popular publications like the Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Wired. He is the author of Mindwise: How We Understand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want.
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Executive Director Email (773) 702-7307
Amy Boonstra is executive director of the CDR and oversees programming and initiatives. With her team, she leads the center’s infrastructure, program development, fundraising, and partnerships. Amy has a PhD in sociology from the University of Michigan and an AB from the University of Chicago.
Director, CDR Labs Services Email (773) 702-2621
Rebecca (Becky) oversees the operations of the CDR research labs and partnership data collection sites. Becky has a PhD in quantitative psychology from the Ohio State University, with focus in the study of judgment and decision making, and she is also an Adjunct Professor of Behavioral Science at Booth.
Communications Director Email (773) 834-5284
Mark is responsible for the center’s overall strategic communications, sharing the work of CDR’s faculty and researchers with a broad and diverse audience. He helps tell the story of behavioral science, including its profound ability to provide wisdom and improve lives.
Research Application Developer Email
As the CDR Programmer, Kaushal assists faculty by developing, programming, and troubleshooting computer-based study materials. He focuses on web-based programming and provides support for studies on Qualtrics using Javascript, PHP, and other relevant languages. Kaushal received his BA in Psychology and MS in Computer Science from the University of Chicago.
Manager, Outreach Email
Stav Atir is a post-doctoral researcher and Labs Outreach Manager at the CDR. Her research is in the areas of judgment and decision-making and social cognition, and focuses on the way people think of themselves and others. In particular, she is interested in how people can tell what they know and what they don't know (knowledge and meta-knowledge), as well as in issues surrounding gender in professional contexts.
Assistant Director, Campus Lab Services Email
Bryan manages the Hyde Park Lab, working with Booth faculty, PhDs, and post-docs to support their research endeavors. He has previously worked for the CDR as a research assistant and as the Pop-Up Labs Manager, where he coordinated external research and spearheaded our Call for Studies program.
Accounting Manager, CDR Labs Email
As manager of the PIMCO Decision Research Labs Loop Location, Morgan is responsible for managing the life cycle of research studies, training and staffing research assistants, and interacting with people from around the downtown area who partake in their studies. The research Morgan does with the center focuses on judgment, decision making, and interpersonal communication.
Research Support Assistant Email
Carman serves as a Research Support Assistant in the CDR Hyde Park Lab where she collaborates with Booth faculty, PhDs, and post-docs and assists them from constructing surveys to conducting research studies to analyzing data, as well as interacting with our participant pools.
Lab Manager, Pop Up Labs Email
Sarah is a lab manager in the Virtual Lab managing a team of research assistants and working with researchers to onboard their studies. She also spearheads research assistant programming for the CDR. Sarah previously managed the Pop Up Labs helping researchers collect data at locations throughout the Chicagoland area.
Associate Director, CDR Labs & Programs Email
Jasmine Kwong helps oversee the CDR’s research operations on campus, online, and in partnership with other organizations, and she leads the CDR’s engagement strategy and programming for students, alumni, and the general public. Jasmine has an MBA and AB from the University of Chicago.
Assistant Lab Manager, Hyde Park Email
Solomon Lister serves as the Assistant Lab Manager in the Hyde Park Lab and manages the labs of Drs. Emma Levine and Jane Risen. Prior to joining the CDR, Solomon completed his undergraduate studies at UChicago, graduating with a BA in Psychology and minor in Philosophy.
Assistant Director, Epley Lab & CDR Programs Email
Don oversees and facilitates the research done by CDR Faculty Director Nicholas Epley and his associated lab group. He also manages the execution of CDR activities, including behavioral science workshops & brownbags, conference travel, accounting, and related logistics.
Assistant Director, Communications Email
Chris implements the CDR's communications strategy to attract new research participants and amplify the innovative work of our faculty, labs, and researchers. He manages the center’s social media, email marketing, event promotions and other communications efforts.