One of my favorite aspects of being a professor at Northern Illinois University is the association I have with my research team! Our research team is comprised of both undergraduate and graduate students in the Human Development and Family Sciences Programs at Northern Illinois University. Each of the students on my research team were selected based on their performance in the classroom, as well as their personal passion for helping individuals, couples, and families. I invite you to get know these wonderful researchers by reading their biographies below!
Hello! My name is Alexis Elliott. I am a Senior at Northern Illinois University (NIU). I am majoring in Psychology and minoring in Human Development and Family Science with an emphasis on Child Development. My goal is to be in the counseling profession because I am passionate about helping people reach their interpersonal goals. I am leaning more towards marriage and family as my future focus. I joined the research team because I wanted to investigate the importance of relationships and their impact on individuals. I chose this team in particular to work along side Dr. Sibley. I have a passion for helping and informing people and he shared that passion. I plan to attend graduate school at NIU after my graduation in Fall 2024. It’s funny thinking back, I never thought this is where I would be in life. But I am proud of where I am now, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with my accomplishments and my goals.
My name is Chris Shultes, I am a Junior Human Development and Family Sciences major with an emphasis in Family Social Services here at Northern Illinois University. My goal is to ultimately help families and others, I am still exploring my possibilities and my more specific goals are subject to change. Although I don't yet know where I want to end up, I look forward to strengthening my understanding of everything: families, relationships, and marriage. One way I am improving my knowledge of these topics is by joining this research team, this opportunity helps me gain an early edge in the professional field. I also look forward to applying what I am learning to my personal life. Romantic relationships have always been very important to me and I want to learn all that I can to have a healthy and successful relationship.
Hello! My name is KaLilah Chears, but I also go by Kiwi! I am a fourth-year and first-generation student majoring in Human Development and Family Sciences at Northern Illinois University. I have a degree emphasis in Family Social Services and a sub-emphasis in Child Welfare Services. Additionally, I am pursuing a Level 5 Gateways Family Specialist Credential. I joined this research team to explore the differences in romantic relationship development across demographic groups, specifically LGBTQ+ and religious communities. Also, I will gain experience in analyzing scholarly articles, which will be a central aspect of my social services career. I am also involved in other NIU organizations, including the Huskie Marching Band Color Guard and NIU University Choir! After graduation, I plan on attending graduate school and entering a career related to victim advocacy or community prevention.
Hello everyone! My name is Julie Abbinante and I’m an undergrad student at Northern Illinois University. I will be graduating in the Spring of 2026 with a degree in Human Development and Family Social Sciences with an emphasis on Family Social Services. My goal is to pursue a master’s in either social work or marriage and family therapy. My dream is to help families navigate the beautifully complex world of raising neurodivergent children as I am currently raising three neurodiverse boys. I’m excited to work with the research team and dive further into the formation of romantic relationships among emerging adults as it relates to environment throughout childhood.
Hello! My name is Pelin Keceli, I am a senior dual majoring in Psychology and Human Development and Family Sciences with an emphasis in Family Social Services. The reason I joined the research team was to gain more knowledge and experience with others learning all about relationships and why they may or may not work out. After graduation, I hope to attend grad school and become a licensed marriage and family therapist. A fun fact about me is that I love cats and have two of my own!
Hello, my name is Lexi DeHart. I am a junior at Northern Illinois University majoring in family social services with a minor in addiction studies. I joined the research team to learn more about relationship dynamics and to collaborate with more people interested in the same field as I! I am also very excited to learn how to better my own personal relationships through studying other’s findings and experiences. After graduation I plan on working as a social worker and then getting my master’s to work as a therapist. While going to school, I am also navigating the ropes of military relationships since my boyfriend is an active service member.
