Meet the Lab

  Mira Arbonies 
  Graduate Research Assistant

Mira Arbonies is a second-year Forensic Psychology M.S. student who graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Psychology from DePaul University in 2023. She joined CSULA’s Forensic Psychology Lab last year. Thus far, through her work in the lab she has coauthored a paper published  in Psychology, Public Policy, and Law (2025), given a poster presentation at WPA (2025), and delivered an oral presentation at CSULA’s Student Research Symposium. Mira’s research interests include juror decision-making, eyewitness reliability, and the impact of suggestion on memory. She hopes to further her education and expertise by pursuing a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology.

    C. Kenobi Donart  
   Graduate Research Assistant

C. Kenobi Donart is a second-year M.S. student. She graduated Cum Laude from California State University, Los Angeles with a B.A. in Psychology in 2024. Currently, she is research assistant in both Dr. Eisen’s lab Forensic Psychology lab as well as Dr. Szabo’s PROSPER lab. Which this unique opportunity, she bridges her academic interests in emotion regulation, neuroscience, suggestibility, and eyewitness testimony. She hopes to further her education by pursuit by a doctoral degree in the field of Psychology and Law.

  Jessica Estrada
   Graduate Research Assistant

In Summer 2024, Jessica Nicole Estrada graduated Summa Cum Laude from California State University, Northridge with a B.A. in Criminology & Justice Studies and Psychology. She is currently enrolled in Cal State LA’s M.S. Forensic Psychology Program as a first-year graduate student with interests in human-computer interaction and the manipulation of eyewitness testimonies. She plans to further her education and achieve a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology with the help of the Bridges to Doctorate Program!

  Uma Mehta
  Graduate Research Assistant

Uma Mehta is a first-year M.S. student in the Forensic Psychology program. She got her B.A. in Criminology and minored in Psychology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She was able to finish her undergraduate degree in three years, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Her research interests are focused on the role of gender biases on perceptions of guilt and conviction rates. Uma hopes to further her education by pursuing a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology.

   Gianna Vignale
   Undergraduate Research Assistant

Gianna Vignale is an undergraduate junior at California State University, Los Angeles majoring in Psychology. She is currently interning at Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center at Percy Village. She is the Historian of Psi Chi Honors Society. Her goal is to obtain her doctoral degree and pursue a career in therapy, research, and teaching with interests in family and relationship dynamics, adolescence, and neurodegenerative and mental disorders.

   Madison Juarez
   Undergraduate Research Assistant

Madison is a junior undergraduate student at California State University, Los Angeles majoring in psychology with a minor in criminal justice. She is currently in the Honors College program and U-RISE program at California State University, Los Angeles. Madison is a member and captain of the CSULA women’s soccer team. She is looking to pursue a career in research, with interest in becoming a criminal psychologist.

  Rebecca Ying
  Former Graduate Assistant                                    Rebecca's ResearchGate

Rebecca Ying is a former graduate student from Huntington Beach, California. In 2016, she graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and a Minor in Basic Business from California State University, Los Angeles, as a member of both the Honors College and the Early Entrance Program. She joined the Forensic Psychology Lab as a third-year undergraduate. For her senior thesis, she focused on how assessing if imagining both simple and complex events may lead to false memories of those events. During her graduate years, she interned at Decision Analsyis, Inc., a litigation strategy firm based in Los Angeles, CA. Her graduate thesis was titled "Comparing Lineups to Showups in the Field vs. Lab." Currently, Rebecca is a Ph.D. student at Iowa State University under the supervision of Dr. Andrew Smith. 

 Aundia Dianat
  Former Graduate Assistant

In Spring 2022, Aundia Dianat graduated Summa Cum Laude from California State University, Long Beach with a B.A. in Psychology and minor in Forensic Studies. After being awarded Leader of the Year with Gold Distinction and serving as the Psi Chi President at CSULB, she continued to concentrate her studies at California State University, Los Angeles’ M.S. Forensic Psychology program. Aundia’s research interests include juror decision making, eyewitness reliability, and suggestibility tactics. Since graduating from California State University, Los Angeles, Aundia is now studying with Dr. Elizabeth Loftus at University of California, Irvine's doctoral program in Social Ecology.

Jennifer Jones
 Former Graduate Assistant 
 Jennifer Jones's CV

Jennifer Jones is a graduate of the Forensic Psychology M.S. program who is currently a Ph.D. student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, under the direction of Dr. Margaret Bull Kovera. Jen graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Psychology and Minor in Criminal Justice from Cal State Los Angeles in 2018. As an undergraduate, Jen joined the Forensic Psychology lab during her Sophomore year, won several awards for her presentation of our research, and earned special recognition from the Honors College for her thesis assessing how witnesses' personality can affect performance on a showup identification task. As a PhD student, Jen hopes to continue her applied research assessing police and court procedures and influence policy change to help protect the rights of all individuals. Specific areas of interest include lineup and showup administration and admonition procedures, identifying juror bias during the voir dire process, interrogation techniques, and assessing prison rehabilitation programs designed to lower recidivism rates.

Monique Swaby
 Former Graduate Assistant

Monique is a former graduate student originally from Toronto, Ontario. In December 2019, Monique graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Psychology and a Minor in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University. She was awarded with the Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) fellowship as a part of the MORE Program here at Cal State LA. Her areas of interest include juror decision making, risk assessment, and eyewitness memory. Her thesis is titled, "Differences in Racial Identity Predict Same-Race Leniency in Mock Jurors". While in the Forensic Psychology M.S. program, Monique interned for a clinical psychologist, reviewing client records and completing mental health diversion reports for justice-involved individuals. In Spring 2022, Monique was awarded the 1st Overall Oral Presentation Award at the 30th Annual Student Symposium here at Cal State LA. After getting her master's, Monique will begin her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Southern Illinois University under the supervision of Dr. Robert Morgan. She ultimately hopes to conduct assessments on those involved in the legal system and decrease racial disparities in mental health. Monique is currently in the clinical doctoral program at Southern Illinois University.

Jayla Edwards 
Former Graduate Assistant

Jayla Edwards graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a B.A.  in Psychology. She interned at Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center- an Adult Residential Care Facility while at Cal State LA. She was awarded with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) MBRS-RISE Undergraduate fellowship with the MORE Programs at Cal State LA. Jayla is currently earning her doctoral degree in Social Psychology at the University of Wyoming, with research interests in suggestibility, eyewitness memory, and institutionalization.

Teresa Virgen   
Former Graduate Assistant

Teresa Virgen originally transferred from East Los Angeles College, where she aided in the effort to recruit potential Chemical Dependency Counsellors as President of the Psychology Club, in 2019. In 2021, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with the honor distinction of Summa Cum Laude from California State University, Los Angeles. She graduated from the M.S. Forensic Psychology program at Cal State LA. Teresa is currently earning her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at Azusa Pacific University, with research interests in rehabilitation, reintegration, and recidivism within the criminal justice system. 

Gabriella Cedré
 Former Graduate Assistant

Gaby Cedré graduated from the M.S. program in 2018 after taking lead on many projects in the Forensic Psychology Lab. During her time as a student here, she coauthored papers published in Law and Human Behavior (2018) and Applied Cognitive Psychology (2017). Her Masters thesis argues for the bifurcation of gang evidence by demonstrating how describing a defendant as a gang member could cause jurors to falsely remember previous criminal conduct and convictions that were never introduced during trial. After interning during her second year, Gaby has continued her work as a trial consultant in Los Angeles. She currently works as a Project Manager at Decision Analysis Inc.

Marianne Lacsamana
 Former Graduate Assistant
 Marianne Lacsamana's CV

Marianne Lacsamana is a former graduate student hailing from San Fernando Valley, California. In 2015, she earned her B.A. in Psychology at the University of San Francisco. She plans on pursuing doctoral studies and ultimately aims to work within law enforcement. Marianne’s interests include a multitude of criminal justice issues including police procedures/law enforcement, and the psychological effects it brings forth to those who encounter the criminal justice system. Her last project included research on how social support effects children’s memory performance during forensic interviews. Her thesis project focused on the social influence of post-identification feedback on eyewitness memory.