About Us
Dr. David Purpura
Dr. Purpura is an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Purdue University and the co-Director of the Center for Early Learning. He received his PhD in Clinical Psychology at Florida State University and a postdoctoral research fellowship in Mathematics Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. H
Dr. Purpura is an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Purdue University and the co-Director of the Center for Early Learning. He received his PhD in Clinical Psychology at Florida State University and a postdoctoral research fellowship in Mathematics Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research is focused on early mathematics and reading development, home numeracy and literacy environments, mathematics learning for dual language learners, behavioral and cognitive development, and interventions for children at-risk of later mathematics difficulties
Senior Research Associates
Dr. Michael Eiland
Dr. Eiland is a Senior Research Associate on both the Reading and Playing with Math and the Our Mathematical World projects. His interests include early childhood and elementary mathematics education.
Dr. Amanda Mayes
Dr. Mayes is a Senior Research Associate on the Our Mathematical World Project. She is also the founder of Second Act Research and a Visiting Assistant Professor in Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts. Her research interests include academic and intrinsic impacts of arts experiences, program assessment, curriculum design, and improving cultural competency.
Postdoctoral Research Associates
Dr. Alexa Ellis
Dr. Ellis received her Ph.D. in Education and Psychology from the University of Michigan. She is interested in the origins of individual differences in young children's mathematical abilities and the various contexts that contribute to those differences, such as the home and school environments. Further, she is interested in the measurement and diverse methodologies used to assess both mathematical skills and mathematical environments.
Dr. Tamika McElveen
Dr. McElveen received her Ph.D in Educational Psychology from North Carolina State University. Her research investigates how culturally relevant teaching and learning can positively impact the academic and social motivations of Black and Latinx youth. Specifically, Tamika is examining belonging- and communally-supportive instruction as mechanisms of student motivation in mathematics. Her current non-profit leadership experiences and past professional roles in school counseling and community mental health have strengthened her commitment to scholarship that honors the reciprocal relationship between motivation research and instructional practice.
Dr. Connor O'Rear
Dr. O'Rear received his Ph.D. in Psychology at Notre Dame. His research looks at how children's early math skills develop as well as how to intervene to improve these skills in children at risk for later math difficulties. He also focuses on parent and child factors that determine how children's early learning environment is structured. His research helps provide a framework for how best to bridge theory and practice to promote children's early learning.
Dr. Erica Zippert
Dr. Zippert received her Ph.D. in Human Development from the University of Maryland, College Park, and previously worked as a postdoctoral scholar at Vanderbilt University before coming to Purdue. Dr. Zippert studies young children’s mathematics development and how it is supported during social and playful interactions with parents and peers in a variety of informal contexts. She also examines the role of materials and parent and child factors in determining the quality of early math learning experiences.
Graduate Students
Yemimah King, M.S.
Mimah is a 6th year PhD student in HDFS at Purdue. Her research interests include: Early language and math development, parent-child interactions, home learning environment, educational activity engagement (traditional and digital).
Lauren Westerberg
Lauren is a 4th year PhD student in HDFS at Purdue. Her research interests include: Preschooler's STEM learning, home science environment, measurement of preschooler's science skills and knowledge, early STEM intervention.
Patrick Ehrman
Patrick is a 1st year PhD student in HDFS at Purdue. His interests include: Early math and language development, math interventions, educational eBooks, and the home learning environment.
Lab Alumni
Dr. Amy Napoli
Dr. Napoli was a graduate student in HDFS at Purdue from 2013-2018. She is currently an Assistant Professor and Early Childhood Extension Specialist at the University of Nebraska. Her research and extension work focuses on early childhood education, numeracy development, home learning environments, and intervention development and evaluation.
Dr. Caroline Byrd Hornburg
Dr. Hornburg was a postdoctoral researcher at Purdue from 2017-2019. She is currently an assistant professor of Human Development and Family Science at Virginia Tech, and director of the Learning and Development Lab. Her research program focuses on children’s learning, primarily in the domain of mathematics, from PreK to 6th grade. She focuses on skills that are foundational for understanding of later math concepts, as data on early skills can provide insight into identification of children at risk for later difficulties. Her research also provides a framework for optimal design of interventions to improve children’s understanding.
Dr. Ellen Litkowski
Dr. Litkowski was a postdoctoral researcher at Purdue from 2017-2019. She is currently a second-year Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Federal Executive Branch Fellow in the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Her research investigates factors within the home and school environments that contribute to the development of children’s school readiness skills. Moreover, Dr. Litkowski is interested in understanding the role of programs and policies in supporting children’s experiences within these early contexts.
Dr. Joyce Lin
Dr. Lin was a postdoctoral researcher at Purdue from 2017-2019. She is currently an assistant professor at California State University - Fullerton. Her research focuses on how to support parents in providing optimal home environments for their young children. Specifically, she examines how parent perceptions of more distal contexts impact what they do with their children at home. Her two lines of research focus on culture and physical punishment and the various factors that contribute to young children’s home learning environments.