Lab Director

Tess M.S. Neal, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in ASU's School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (one of three schools in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences). She is a founding faculty member of ASU's program on Law and Behavioral Science. She is a scientist, a licensed psychologist (State of Arizona #4630 and State of Nebraska #844 [voluntary inactive status in NE]), and a parent of two young children.

Her research is funded by multiple grants from the National Science Foundation, and she has published one edited book and more than three dozen peer-reviewed publications in such journals as Psychological Science in the Public Interest, American Psychologist; PLOS ONE; Psychology, Public Policy, and Law; and Criminal Justice and Behavior.  She is currently serving as associate editor of the Journal of Personality Assessment. 

In 2020, she was awarded ASU's Outstanding Mentor Award, and she is a PLuS Alliance Research Fellow. PLuS Alliance Research Fellows are funded through a partnership between ASU, King's College London, and UNSW Sydney to collaborate across borders in pursuit of excellence on their "vision and tenacity to impact the world." She was named a 2016 "Rising Star" by the Association for Psychological Science (APS), a designation recognizing outstanding psychological scientists in the earliest stages of their research career post-PhD whose innovative work has already advanced the field and signals great potential for their continued contributions.  She received the 2016 Saleem Shah Award for Early Career Excellence in Psychology and Law, co-awarded by the American Psychology-Law Society (Div. 41 of APA) and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. 

Her CV is here.

Postdoctoral Scholars

Bethany Growns
NSF Law & Science Postdoctoral Fellow

I am a postdoctoral scholar in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at ASU. I received a Bachelor in Psychology (Hons.) from the UNSW Sydney in Australia, and a Masters in Forensic Psychology and Ph.D. from UNSW Sydney. My research focuses on the cognitive mechanisms that underlie forensic science expertise, such as fingerprint or document examiners. For example, I'm investigating whether statistical learning is associated with accuracy in visual comparison tasks (e.g. fingerprint comparison tasks), and how different processing and memory models may contribute to the superior visual comparison performance of some examiners.  

PhD Law and Psychology Students

Emily Denne
Project Manager, NSF Expert Bias Grant
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Awardee

I am a 2nd year student at ASU pursuing a PhD in the intersection of psychology & law. My research focus is evidence and bias in child sexual abuse cases, as well as children's capacities as criminals, victims, and witnesses. I am looking forward to learning from Dr. Neal (and my co-mentor Stacia Stolzenberg) and contributing to the field. My long term career goals include becoming a professor and providing expert testimony in child sexual abuse cases. ​

Kristen McCowan
​Project Manager, NSF Jury Decision Making Grant

I am a second year PhD student in the Psychology and Law program, and recently defended my master's thesis. I am excited to be working with Dr. Neal and learning more about the intersecting fields. My primary interests include juror decision making, and the general role expert and juror biases play within the justice system. My long term goal is to work in academia or pursue a career in trial consulting.

MS Psychology Students

Emily Line
​Lab Manager

I am a second year Master's student at ASU, and recently defended my thesis. My research interests involve the thought processes that occur during decision making, what makes people confident in their decisions, and how people incorporate contextual information into their beliefs and actions. My current research investigates these concepts through the lens of psychology in the legal system. I will be pursuing my PhD in psychology at the University of Illinois next year. 

Jake Plantz
Assistant Lab Manager

I am a first-year master’s student at ASU with interests in clinical, social, and forensic psychology. I am interested in examining how social psychology may be used to understand decision-making processes in clinical and forensic settings. I plan to pursue a PhD in Clinical or Counseling Psychology after completing my Masters with the mentorship of Dr. Neal. I am looking forward to helping Dr. Neal contribute impactful literature through working in the lab as well as beginning to develop my own research interests and projects. 

 Undergraduate Research Assistants 

Jonathan Barcelo

I am pursuing a degree in Psychology (Forensic), graduating in Fall 2020. My interest in this field began with my previous occupation in the military and my experience traveling around the globe. Understanding the relationship between psychology and criminal law will provide me vital skills to contribute to our society’s justice system. I hope to gain a deeper comprehension of the elements that make up this captivating subject and apply them to the betterment of humanity through my involvement in Dr. Neal's lab.

Elizabeth Mathers

I am a junior at ASU pursuing concurrent degrees in forensic psychology and biology (pharmacology/ toxicology). I plan to continue my education in the future by attending a graduate school program for clinical psychology and to someday work with a forensic population. I'm very excited to be a part of this lab and to make meaningful contributions to research.  Being involved in this lab is a great opportunity to gain firsthand research experience and allows me to continue refining my interests as we explore various topics within the realm of forensic psychology.

Robin Milligan

​I am currently a sophomore studying Forensic Psychology at ASU. I plan to pursue a post-graduate degree, and eventually work in the legal field. Joining this lab provides an exciting opportunity to gain practical experience in research, and to learn how psychology operates within the law.​  [Watch Robin in a great video here!]

Sarah Selman

I am a senior studying Forensic Psychology. Being involved in this lab has allowed me to gain experience conducting and analyzing research in a fascinating field, and better prepare me for graduate studies. I will be heading to Baylor University in the fall to pursue a Master's in Social Work with a clinical concentration and a corrections emphasis. I received the AmeriCorps University Partnership tuition remission award as well as a graduate stipend. I plan to apply to PhD programs in social work next, with the eventual goal of directing a state corrections department. 

Annelisse Velazquez

​I am pursuing a bachelor’s in Forensic Psychology and a minor in Criminology and Criminal Justice. My passion for psychology and law was my primary motivation to join the lab. Being involved in Dr. Neal’s lab has given me firsthand experience in the field and will help me navigate my future. In the fall, I'll be attending the University of Dayton School of Law, where I received the Dean's Advisory Council Award and will be part of the Leadership Honors Program, which will cover my tuition and living expenses.

CLJ Lab, Spring 2020 From left: Karey O'Hara, Beth Growns, Emily Denne, Robin Milligan, Elizabeth Mathers, Emily Line, Kristen McCowan, Jake Plantz, Sarah Selman, Jonathan Barcelo, and Tess Neal. Not pictured: Annelisse Velazquez.

The lab pivoted to Zoom meetings halfway through the term due to the Covid19 pandemic. We still meet weekly, including this coffee-writing group in April 2020, which was productive.