TAMARA ALLARD

[email protected] | (509) 945-6565

ACADEMIC HISTORY

2018 – Present Doctor of Philosophy, Developmental Psychology

University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Advisor: Tracy Riggins

2018 - 2020 Master of Science, Psychology

University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Advisor: Tracy Riggins
Thesis: Is Nap Status Related to Memory, Sleep Physiology, and the
Hippocampus in Early Childhood?

2013 - 2018 Bachelor of Science, Psychology

Bachelor of Science, Kinesiology
Washington State University, Pullman, WA
Magnum Cum Laude, GPA: 3.83

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

2018 - Present Graduate Research Assistant

Neurocognitive Development Laboratory, University of Maryland
Principal Investigator: Dr. Tracy Riggins

2016 - 2018 Research Project Coordinator

Exercise Physiology & Performance Laboratory, Washington State University
Principal Investigator: Dr. Christopher Connolly

2017 - 2018 Research Project Coordinator

Gartstein Temperament Laboratory, Washington State University
Principle Investigator: Dr. Maria Gartstein

2015 Undergraduate Research Assistant

Psychology of Physical Activity Laboratory, Washington State University
Principle Investigator: Dr. Anne Cox

PUBLICATIONS
PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS:

Allard, T.*, Riggins, T.*, Ewell, A., Weinberg, B., Lokhandwala, S., Spencer, R. (2019). Measuring
neural mechanisms underlying sleep-dependent memory consolidation during naps in early
childhood. Journal of Visual Experiments.
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MANUSCRIPTS UNDER REVIEW OR IN PREPARATION:

Allard, T., Canada, K., Botdorf, M., Riggins, T. (In preparation). Development of childhood binding
ability.

Allard, T., Lokhandwala, S., Spencer, R., Riggins, T. (In preparation). Is Nap Status Related to
Memory, Sleep Physiology, and the Hippocampus in Early Childhood?

Ewell, A., Allard, T., Botdorf, M., Riggins, T. (In preparation). Neural Correlates of Emotion Lability in
Early Childhood.

Fitter, M., Stern, J., Straske, D., Allard, T., Cassidy, J., Riggins, T. (In preparation). Mothers’ Secure
Base Script Knowledge and Children’s Brain Structure.

POSTERS & SYMPOSIUMS

St. Laurent, Christine., Lokhandwala, S., Allard, T., Ji, A., Riggins, T. Spencer, R., (2021, April).
Associations between 24-hour Behavior Compositions, Memory and Hippocampal Volume in
Preschoolers. Oral presentation at the virtual biennial meeting of the Society for Research in
Child Development, Minneapolis, MI.

Ewell, A.*, Allard. T.*, Botdorf, M., & Riggins, T. (2021, April). Exploring Neural Mechanisms of
Emotion Regulation in Early Childhood. Oral presentation at the virtual biennial meeting of
the Society for Research in Child Development, Minneapolis, MI.

Ewell, A., Allard, T., Botdorf, M., & Riggins, T. (2020, October). Relations between Parent-Reported
Emotional Lability and Children’s Cortical Thickness in Early to Mid-Childhood. Poster
presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Developmental
Psychobiology, Bethesda, MD.

Allard, T., Meredith, L., Lokhandwala, S., Ewell, A., Weinberg, B., Spencer, R., Riggins, T. (2020,
September). Is Habitual Nap Status Related to Memory, Sleep Physiology, and Hippocampal
Volumes during Early Childhood? Poster presented at the Flux 2020 Virtual Congress, Santa
Rosa, CA.

Lokhandwala, S., Allard, T., Spencer, R., Riggins, T. (2020, August). Hippocampal Development, Slow
Wave Activity, And Nap-dependent Memory Consolidation In Early Childhood. Poster
presentation at the annual SLEEP meeting, Philadelphia, PA.

Allard, T., Lokhandwala, S., Spencer, R., Riggins, T. (2020, August). Sleep and Hippocampal
Development in Early Childhood. Oral presentation at the annual SLEEP meeting,
Philadelphia, PA.

Allard, T., Lokhandwala, S., Spencer, R., Riggins, T. (2020, August). Sleep and Hippocampal
Development in Early Childhood. Poster presented at the annual SLEEP meeting,
Philadelphia, PA.

Meredith, L., Allard, T., Riggins, T. (2020, April). Exploring Hippocampal Structural Differences in
Habitual vs Non-habitual Nappers During Early Childhood. Poster presented at the 2020
Department of Psychology Undergraduate Research Fair, College Park, MD.
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Karayianis, K., Ewell, A., Allard, T., Weinberg, B., & Riggins. T. (2020, April). Relations between
hippocampal volume and story recall in early childhood. Poster session presented at
the 2018 Department of Psychology Undergraduate Research Fair, College Park, MD.

Karayianis, K., Ewell, A., Allard, T., Weinberg, B., & Riggins. T. (2020, March). Relations between
hippocampal volume and story recall in early childhood. Poster session presented at
the Eastern Psychological Association Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.

Allard, T., Lokhandwala, S., Botdorf, M., Ewell, A., Weinberg, B., Spencer, R., Riggins, T. (2019,
October). Relations between sleep, memory consolidation, and hippocampal development in
early childhood. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for
Developmental Psychology, Chicago, IL.

Ewell, A., Allard, T., Weinberg, B., Riggins, T., Dougherty, L. (2019, October). The role of negativity in
the relation between internalizing behaviors and the brain: A mediation model. Poster
presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Developmental Psychology,
Chicago, IL.

Riggins, T., Weinberg, B., Ewell, A., Allard, T., Lokhandwala, S., Botdorf, M., & Spencer, R. M. C.
(2019, October). Sleep-dependent memory consolidation and hippocampal development in
preschoolers. Symposium presented at the meeting of the Cognitive Development Society,
Louisville, KY.

Allard, T., Lokhandwala, S., Botdorf, M., Ewell, A., Weinberg, B., Spencer, R., Riggins, T. (2019,
August). Relations between hippocampal volume and sleep in early childhood. Poster
presented at the Flux Congress, New York, NY.

Pry, S.*, El-Showk, V.*, Allard, T., Riggins, T. (2019, April). Development of item-location binding in
four to eight-year-old children. Poster presented at the 2019 Department of Psychology
Undergraduate Research Fair, College Park, MD.

Allard, T., Canada, K., Riggins, T. (2019, March). Association between item-location binding and
hippocampal subregion volumes in four to eight-year-old children. Poster presented at the
Society for Research in Childhood Development, Baltimore, MD.

Davison, L., Warwick, H., Underwood, J., Barrera, M., Kimbel, H., Stinson, H., Caruso, B., Allard, T.,
Gartstein. M. (2019, March) Infant Temperament Affects Toddler Language Development.
Poster presented at the Society for Research in Childhood Development, Baltimore, MD.  

Neumann, A., Desmarais, E., Iverson, S., Youatt, E.A., Allard, T., Underwood, J., Warwick, H.,
Gartstein, M.A. (2018, April). Differences between rural and urban families: mother-infant
interactions, child temperament, and parenting stress. Poster presented at the 2018
Washington State University Showcase, Pullman, WA.

Desmarais, E., Youatt, E.A., Allard, T., Rosen, B., Acar, I., Ahmetoglu, … & Gartstein, M.A., (2018, July).
Temperament and the “developmental niche”: Contributions of bedtime routine across 14
cultures. Poster presented at the 2018 International Congress on Infant Studies,
Philadelphia, PA.
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Desmarais, E., Youatt, E.A., Allard, T., Casalin, S., Linhares, B., Lecannelier, F.,…& Gartstein, M.A.
(2018, February). Does TV dysregulate toddlers and are there cross-cultural differences?
Symposium presented at the 2018 Western Psychological Association Convention, Portland,
OR.

Allard, T. (2017, April). Is Exercise the New Ritalin? Comparative Impact of Exercise and
Methylphenidates on ADHD. Poster session presented at the 2017 semi-annual Bruya-Wood
Conference, Pullman, WA.

Allard, T. & Synder, R. (2016, Dec.). The effects of meet free diets on type II diabetes. Poster session
presented at the 2016 semi-annual Bruya-Wood Conference, Pullman, WA.

HONORS & DISTINCTIONS

2020 Notable Woman in STEM, Washington STEM

2020 Graduate Recruitment Award, University of Maryland
2019 Janet Johnson Student Travel Grant, University of Maryland
2018 & 2019 Graduate Student Travel Award, University of Maryland
2018 - 2020 Dean’s Fellowship, University of Maryland
2018 Magna Cum Laude, Washington State University
2014 – 2017 Presidential Honor Roll, Washington State University (nine semesters)
2015 - 2018 Collegiate Honor Society
2015 - 2018 National Society of Leadership and Success
2014 - 2018 National Society of Collegiate Scholars
2014 Kalene Palaniuk Memorial Scholarship
2013 - 2015 University Achievement Award, Washington State University
2013 & 2016 Academic Award, Miss Yakima County Scholarship Organization

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2021 Graduate Teaching Assistant

Developmental Psychology (PSCY 355), University of Maryland
Supervisor – Tracy Riggins, PhD

2020 Graduate Teaching Assistant

Introduction to Neuroscience (PSCY 202/NEUR 200), University of Maryland
Supervisor – David Yager, PhD

2019 Workshop: “Processing Structural MRI Data in Early Childhood Populations”

Topics included: Using Segadpter to attain hippocampal volumes and
Freesurer for initial reconstruction and White and Pial edits.

2018 Guest Lecture: “Emotional Development”

Developmental Psychology (PSCYH 361), Washington State University

2018 Guest Lecture: “Lab based Internships”

Introduction to Kinesiology (KINES 138), Washington State University
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2018 Undergraduate Teaching Assistant

Developmental Psychology (PSCYH 361), Washington State University
Supervisor – Maria Gartstein, PhD

2017 Undergraduate Teaching Assistant

Introduction Exercise Physiology (KINES 380), Washington State University
Supervisor - Christopher Connolly, PhD

2016 Undergraduate Student Tutor

Introductory Human Physiology (BIO 251), Washington State University
Supervisor - Patrick A. Carter, PhD

2015 Guest Lecture: “Bone Structure of the Skull”

Human Anatomy (KINES 262), Washington State University

2015 Guest Lecture: “Anterior Muscles of the Lower Extremities”

Human Anatomy (KINES 262), Washington State University

2015 Guest Lecture: “Posterior Muscles of the Torso”

Human Anatomy (KINES 262), Washington State University

2014 -2015 Undergraduate Teaching Assistant

Human Anatomy (KINES 262), Washington State University
Supervisor - Philip Morgan, PhD

MENTORING & ADVISING

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
2018 Eliana Lopez
2019 Veronica El-Showk, Sebastian Preilipper, Oluwadunsin Akinyemi,
2020 Lena Meredith, Olivia Antezana (Currently working on a M.S. in Counseling
Psychology at Columbia University), Marianne Sales, Katherine Karayianis
(Currently working on a M.S./Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at the University
of California - Irvine), Carli Fine, Rylee Duncan

POST-BAC RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

2018 -2020 Arcadia Ewell (Currently working on a M.S./Ph.D. in Developmental
Psychology at Boston University)

SERVICE EXPERIENCE

2021 – Present GSG Appointed Member, UMD President’s Commission on Women’s Affairs
Appointed by the University of Maryland’s Graduate Student Government
(GSG) to serve as a liaison between President Pine’s Commission on Women’s
Affairs and the General Assembly

2020 – Present Psychology Program Representative, UMD Graduate Student Government

Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee
Member of the Legislative Affairs Committee
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2017 – Present National Spokesperson, National Higher Education Day

Presented “Preparation for Higher Education” speaking campaign to over
2,300 students across the United States
Lobbied on behalf of financial higher education reform to policy makers in
Washington and Maryland
Raised over 4000$ for scholarships provided to young women
Designed national website - nationalhighereducationday.org

2020 Team Leader, Rally for Medical Research

Lobbied U.S. Congresman Dan Newhouse, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, and U.S.
Senator Maria Cantwell for increased funding for the National Institute of
Health.

2020 Certified Speaker, Maryland Business Roundtable for Education (MBRT)

Trained to speak in high school classrooms about higher education
preparation in Maryland on behalf of MBRT.

2013 - 2020 Advocate, Children’s Miracle Network (CMN)

Raised 12,000$ for CMN hospitals
Regular volunteer in CMN hospitals

2016 - 2017 Leadership Team, Exercise is Medicine on Campus Leadership Team

Helped to organized outreach events including a 5k walk/run
Created digital outreach media

2016 Keynote speaker at the Annual Yakima College and Career Expo
Spoke about growth mind set and other specialized skills that impact college
readiness

2015 – 2016 President, Physical Education and Kinesiology Club (PEK)

Delivered bi-monthly seminars about career readiness and preparation
Managed weekly leadership team (CORE group) meetings
Oversaw a semi-annual undergraduate conference
Co-Organized a semi-annual blood drive
Organized a booth to create awareness about domestic violence resources

2013 - 2016 Committee Member, East Valley Community Enhancement Association

Co-Organized a scholarship event for the annual Moxee Hop Festival
Educated numerous of the high school scholarship applicants about
professionalism

2014 Keynote Speaker, Girl Scout’s Her Day

Spoke about lifestyle factors that impact development

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

2018 – 2019 Vice President of Marketing, CollegeFITT

Managed/created relationships with partners/customers
Managed/designed comprehensive a marketing plan
Assisted CEO(s) with fundraising and grant proposals
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2018 Public Relations Manager, Exercise Physiology & Performance Laboratory

Managed social media sites
Responsible for updating the laboratory website
Designed graphics for research projects and community outreach programs
Oversaw the creation of a fitness app on behalf of the laboratory

2017 – Present Business Owner, Allard Advertising

Design advertising pages, social media content, logos, and business cards

RELVANT TRAININGS
2019 Assessing Polysomnography using Remlogic, Somneuro Laboratory
2019 Scoring Actigraphy, Somneuro Laboratory
2019 MRI Operator Training and 20+ assisting hours, Maryland Neuroimaging
Center
2019 fMRI processing and analysis workshop, Neurocognitive Development
Laboratory
2019 Longitudinal Data Analysis workshop (Mixed Effects Modeling),
University of Maryland Department of Measurement, Statics, and Evaluation
2019 R Programming for Behavioral Sciences Course. University of Maryland
2019 Introduction to fMRI Data Analysis Course, University of Maryland
2018 Trained in portable PSG and EEG data collection
2017 Trained in BioPac ECG data collection
2017 Trained in BioSemi infant EEG data collection
2017 Trained in hair cortisol collection
2017 Trained in graded exercise performance testing
2016 Trained in blood lactate collection
2015 Trained in blood Pressure collection

APPLICABLE SKILLS
Neuroimaging methods: MRI, fMRI, EEG, Polysomnography (PSG)
Neuroimaging software: Freesurfer, QDEC, and ASAT
Statistics software: SPSS; R; Mplus; Familiarity with MATLAB and Python

CERTIFICATIONS
2019 Maryland Neuroimaging Center Level 2 Safety Certified
2018 Maryland Neuroimaging Center Level 1 Safety Certified
2017 Child First Aid/CPR/AED certified
2017 Adult First Aid/CPR/AED certified