Leanna Monteiro is a sophomore at Purdue University majoring in Psychological Sciences and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences with a minor in English. Her research interests lie in child psychology and development, particularly how effective collaboration between children, caregivers, and professionals can support early well-being. Through her work in the SHINE Lab, Leanna hopes to contribute to research to create healthy, social-emotional informed learning environments, as well as to gain a deeper understanding of research design and data analysis. Outside of the SHINE Lab, Leanna is a staff reporter for the Purdue Exponent newspaper, as well as a member of Purdue NSSHLA and Purdue Fantasy Club. She plans to continue to advocate for children as a future speech-language pathologist and help them develop the communication skills necessary to express themselves and their emotions.

Outside of schoolwork, Leanna loves writing, whether that be poetry, essays, or creative fiction. She also enjoys spending time outdoors, either through hiking or biking, as well as with her dog, Millie. Leanna is very excited to be a member of the SHINE Lab and hopes to learn all that she can.