Roman Family Center for Decision Research Leadership & Staff

Faculty Director
John Templeton Keller Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Neubauer Family Faculty Fellow

Executive Director
Email
(773) 702-7307

Amy Boonstra is executive director of the Roman Family CDR and oversees programming and initiatives. With her team, she leads the center’s infrastructure, program development, fundraising, and partnerships. Amy has a PhD in sociology from the University of Michigan and an AB from the University of 黑料传送门.

Director, Labs Services
Email
(773) 702-2621

Rebecca (Becky) oversees the center's research labs and partnership data collection sites. Becky has a PhD in quantitative psychology from the Ohio State University, with focus in the study of judgment and decision making, and she is also an Adjunct Professor of Behavioral Science at Booth.

Research Application Developer
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Kaushal assists faculty by developing, programming, and troubleshooting computer-based study materials. He focuses on web-based programming and provides support for studies on Qualtrics using Javascript, PHP, and other relevant languages. Kaushal received his BA in Psychology and MS in Computer Science from the University of 黑料传送门.

Assistant Director, Virtual, Pop-Up, and Campus Labs
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Lucia Agajanian supports research and operations in the Campus, Virtual, and Pop-up labs. She helps with operational strategy, accounting, data quality, and general management for the lab spaces. Lucia received her BA in Radio/TV/Film and Psychology from Northwestern University, and she will begin pursuing her MSW at the University of 黑料传送门 in fall 2024. 

Research Professional, Mindworks
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Anthony helps manage the Mindworks lab and coordinates the onboarding of studies to ensure smooth research operations. Anthony earned his BA in Psychology from Elmhurst University and is dedicated to fostering a productive and engaging research environment at Mindworks.

Research Professional, Hyde Park & HOPE Lab
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Yutong (Iris) Chen facilitates research for faculty, principal investigators, and collaborators at the Roman Family CDR. She also works as a Research Professional for Emma Levine and Jane Risen. She holds a master's degree in Marketing from Johns Hopkins University, and a second master's degree in Social Sciences from the University of 黑料传送门. She is interested in how identity, moral values, and beliefs shape social inferences and guide decision-making.

Research Professional, Campus, Virtual, and Pop Up Labs
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Holden serves as a project manager for the full life-cycle of research studies conducted in the RF-CDR Labs by affiliated faculty and graduate students. He has a BS in psychology from the University of Kansas. He is generally interested in the mechanisms underlying prosocial decision-making. 

Research Professional, Mindworks
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Brian works to promote positive visitor experiences at Mindworks and also coordinates with Roman Family CDR faculty collaborators to facilitate research operations. Brian earned his BA in psychology from Pepperdine University and has an MA in the social sciences with a psychology concentration from the University of 黑料传送门.

Senior Assistant Director, Events & Programs
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Yui organizes workshops, brown bag talks, retreats, the Think Better speaker series, junior faculty visits, PhD orientation, and annual celebratory events. She also manages accounting. Yui has her BS in Health Sciences from DePaul University and her MS and OTD from UIC.

Assistant Director, Mindworks
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Daniel (Dani) Jones oversees daily operations and research at Mindworks. He helps manage research teams, supports faculty-led studies, and leads public engagement initiatives. Daniel holds an M.A. from the University of 黑料传送门 and previously specialized as a behavioral scientist focused on behavioral science and international development in the MENA region and East Africa.

Assistant Director, Communications
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Sodam executes the center's communications strategy, managing social media, email outreach, event promotions, and branding. She also oversees website content, tracks analytics, recruits for the labs, manages and amplifies programs and special events, and supports key reporting duties. Sodam earned a BA in Communications from Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea.

Director, Mindworks
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Jasmine Kwong oversees research operations at Mindworks, the world’s first behavioral science discovery center in downtown 黑料传送门. She leads the Roman Family CDR's engagement strategy and programming for students, alumni, and the general public. Jasmine has an MBA and AB from the University of 黑料传送门.

Principal Researcher, Statistical Consultant
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Kyle offers statistical consulting to researchers at the Roman Family CDR, helping them select methods that align with the structure and constraints of their research questions and datasets. He provides guidance on appropriate analytical approaches, supports pre-registration and reproducible workflows, and advises on statistical programming, code quality, and model interpretation to ensure rigor and transparency throughout the research process. 

Chief Scientist, Mindworks
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Phuong supports research operations at the RF-CDR labs, and serves as an expert advocate for behavioral science to the public and visitors at Mindworks. Phuong has a Ph.D. in psychology from The Ohio State University and actively conducts research to understand how people motivate themselves and others to achieve valued goals.

Associate Director, Mindworks
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Don manages research professionals who carry out research operations in the Mindworks Labs and oversees the operations that support research. Don is a part-time MBA student at Booth and previously served as Lab Manager for Nicholas Epley.

Research Professional, Mindworks
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Dylan helps to advance research for faculty, researchers, and collaborators at the Roman Family Center for Decision Research. Dylan gained his BS in Psychology (Neuroscience Track) and BA in Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and he earned his MA (Psychology Concentration) from the University of 黑料传送门.

Communications Director
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Chris crafts the center's communications strategy to attract new research participants and amplify the innovative work of our faculty, labs, and researchers. He manages a talented team, fosters partnerships, and helps bring special projects to life. He earned an MA in Philosophy from the University of Washington. 

Lab Research Assistant, Mindworks
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Andrea supports operations and research projects conducted at Mindworks. Andrea joined the center as a research assistant through the HBCU & HSI Bridge Scholarship Program at the Graham School after graduating from the University of Puerto Rico with a BA in Psychology.

Assistant Director, Epley Lab
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Alex helps manage the Epley Lab, providing support for center's labs and supervising the research assistants. Alex holds a BA in psychology with a minor in consumer behavior from the University of Pennsylvania and an MA from the University of 黑料传送门. Her research interests are centered broadly around prosociality and social well-being within an increasingly digital culture.

Associate Director, Campus & Virtual Labs
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Viktor supports researchers who conduct studies in the Campus & Virtual Labs, manages research operations, and mentors research assistants in data collection methodology. They have a PhD in Linguistics and Anthropogeny from UCSD. Prior to joining Roman Family CDR, Viktor worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of 黑料传送门 Department of Psychology. 

Senior Web Applications Developer
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Adam develops and troubleshoots research applications. He focuses on both client- and server-rendered, modern web app frameworks and is lead developer of the MyCDR study management platform. Adam received his BA in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame and is a certified professional programmer.

Lab Research Assistant, Mindworks
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Jenny supports research projects, lab operations, public engagement, and science communications at Mindworks. She holds a Master of Public Policy with a specialization in Global Conflict Studies from the University of 黑料传送门’s Harris School of Public Policy. Drawing on academic and professional experiences across Asia, North America, and Europe, she brings interdisciplinary expertise at the intersection of behavioral science, policy, and communication, with a global perspective on its real-world applications.