Véronique MertlVéronique Mertl is a doctoral candidate in human development and cognition in the College of Education at the University of Washington. Her research explores the social, affective, and contextual elements that influence learning, with a particular fous on collaboration and belongingness in and out of school. She currently studies professional and adolescent musicians. She seeks to understand musicians' interactions, networks, and trajectories, particularly how out-of-school art and music settings engage and empower youth. Mertl works as a researcher for the Learning in Informal and Formal Environments (LIFE) Center, a National Science Foundation Science of Learning Center. She is also a consultant for several music and arts organizations in the United States. Read More Read Less