P.L.E.A. LAB
Our Members
The P.L.E.A. Lab (formerly the Applied Cognition Research Lab) moved from the University of Massachusetts Lowell to Iowa State University in Fall of 2023. Get to know our core team of current researchers and affiliates, as well as former students below.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Wilford is a tenured Associate Professor at Iowa State University. She is interested in applying what we know about social-cognitive phenomena to the improvement of real world procedures, particularly law and education.
Ph.D student/Lab Manager
Keely Allain holds a Master's in Forensic and Legal Psychology from Roger Williams University and is currently in the Cognitive Psychology Ph.D. Program at Iowa State. She is currently co-heading several studies examining plea decision-making and eyewitness memory.
Research Assistant
Elijah Moore
Elijah is a current undergraduate student at ISU and joined the P.L.E.A. Lab in the fall of 2023. He is majoring in Psychology and Philosophy and assists in multiple studies. Elijah plans to go to Graduate School for Social or Behavioral Psychology.
Research Assistant
Parker Anderson
Parker is a current undergraduate student at ISU and joined the P.L.E.A. Lab in the spring of 2024. He is majoring in Criminal Justice, with minors in Psychology and Cyber Security, and plans to receive a graduate degree in Cognitive Psychology from Iowa State University.
Research Assistant
Kamber Schmidt
Kamber is a current undergraduate student at ISU and joined the P.L.E.A. Lab in the spring of 2024. She is majoring in Psychology and Criminology and hopes to attend law school after graduation and pursue a career in criminal defense or appellate law.
Research Assistant
Madison Sasek
Madison is a current undergraduate student at ISU and joined the P.L.E.A. Lab in the spring of 2024. She is majoring in Psychology and Criminal Justice and hopes to attend law school after graduation in the Midwest.
Research Assistant
Amanda Kregel
Amanda is a current undergraduate student at ISU and joined the P.L.E.A. Lab in the fall of 2024. She is majoring in Psychology and Business Analytics and plans to pursue a career in forensic psychology.
Research Assistant
Avery Gillahan
Avery is a current undergraduate student at ISU and joined the P.L.E.A lab in fall of 2024. She is majoring in Psychology with a minor in Biology and hopes to attend law school after her time at ISU.
Research Assistant
Claire Kassel
Claire is a current undergraduate student studying Psychology with minors in Criminal Justice and Sociology. She joined the P.L.E.A. lab in the fall semester of 2024. She hopes to pursue a career in therapy after attending graduate school because she is passionate about helping people improve their mental health and well-being.
Research Assistant
Griffin Bruns
Griffin is a current undergraduate student at ISU and joined the P.L.E.A. Lab in the fall of 2024. He is majoring in Psychology and Computer science and plans to attend graduate school after graduating to pursue a career in counseling.
Research Assistant
Paulina Romo
Paulina is a current undergraduate student at ISU and joined the P.L.E.A lab in fall of 2024. She is majoring in Psychology and Criminal Justice. She plans to attend graduate school after she graduates.
Research Assistant
Sophia Stineman
Sophia is a current undergraduate student and joined the P.L.E.A. Lab in the fall of 2024. She is majoring in psychology and public relations and plans to attend graduate school to study counseling psychology.
Research Assistant/Former lab member
Ariana worked with the lab with a focus on plea decison-making for several years after receiving a B.A. in Psychology and Criminology. She is currently working towards an M.A in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at the University of New Haven.
Associate Researcher
Annabelle Frazier, Ph.D., CMHC
Dr. Frazier is an Assistant Teaching Professor and Graduate Program Director at the School of Criminal Justice, Forensic Science, and Security at the University of Southern Mississippi at Hattiesburg. She presents on issues of ethical practice in forensic contexts, record-keeping, and clinical writing.
Associate Researcher/Former Student
Annmarie Khairalla, Ph.D.
Dr. Khairalla was a long-time associate of the P.L.E.A. Lab. She received her Ph.D in Forensic Psychology from Ontario Tech University in 2023. She continues to contribute to several studies on plea decision-making.
Associate Researcher/Former Student
Nayantara Kurpad, Ph.D.
Dr. Kurpad graduated with a Ph.D in Applied Psychology and Prevention Science in 2022 from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Cognitive Psychology at St. Mary's College of Maryland.