Laura Mills-Smith

Laura Mills-Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at St. Lawrence University, joining in fall 2017 after a visiting appointment at Roanoke College. She holds dual undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Anthropology & English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, followed by a Ph.D. in Psychology with a specialization in Developmental Science from Virginia Tech (2016).

Her research focuses on infant language learning within social contexts, examining how infants integrate audiovisual cues, face processing, and joint attention to optimize learning despite limited cognitive resources. Current projects explore contingency in language acquisition and social development during infancy and early childhood.

Key article trends:

• 2024 study on caregiver perceptions of shared reading enjoyment
• 2016 investigation into bimodal emotion perception
• 2015 methodological critique on effect size reporting

Teaching responsibilities include Introductory Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and seminars on developmental topics, with prior experience teaching Child Development and Psychology of Learning.