About The READY Lab at UNCG
The Regulation and Emotional Development in Youth (READY) Lab at UNCG is dedicated to conducting cutting-edge research on how youth's ability to control their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors impact their mental and physical health. Through our research, we strive to make a meaningful impact on the well-being of youth and their families.
Our lab is comprised of a diverse team of dedicated researchers who are passionate about understanding and promoting well-being in youth. Together, we work collaboratively to investigate various aspects of self-regulation, utilizing multidisciplinary approaches to address complex questions in the field.
Meet Our Team
Get to know the individuals who drive our research forward and contribute to the mission of the READY Lab at UNCG.
READY Lab 2026-2027
Dr. Jessica Dollar
(She/Her/Hers)
Lab Director
Jessica Dollar is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). She received her B.A. in Psychology from UNCG before working at the Center for Developmental Science at UNC-Chapel Hill. She received her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from The Pennsylvania State University. She returned to North Carolina to complete her postdoctoral training and serve as a Research Scientist at UNCG prior to transitioning to a tenure track position.
Jessica’s program of research aims to understand the role of emotional and self-regulatory development, with close attention to the role of the social context, in pathways to psychological well-being and physical health across the first two decades of life. Self-regulation difficulties are associated with a constantly expanding array of public health challenges for youth, including increased mental illness and obesity/cardiometabolic risk, lowered physical activity, social functioning, poor sleep, and questions about safe technology engagement. Although it is widely acknowledged that self-regulation is an essential life skill, many notable questions continue to emerge as to how, for whom, and why self-regulation is associated with these risks among today’s youth.
Guided by a developmental science framework, Jessica’s research aims to: a) specify which facets of self-regulation are most important for particular forms of youth functioning (e.g., mental and physical health, social adjustment, safe technology engagement), b) identify mechanisms to explain how adaptive self-regulation skills is associated with fewer risky health behaviors and lower obesity and cardiometabolic risk for youth, as well as c) what developmental processes and mechanisms explain when reward-driven emotions (e.g., positive affect) are associated with risk or well-being. Jessica’s research employs converging observational, physiological, questionnaire, and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodologies to effectively capture these key processes and mechanisms in controlled laboratory and naturalistic settings.
Dr. Dollar will be reviewing applications for a new graduate student for Fall 2027.
Research Assistants
Neelam Patel, B.S.
(She/Her)
Graduate Research Assistant
Neelam Patel is a first-year PhD student in the Developmental Psychology program at UNCG. She received her B.S. in Psychology and Human Development from Virginia Tech in May 2026.
Her research interests focus on parent-child relationships, emotion regulation, and social development across middle childhood. She is particularly interested in how technology might facilitate self-regulation and shape the way in which parents and children interact with one another.
Outside of the lab, Neelam enjoys baking, watching soccer, and playing video games with friends.
MJ Sadler
(She/They)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
MJ Sadler is a Senior at UNC Greensboro pursuing a career in clinical health psychology. She is a member of the Lloyd International Disciplinary Honors College and is expected to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Mental Health Literacy/Wellness in December of 2027. Outside of school, MJ has a passion for music, theater, church, and activism.
MJ is enthusiastic to have the opportunity to be an undergraduate research assistant and gain knowledge that will help her in the next step of her psychology journey.
Anthony Congdon
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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Sydney Leventhal
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Sydney Leventhal is a fourth-year transfer student majoring in Psychology. She received her Associate's Degree in Science from Alamance Community College before enrolling at UNCG. Sydney does not have any declared minors, but she immerses herself in various Kinesiology classes, as she is interested in exploring a pathway that might lead her towards Sports Psychology.
Outside of school, Sydney is a CrossFit coach at College Hill CrossFit. Formerly, Sydney was the Strength and Conditioning coach for the YBAC swim team at the Alamance County YMCA, where she was previously a competitive swimmer for nearly 11 years until she graduated high school. While growing up, Sydney also took classical ballet classes for almost 15 years. Outside of school and work, Sydney is a competitive CrossFit athlete. Competing in CrossFit is a new, challenging endeavor that she has decided to take on after beginning CrossFit 3 years ago, after graduating high school and walking away from competitive swimming and dance. Sydney loves being active and getting out in nature with her mom, dad, and younger brother. She also loves a good night in on the couch watching a movie or reading a book with her two Labrador retrievers by her side. Sydney is excited to spend another semester in the lab and gain more research experience.
Daniel Shegog
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Daniel Shegog is a senior psychology major at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro expecting to graduate in December of 2026. This is Daniel's first year in the ready lab, however he started working with us over the summer. This is Daniel's second stint in college having transferred from Morehouse college in Atlanta where he started out as a chemistry major.
Daniel, being a former chemistry major, has seen the way that research can positively and greatly impact the lives of those in and around his community. Having always had a passion for kids and watching their continued emotional and regulatory development, he hopes to translate what he learns here in this lab to future endeavors.
Kennedy Walker
(He/Him/His)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Kennedy (Ken) Walker is a sophomore Psychology major and Human Development and Family Studies minor at UNC Greensboro. As a member of the Lloyd International Honors College, his research interests center around child and adolescent development, LGBTQ+ and queer identity development, health disparities, and a particular interest in how social and developmental contexts shape the experiences of marginalized youth.
Kennedy hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and continue conducting research which centers around the intersections of development, identity, and mental health.
Where are they now?
Nikolai Tassin, B.S.
Former Undergraduate Research Assistant
(They/He)
Nikolai is the very first alum of the READY lab.
They graduated in 2026 with a Psychology major and dual minors in ASL and Sustainability studies. During his time with the READY Lab, he worked on the Tweens on Screens project and the Daily Health Behaviors of College Students project.
Post-grad, Nikolai is working a post-baccalaureate position at the University of Michigan as a Lab Manager. They intend to go forward and pursue a PhD in Psychology.