Graduate Program Alumni Spotlight Archive

Maria Sera, PhD'87; Professor, University of Minnesota

Maria Sera, who earned a Ph.D. from the department in 1987, currently works in one of the country's premier programs in developmental psychology. She is a full professor at the Institute of Child Development for the University of Minnesota.

During the Spring 1982 semester, Sera took current department chair Linda Smith's seminar on conceptual development. The course inspired her to become a professor and researcher.

"After a few weeks, I remember thinking, 'I cannot believe people actually make a living by studying categorization and its development!'" she said. "I was hooked."

Sera's Ph.D. committe included Linda Smith, Esther Thelen, David Pisoni, Judith Johnston, and Joseph (Clancy) Clemments. Her topic was "The role of spatial locations in object and event categories: A crosslinquistic investigation."

In Sera's current position, she teaches undergraduate courses in methods, instruction to child psychology, cognitive development, and language development. She also teachers graduate courses in cognitive and language development and seminars on topcs such as dynamic systems, connectionism, and biology of language.

Her current research involves a connectionist model of conceptual development that incorporates differences in languages in classifier systems. She supervises about a dozen graduate and undergraduate students in research.

Sera lives in Minnesota with her husband, Steve Loupee, who is a physical therapist. They enjoy playing golf, gardening and home improvement.

Jill Villarreal, PhD’06, is using her experience in animal behavior to help improve the lives of pets.

At IU, Jill gained a broad education in animal behavior. She enjoyed courses and learning experiences offered within the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, as well as through the Departments of Biology, Anthropology, History and Philosophy of Science, and the Medical Sciences Program. She served on the Developmental Training Grant and was active in the Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior.

Comparative physiologist Henry Prange and developmental neuroscientist Dale Sengelaub co-mentored Villarreal’s dissertation. Her research addressed how environmental factors influence the morphological, physiological, and behavioral development of rats.

After graduation, Villarreal continued her interest in understanding the complex relationship between environment and developmental processes and accepted a position as an Animal Behavior Scientist with Nestlé Purina, Research & Development. This was an opportunity to extend her area of work and get involved in non-invasive animal welfare research involving cats and dogs.

At Nestlé Purina, Villarreal designs and implements lifespan socialization and enrichment programs, conducts continuous improvement in pet welfare science, and works with nutritionists, food scientists, flavor scientists, and veterinarians to better understand pet behavior.

Villarreal said she is pleased to be part of Nestlé Purina because of the rigors of their science and their passion for enhancing the lives of pets.

“Everyday I get to leave work feeling proud of the work I’ve done,” she said. “Not only does Nestlé Purina support my professional development they promote a healthy balance of work and home life.”

Outside of her profession, Villarreal enjoys volunteering with her husband Ronald at the local animal shelter, hiking with their dog Ivan, and playing with their three cats Beta, Omar, and Niko.