People

Anna Ingeborg Petursdottir, PhD

Dr. Petursdottir directs the Human Learning & Language lab.  Dr. P is originally from Akureyri, a town in northern Iceland. She earned her B.A. in psychology from the University of Iceland, and her Masters and PhD degrees in behavior analysis from Western Michigan University.  She has been  on faculty at TCU since 2006.  Besides nerding out in the lab, Dr. P likes to watch her kids play soccer, ride her bike, travel, read literary fiction, and play the piano (badly).

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Doctoral Student

Juliana S. C. D. Oliveira, M.S., M.A., BCBA

Juliana is a 5th-year PhD student in Experimental Psychology. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Psychology at the Federal University of Para (UFPA) in Brazil, a M.S. degree in Experimental Behavior Analysis also at UFPA, and a M.A. at TCU. Prior to joining TCU, Juliana conducted research on conditional discriminations with Cebus apella monkeys, stimulus-stimulus pairing procedures to induce vocalization with children with autism, and caregiver training for children with autism. At TCU, she has been working on a series of studies that evaluate the efficiency and other potential benefits of equivalence-based instruction. She is addicted to shrimp (any kind of shrimp!) and loves to go to the beach. 

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Undergraduate Students

Emma Gilbert

Emma is a senior Child Development and Psychology Major from Darien, Connecticut. After she graduates, Emma hopes to go to graduate school to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Outside of lab, she loves to cook, is a self-proclaimed gluten-free advocate, enjoys travelling and learning about different cultures, and is currently going through the list of the IMDb top 100 movies.

Gracie Reinhardt


Grace is a junior psychology major from Asheville, North Carolina. After her undergraduate experience at TCU concludes, she plans to continue her education with the intent of receiving her Masters. Her future career aspirations consist of wanting to become a therapist and work with children. In her free time, she enjoys exploring Fort Worth, coffee shop searching, and being with friends.  


Anna Renner

Anna is a sophomore psychology and philosophy major from Great Falls, Virginia. She plans to attend graduate school after TCU. Anna is a member of TCU's Academic Speech and Debate Team. She is in the process of becoming a yoga teacher and loves meditation and fitness. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with loved ones, being outdoors, and watching New Girl. 

Ethan Rohm

Ethan is a senior psychology major and child development minor who is a native of Fort Worth. After he graduates, he would like to pursue a doctorate in developmental psychology. Outside of the lab, Ethan is an editor for the TCU yearbook. His hobbies include photography, plant keeping, and traveling.

Kingsley Tucker

Kingsley is a sophomore psychology major from Atlanta, GA who plans to attend graduate school after TCU. Some of her hobbies include hanging with friends, working out, and playing tennis. Kingsley is also involved in Greek life as a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.

Payton Watters

Payton is a senior psychology major with a minor in sociology and hopes to go into graduate school for clinical psychology. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and he enjoy working outs, nature, and connecting with people whenever he has an opportunity. 


Affiliates

Aarti Thakore, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA, Central Texas Autism Center

Dr. Thakore is Director of Clinical Research at the Central Texas Autism Center (CTAC).  She has been working in the field for almost 20 years, empowering individuals with special needs and their families from different cultures and sections of the society, globally. She has extensive experience in clinical practice across various hospitals, non-profit organizations, and public schools. She is very passionate about research and applications of Behavior Science to overall learning experiences of individuals with and without disabilities. Her areas of interest in behavioral research are: Replication and extension of verbal behavior research to examine efficient procedures for teaching language to children diagnosed with Autism, Functional assessment to prevent the problem behaviors in young individuals with disabilities, and extension of Skinner’s analysis of behavior in understanding of machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI). My lab has had ongoing research collaboration with Dr.  Thakore since 2017.

PhD Alumni

Dr. Reagan Cox, Chief Clinical Officer, Foxhole Therapies

Dr. Bailey Devine, President, Behavior Experts of Texas

Dr. Tracy Lepper, Associate Professor of Psychology, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University 

Dr. Charlotte Carp, Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Houston