Vrinda Kalia

Education

Ph.D. Developmental Psychology, Clark University

Teaching Interests

I love to learn and I believe learning can be fun. My teaching philosophy emerges from the joy that learning can bring. My classrooms are safe spaces where students are encouraged to engage with the material and each other. As an instructor, I do not believe my role is defined by providing information to students. Instead, my role is to facilitate and scaffold the development of students’: (1) knowledge of theories, ideas, and perspectives, (2) skills in exploring, thinking, and reflecting, and (3) understanding of themselves as individuals who can make a difference in this world.

PSY 310 | Infant Development

PSY 435 | Developmental Seminar: Early Life Adversity & Development

Research Interests

How do we learn to control our thoughts and emotions to achieve our goals? My research program is geared to unpack the relation between cognitive control and emotion control. I am particularly interested in the contextual forces (i.e. family, culture, language environment, stress) that shape the development of emotion regulation and executive processes.

In the last few years my research agenda has focused on the role of early life adversity on the development of executive processes. Although my research interests are developmental, my research is interdisciplinary; intersecting educational psychology, cultural psychology, and cognitive psychology. My lab uses a combination of behavioral and physiological (i.e. EEG and fNIRS) techniques to address research questions.

Prospective graduate students who are interested in pursuing their dissertation under Dr. Kalia's mentorship should email her to express interest.

Professional Recognition

• Named Fellow of the Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA)
• CSDI Impact Partner by the Center for Student Diversity & Inclusion (CDSI), Miami University, 2023
• Nominee: Outstanding Professor Award, Associated Student Government at Miami University, 2020
• Elva Knight Research Award, International Literacy Association
• Language Learning Dissertation Award
• Adjunct Excellence in Teaching Award, Durham Technical Community College

Selected Publications

• *Hayatbini, N., *Knauft, K. and Kalia, V. (2025) Coronavirus anxiety associated with heightened orthorexia nervosa symptoms and reduced cognitive flexibility. Psychological Reports.
• *Knauft, K. *Holt, C. and Kalia, V. (2024) Perceived stress mediates associations between grit and health-related quality of life. Psychological Reports.
• *Knauft, K., **Waldron, A., **Mathur, M. and Kalia, V. (2021) Perceived chronic stress influences the effect of acute stress on cognitive flexibility. Scientific Reports, 11, 23629
• Kalia, V., *Kanuft, K. and *Hayatbini, N. (2021) Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) associated with reduced cognitive flexibility in both college and community samples. PLoS One, 16 (12).
• Kalia, V., *Knauft, K, and *Hayatbini, N. (2020) Cognitive flexibility and perceived threat from COVID-19 mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and state anxiety. PLoS One, 15 (6).
• Kalia, V. and *Knauft, K. (2020) Emotion regulation strategies modulate the effect of adverse childhood experiences on chronic stress with implications for cognitive flexibility. PLoS One, 15 (6).
• Kalia, V., Vishwanath, K., *Knauft, K., **Von DerVellen, B., Luebbe, A. and **Williams, A. (2018) Acute stress attenuates cognitive flexibility in males only: An fNIRS examination. Frontiers in Psychology – Cognition.
• Kalia, V., Thomas, R., **Osowski, K., and **Drew,T. (2018) Staying alert? Examining the neural correlates of the association between grit and attention networks. Frontiers in Psychology – Cognition, 9.

*Miami Graduate Student Co-Author; **Miami Undergraduate Student Co-Author