Lab Director

Lieny Jeon, Ph.D., (she/her) is the Jane Batten Bicentennial Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development. She is also leading the Baltimore Education Research Consortium’s Early Childhood Data Collaborative. She received her PhD degree in Human Development and Family Science with a minor in Quantitative Methods at Ohio State University. She completed her post-doctoral training in the Department of Defense Child Development Virtual Laboratory School. Her research focuses on early care and education, family characteristics, and neighborhood disadvantage that impact children’s lives. She is passionate about early childhood educators’ social and emotional well-being and workforce development and the way it impacts young children’s development. She also examines how early care and education buffers challenging home and neighborhood environments and maximizes at-risk children’s development. Her research has been published in national and international peer-reviewed journals and featured in the New York Times. She was selected as an AERA-SRCD early career fellow in early education and development in 2017. 

Research Interests: Early care and education; teacher well-being; social and emotional learning

Fun Fact:  As a baseball lover, my dream is to complete all MLB ballparks tour. Fifteen stadiums out of thirty have been completed!

Shuai “Jack” Li (he/him) is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development. He received his doctoral degree in Policy, Leadership, and School Improvement from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on educator well-being, working conditions, and labor market dynamics in the Pre-K-12 settings. He is passionate about understanding teachers’ perceptions and decision-making processes through quantitative and qualitative research. He is particularly interested in examining the holistic well-being of early childhood educators and its implications on the development of young children. Jack worked as an elementary and middle school teacher before his doctoral studies, and he facilitated over fifty beginning teachers in their journey to obtain their North Carolina state teaching certificates. 

Research interests: Educator well-being; early care and education; teacher preparation and professional development; teacher working conditions 

Fun fact: I enjoy hiking and photography, and Charlottesville provides excellent opportunities for both. 

Sae Chapman (they/them) is a research specialist and lab manager at WELLab, assisting in both research and project management capacities. Sae earned their BA in Elementary Education with P-5 Certification from Berea College and MAeD in Elementary Education from Eastern Kentucky University. Their background in elementary education inspired them to pursue research in supporting teachers’ well-being and workplace rights, in order to promote a positive and equitable learning environment. They hope to contribute to positive change for early educators at both the individual level and at policy levels.  

Research Interests: Early childhood education; teacher well-being; organizational justice and labor rights; LGBTQ+ teachers and students

Fun Fact: My family includes 4 adults, 3 kids, and 2 cats in 1 house!

Olivia Zhao (she/her) is a PhD candidate at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development. Her research interests include the equity and quality of early care and education environments and teachers' social-emotional competence and well-being. Her practical and research experiences within early childhood programs across different cultures and countries inspire her to explore cultural and educational similarities and differences worldwide. Her goal is to apply what she has accomplished and learned to improve early childhood education from a global perspective, especially for those who live in marginalized communities. 

Research Interests: Equity in the ECE environment; social-emotional competence; well-being; cross-cultural studies

Fun Fact: The Secret Life of Pets 2 is my favorite movie. I've watched it probably over 8 times!

Jun Wang (she/her) is a PhD candidate at the School of Education-Johns Hopkins University. Her research broadly focuses on early childhood education, exploring the interactions of language, culture, identity, and well-being. Her recent research centers on improving both formal and informal learning environments for young children, particularly those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Grounded in developmental theories and well-being frameworks, her work examines the role of linguistic environments in child language and social-emotional development, the effectiveness of school-based interventions, the relationships between educators’ well-being and their practices in the classroom, and the necessary resources to support educators’ well-being. Jun holds a master’s degree in education with a focus on Early Childhood Education from Johns Hopkins University. 

Research Interests: Bilingual/multilingual children’s learning experience in PreK-3; social and emotional learning and development; child-care quality; early childhood educators’ well-being; quantitative methodology 

Fun Fact: I’m a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Charterholder who also uses CFA (confirmatory factor analysis) in my research 😊

Yuqing Zhu (she/her) is a Master's student at the University of Virginia in the School of Education and Human Development. She graduated from Stony Brook University with a major in Psychology. She is interested in child development, including children's behavior, mental health, and the impact of parental involvement on their growth. During her undergraduate studies, her internship experience at an early childcare center inspired her passion for working with children and her interest in the early childhood stage. Through her academic and practical journey, she has developed a strong understanding of the importance of early childhood education and development.

Research Interests: Early childhood education; child development; parental involvement 

Fun Fact: I am a K-pop fan and enjoy keeping up with the album releases of my favorite K-pop idols.   

Grace Dannahey (she/her) is a master's student at the University of Virginia in the School of Education and Human Development and is currently pursuing a Master of Education in educational psychology - applied developmental science. She graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and a minor in family studies. During her time at James Madison University, she gained internship experience in the early childhood education field, which sparked an interest in child development and education. Her goal is to positively impact the field of education with her background and experiences.  

Research Interests: Education, teacher experiences/teacher turnover rates, early childhood education, and child development 

Fun Fact: I am terrified of elevators.   

Aden Bilchick (he/him) is an undergraduate psychology major on course to graduate this spring. Also a Spanish minor, he assists WELLab with Spanish translations in addition to his other lab work, and he is very interested in working with Spanish community members in the psychology field. He is interested in studying clinical psychology and eventually becoming a practicing therapist for adolescents and young adults with trauma. 

Research Interests: Early childhood education; developmental psychology; child and adolescent psychopathology 

Fun Fact: I have 2 cats named Apple Fritter and Pepper; Pepper, in classic younger sibling fashion, is always trying to roughhouse! 

Nicole Chan (she/her) is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in biochemistry at the University of Virginia. When she graduates, she will pursue a career in pediatric medicine. After tutoring elementary students and being a teacher’s assistant at a middle school, she became interested in the various socialization factors that influence behavioral development in children. She wants to learn more about the impact of early childhood educators on children’s development. 

Research Interests: Child development; early childhood education; social and emotional competency 

Fun Fact: I love to crochet and I’ve begun designing and making my own plushies!

Kathryn Wong (she/her) is a first-year Nursing student at the University of Virginia, originally from Brooklyn, New York. She is dedicated to understanding how wellbeing influences early childhood education and development. She is also interested in psychology, particularly child psychology, and aspires to become a healthcare provider specializing in children's care. Her experience working as a summer camp counselor for two years cultivated her enjoyment of working with children, deepened her passion for learning how to better care for them, and highlighted the importance and impact of the early childhood years. 

Research Interests: Teachers' wellbeing; early childhood educators of color; childhood education and development 

Fun Fact: I absolutely adore my corgi, but if I could, I’d have 10 dachshunds, too! I just can't resist their little waddles when they walk and their disproportionate bodies.

Moriah Burwell (she/her) is a first-year public policy student at the University of Virginia. Originally from Seattle, Washington, she moved to Richmond in 2019 where she earned her associate's degree in social sciences. After working as a child watch attendant at the YMCA, she became interested in early childhood education and psychological development. She is committed to supporting early childhood educators and finding ways to promote well-being in the field.  

Research Interests: Early childhood education; child development; teacher well-being 

Fun Fact: I have an identical twin.