CURRICULUM VITAE

DIEGO LEON
Undergraduate Student
San Diego State University
6505 Alvarado Road, Suite 101
San Diego, CA 92120

EDUCATION

B.A | Psychology with an emphasis in neuroscience San Diego, CA | 2022 Present

San Diego State University
Current Overall GPA: 3.87
Current Major GPA: 3.50

A.A | Psychology Santa Rosa, CA | 2019-2022

Santa Rosa Junior College
Overall GPA: 3.90
Major GPA: 4.0

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

NIH-NIGMS MARC Research Assistant Aug. 2023 –Present

San Diego State University
Infant and Child Development Lab
Principal Investigator: Margaret Friend, PhD
● Funded research assistant from Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC), funded by the National
Institute of Health and National Institutes of General Medical Sciences

(August 2023-Present) Project Title: Improving Continuity and Scale: Introducing the Spanish Web-Based Computerized
Comprehension Task
- Oversee data and management of the vocabulary Spanish assessment
- Conduct online based testing on bilingual participants
- Wrote and edited poster/oral abstract
- Train new lab members on testing protocols, ethics, and labs research

Undergraduate Research Assistant Aug. 2022 – Aug. 2023

San Diego State University
Infant and Child Development Lab
Principal Investigator: Margaret Friend, PhD

(August 2022-August 2023) Project Title: Developing the Web-CCT

- Assist in development in new vocabulary assessment
- Assembling reliable, precise data on language and cognition in children under 5 years of age and summarizing
the results to research staff in scientific and academic fields
- Conduct the TVIP, ROWPVT, and CCT vocabulary test via zoom to bilingual children
- Review items from Argentinian Spanish and determine cultural appropriateness in Mexico and whether they
provide a sufficient range of difficulty for children 18 months to 60 months of age
ORAL PRESENTATIONS

1. Leon, D.,McArthur, M., Friend, M. (2024). Improving Continuity and Scale: Introducing the Spanish Web-Based
Computerized Comprehension Task
Oral Presentation presented at the Annual SDSU Student Symposium

POSTER PRESENTATIONS & ACCEPTANCES

2. Leon, D.,McArthur, M., Friend, M. (2024). Improving Continuity and Scale: Introducing the Spanish Web-Based
Computerized Comprehension Task
Poster Accepted at the International Congress of Infant Studies, July, Glasgow, Scotland

3. Leon, D.,McArthur, M., Friend, M. (2024). Improving Continuity and Scale: Introducing the Spanish Web-Based
Computerized Comprehension Task
Poster Accepted at the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, April, San Francisco, CA

4. Leon, D.,McArthur, M., Friend, M. (2024). The Spanish and English Web-CCT: Dual Language Trends in
Bilingual Spanish-English Speaking Children
Poster Presented at Cognitive Development Society, March, Pasadena, CA

5. McArthur, M., Soria, N., Frankel, M., Wallace, W., Rowsell, S., Manescu., A., Leon, D., Paes, T., Schmitt, S., &
Friend, M. (2023). Continuity and Scale in Early English and Spanish Vocabulary Assessment: Introducing the
Web-CCT.
Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, April, Riverside, CA

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Behavioral Early Childhood Instructor/Trainer Oct. 2022 – Sep.

2023
Coyne and Associates Education Corporation
● Provide direct client care to children 1 to 12 years of age through Applied Behavior Analysis interventions and
conduct treatment goals for the client consisting of communication, social skills, self-care, motor, academic,
and play and leisure activities
● Continually monitor client behavior, gather data, assess their independence, and report results to the Board
Certified Behavioral Analyst

HONORS AND AWARDS

NIH and NIGMS Maximizing Access to Research Careers Scholar (tuition & stipend) 2023-Present
Guardian Scholar Scholarship (tuition, room, & books) 2022-Present
International Congress of Infant Studies Travel Award (2,880) July 2024
Commencement Speaker Scholarship (1,000) May 2022
Highest Honors May 2022
OUTREACH AND SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

Nu Alpha Kappa Fraternity, Beta Chapter Fall 2022 –Present

Treasurer (Fall 2023 – Present)
Risk Management (Fall 2023 – Present)
FratManners Delegate Fall 2023-Present)
Vice President of Recruitment (Spring 2023 – Present)
● Treasurer: Reviewed finances, created semester budget plans, and oversee all income and payments for the
entire chapter
● Risk Management: Created safe risk management plans during the semesters to the board of fraternity life
● FratManners Delegate: Presented upon healthy relationships in fraternity culture
● Vice President of Recruitment: Plan and execute events to gain new members

SOAR Mentor Fall 2023 – Present

Office of Education Opportunity Programs, SDSU
● Serve to assist five incoming freshmen and transfer students with their academic adjustment and personal
acclimation to the university setting. Serve as a positive role model at all times, including activities that occur
on campus and within the community for two semester’s

Transfer Bridge Mentor Fall 2023 – Present

Office of Education Opportunity Programs, SDSU
● Educated students should be able to identify graduation requirements for their major, effectively identify and
use library support services, demonstrate financial literacy in areas of financial aid and scholarship searches as
well as demonstrate the value of peer relations to support their university transition

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

1. Exploring Educational Pathways and Extracular Activities (2024)

Powerpoint Presentation given to Just In Time for Former Foster Youth

2. Getting Involved in Research (2024)

Powerpoint Presentation given at the Pre-MARC Course at San Diego State University

3. Thanksgiving Commencement Speaker (2023)

Oral Speech given at San Diego State University Guardian Scholars program

4. Graduation Commencement Speaker (2022)

Oral Speech given at Santa Rosa Junior College Graduation Ceremony

LANGUAGES
English- native language, proficient in both spoken and written English
Spanish- working proficiency in both spoken and written Spanish

REFERENCES

MARGARET FRIEND Principal Investigator at Infant and Child Development

Lab
San Diego State University
6505 Alvarado Road, Suite 101
San Diego, CA 92120
(619) 594-6780
E-Mail: mfriend@sdsu.edu

SUE GREENBERG Senior Lecturer

San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-4512
619-594-4964
E-Mail: sgreenberg@sdsu.edu