Dr. Kovera’s Research Lab conducts research and experiments in three primary areas: Eyewitness Identification, Jury Selection, and Expert Evidence. More information about the research in each of these areas can be found by clicking the icons near the bottom of the page.

Director, LAW laboratory

Margaret Bull Kovera, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology

Doctoral Students

Nikoleta Despodova

B.A. John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Research Interests: Juror decision-making

Nikoleta is interested in the effects of cross-examination and witness testimony on jurors’ decision making.

Andrew J. Evelo

B.A., The University of the South: Sewanee; M.A., University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

Research Interests: psychology and law, decision making, social-cognition, heuristics, and quantitative methods.

Andrew conducts research on judicial decision making, mathematical models of eyewitness memory and identification procedures, and social perceptions of juvenile offenders.

Karima Modjadidi

B.A. Moravian College

Research Interests: eyewitness testimony, lineup procedures, jury decision making

Karima is studying whether jurors are sensitive to the problems associated with single-blind lineup administration and whether expert testimony or videotapes of the lineup administration sensitize them to the administrator influence.

Amanda Nicholson Bergold

B.A. Williams College

Research Interests: Juror decision-making, stereotyping and prejudice

Amanda is doing research on the influence of diverse jury composition on the quality of jury deliberations and on the role of racial stereotypes in eyewitness identification errors.

 

Former LAW Laboratory Members

Jacqueline Austin Chorn, Ph.D. National Economic Research Associates	Marisa Collett Burke, Ph.D. Research Associate, University of Miami
Tracey L. Carpenter, Ph.D. Partner, Carpenter Trial Consulting	Sarah M. Greathouse, Ph.D. Rand Corporation
Kellye S. Hebert, Ph.D. Trial Consultant, Dispute Dynamics, Los Angeles, CA	Julia Busso Kennard, Ph.D. (APLS Dissertation Award, Third Place) Mattel, Inc.
Lora M. Levett, Ph.D. (APLS Dissertation Award, Third Place) Associate Professor of Criminology, Law, and Society, University of Florida	Bradley D. McAuliff, J.D., Ph.D. (APLS Dissertation Award, First Place) Professor of Psychology, California State University at Northridge
Caroline Crocker Otis, Ph.D. (APLS Dissertation Award, Second Place)	Jennifer Torkildson Perillo, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychology, University of New Mexico Medical School
Lindsey Rhead, Ph.D. Hospice and Palliative Liaison APEX Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc	David Zimmerman, Ph.D. Asssistant Professor of Psychology, Missouri State University