Who is Jazlyn?
I'm a second generation Ghanaian American that loves all things podcasts. I'm currently a Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) U.S. Federal Executive Branch Fellow/ American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellow.
My fellowship placement for the 2023-2025 term is in the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department for Health and Human Services (HHS).
Education
I graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.A. in Psychology with Minors in Philosophy and Neuroscience. I hold a M.S. in Cognitive Science and a Cognitive Science PhD candidate in Brown University’s Cognitive, Linguistics, and Psychological Sciences department. I completed my dissertation research at Columbia University.
R
esearch
During my undergraduate career, I conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging research on cognitive development between early childhood through adolescence. Specifically, I researched social cognition in middle childhood, and negative urgency impulsivity during adolescence. Broadly, my graduate research studied the role of lived experience, technology, and culture on cognitive development, specifically working memory development in early childhood. I passionate about taking an inclusive, equitable, and interdisciplinary approach to science that involves taking a global perspective.
Consulting
In 2019, I became the Educational Research Lead for the upcoming Katsuiku Academy in Tokyo, Japan. This has been an opportunity to pursue my dream of applying current research into policy and practice. In this position I inform a research-based curriculum that hopes to educate and nurture high school students in preparation for the future.
Mentoring
Mentorship has played a large role in my academic journey. My first experience came when I was a mentor/tutor for America Reads*America Counts at the University of Maryland, College Park. In this role, I was able to mentor and teach middle school and college students in a small group setting. My experience as McNair Scholar at the University of Maryland College Park motivated me to become a mentor within the program during graduate school. I have an ongoing relationship with the McNair program at Rhode Island College where I get to engage with a community of passionate and insightful students. In addition to conducting academic workshops for the program, I was the Graduate McNair Academic Advisor in 2019. In this role I supported students during their planning and application cycles for their intended graduate programs. I helped them develop their application materials and identify the best program and mentor matches.
Personal Mission: In this moment where many seek to promote social change, I hope to highlight the importance of supporting programming that uplifts and supports the next generation. Ultimately, I hope to continue academic and social programming consulting and research to support children at the margins. I am currently a cohost of the Millennials Unpublished podcast where a fellow Black PhD and I talk everything academia and life.