معرفی
Rayna Friendly is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Development at San José State University (SJSU), affiliated with the College of Education. She holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from McMaster University (2013) and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in higher education teaching and professional development at McMaster University. Her research focuses on infant auditory development, particularly how infants' brains process voices, and the intersection of teaching development in academic settings. She teaches courses in developmental psychology (Cognitive Development, Lifespan Development) and Research Methodology at SJSU since 2017.
Her research interests span auditory perception in infancy, neuroplasticity in voice recognition, and pedagogical strategies for fostering professional and academic growth in students. She has contributed to initiatives at McMaster’s School of Graduate Studies and the McMaster Institute for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (MIIETL), promoting teaching and learning development for graduate students and postdocs.
Her publications explore topics such as perceptual narrowing in voice discrimination, cross-species voice recognition in infants, and the development of singing abilities in children. She maintains an active connection to the Auditory Development Lab at McMaster University, where her doctoral work was based under Dr. Laurel Trainor’s supervision.
