Dr. Candice Mills, Director

Candice Mills is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Mills earned a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude in cognitive neuroscience, from the University of Florida, and a PhD in developmental psychology from Yale University.

Dr. Mills’s research examines how children learn from others. Her research incorporates methods and theories from developmental, cognitive, social, and educational psychology, with participant populations spanning from early childhood through adolescence and adulthood. Her previous research has been published in professional psychology journals as well as discussed in national resources such as the New York Times, Scientific American Mind, and National Public Radio.

See Dr. Mills’s Curriculum Vitae.

Natalie Quintero, M.S.
Doctoral Student

Joined in Fall 2021. Natalie’s research interests include caregivers’ explanations to children, developmental changes in children’s science knowledge, and science learning. She aims to explore individual differences in caregiver explanations to children about science. Outside of the lab, Natalie enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.

Yilin Liu, M.A.
Doctoral Student

Joined in Fall 2023. Yilin graduated with her B.S. in psychology from the University of Arizona and pursued her M.A. in social science with a psychology track at the University of Chicago. Yilin is interested in children’s learning experiences. She wishes to explore how children’s learning and thinking processes are shaped by the information provided by their parents, precisely, the qualities of the information. Yilin loves road trips, learning various instruments, and designing educational comics.

Joined in Summer 2018 as an undergraduate, Fall 2020 as a graduate student. Anthony’s interests include scientific skepticism, epistemology, and science learning. Anthony plans to earn a PhD and pursue a career in academia, to do research and teach in the interest of helping end the replication crisis in psychology. He is also interested in being involved with science communication. Anthony’s experiences in the Think Lab will help him develop the skills to become a scrupulous researcher. You can learn more about him here: https://anthonyjose.ph/

Faith Crighton
Master’s Student

Joined in Summer 2023. Faith double majored in psychology and child learning and development. She is currently in the master’s program for Applied Cognition and Neuroscience and plans on earning a PhD in clinical psychology after graduating from UTD. During her time in the Think Lab, Faith hopes to learn more about how children evaluate and apply information. In her free time, Faith enjoys baking, going to concerts, and doing makeup.

Raj Mitra
Undergraduate Student

Joined in Summer 2023. Raj is pursuing a double major in Psychology and Neuroscience. He is intrigued to learn about the cognitive processes of youth and how children learn effectively during his time working at the Think Lab. For fun, Raj likes to read, write, walk, and game.

Christy Thomas
Undergraduate Student

Joined in Spring 2024. Christy is majoring in psychology. She plans to attend medical school and specialize in psychiatry or pediatrics. During her time with the Think Lab, she hopes to learn more about how children’s cognitive explanations develop and change based on the people around them. In her free time, she likes to read, write, and cook.

Dev Nanda
Undergraduate Student

Joined in Summer 2024. Dev is majoring in Healthcare Studies. After graduating, he plans to attend medical school. He hopes to learn about the inner cognitive processes of children such as their evaluation of various sources of information during his time with the Think Lab. In his free time, Dev enjoys playing sports, guitar and doing calisthenics.

Vyasini Arun
Undergraduate Student

Joined in Spring 2025, Vyasini is majoring in Psychology. She is hoping to join a graduate program and eventually provide therapy services to children and families. Through the lab, she hopes to gain more exposure and experience in the research world and working with children and families. In her free time she enjoys reading and baking.

Gargi Kanugo
Undergraduate Student

Joined in Spring 2025, Gargi is double majoring in Psychology and Child Learning and Development. She plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling focusing on child psychology. In her time at the Think Lab, Gargi hopes to delve deeper into children’s thinking and learning. In her free time, she likes to read books, crochet, and spend time with friends and family.