Lab Director

Tess M.S. Neal, Ph.D. is an Associate 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 Law and Behavioral Science Initiative, which won the 2020 President's Award for Innovation. She is also inaugural director of ASU's Future of Forensic Science Initiative. 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 has been 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 serves as associate editor for the Journal of Personality Assessment. and Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, and as an Open Science Advisor for Clinical Psychological Science.
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She was selected as a Fulbright Scholar to work with Kristy Martire and others at UNSW Sydney in the Spring of 2022. Her partner and kids also get to go to Australia for the duration of the fellowship! She was awarded ASU's Outstanding Mentor Award in 2020 and the 2021 Outstanding Teaching & Mentoring Award from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (Div. 9 of APA). She is a PLuS Alliance Research Fellow, funded through a partnership between ASU, King's College London, and UNSW Sydney to collaborate across borders in pursuit of excellence on "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.

PhD Law and Psychology Students

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

I am a 4th 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. 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 Project

I am a forth year PhD student in the Psychology and Law program, working on my dissertation. 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 pursue a career in trial consulting and apply research to real-world legal issues.

Emma Saiter
Co-Lab Manager

I am an incoming (fall 2021)  first year PhD student in the Law & Psychology program at ASU. I am currently interested in assessing how actors in the court system understand and use psychological science, as well as other types of scientific evidence. I am excited to further develop my research interests in both Dr. Neal's lab and Dr. Schweitzer's lab. I plan to stay in academia and pursue a career as a professor.

JD Students

Damien Styles

I graduated from Arizona State University with two bachelor's degrees: one in psychology and one in criminology and criminal justice. I am now a JD candidate at Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. I became interested in working with this lab because I am so interested in the intersection between psychology and the law. I think as a future attorney, it is important that I have a good grasp on the psychology behind the law. Because of this, there was no more suitable place in my eyes than working in a lab that studies this topic.

MS Psychology Students

Elizabeth Mathers
Co-​Lab Manager

I am a first-year master’s student at ASU with interests in clinical psychology, forensic psychology, and psychopharmacology. My undergraduate degrees were in psychology (forensic) and biology (pharmacology/ toxicology). I plan to pursue a PhD in psychology and law in the future and work to help courts and attorneys make better informed legal decisions.

 Undergraduate Research Assistants 

Robin Milligan

​I am a senior 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!]

Spring 2021. From top left, Beth Growns at left, Emma Saiter at right. Middle row from left: Emily Denne, Alexandria Ventress. Bottom left: Jason Frizzell, Kristen McCowan, Lindsey LeCates, Jake Plantz, Elizabeth Mathers, Tess Neal. Not pictured: Robin McCowan, Noell Thompson, Ali McCoy.

Tenured & Promoted, May 12, 2021!