Current Community Students
Hometown: Wichita, KS
Education: B.A. in Psychology from the University of Kansas
Advisor: Dr. V. Gil-Rivas
Program Track: Community
Research Interests: Racial and gendered health disparities, integrated healthcare settings, place-based health initiatives
Hobbies: Curating playlists, drawing portraits, playing basketball
Hometown: Miami, Fl
Education: B.A. in Communication and Psychology, summa cum laude from Florida State University
Advisor: Dr. Ryan Kilmer
Program Track: Community
Research Interests: Education, evaluation of early childhood and prevention programs, and improving systematic injustices
Hobbies: Staying active outdoors, eating and baking sweets, watching documentaries, and traveling as much as I can to learn about different cultures.
Hometown: Rincon, GA
Education: B.S. in Psychology from College of Coastal Georgia, Summa cum laude
Advisor: Dr. Ryan Kilmer
Program Track: Community
Research Interests: Positive youth development using strength-based approaches, protective factors for at-risk youth, effects of prosocial activities, and mentoring on empowerment and resilience in youth
Hobbies: Upcycling, thrifting, gardening, cooking, climate advocacy
Hometown: Staunton, VA
Education: BA, Philosophy & Religion, James Madison Univ.; M.Ed., Community Development & Action, Vanderbilt Univ.
Advisor: Dr. Andrew Gadaire
Program Track: Community
Research Interests: Sense of community, social cohesion, loneliness/isolation, and related constructs (eg, individualism, relational and political solidarity, pluralism), and implications for political and economic democracy. Specifically, understanding and developing practices, interventions, and settings that decrease loneliness, isolation, and anomie, and support social cohesion, sense of community, and both political and economic democracy in diverse societies. Also interested in how these factors relate to participatory practices in businesses, particularly those structured as cooperatives.
Hobbies: Woodworking; writing & reading poetry for open mics, etc.; Irish history & culture (playing the guitar & bodhrán, or Irish drum); hanging around with my dog, Inis; traveling to less-common places; watching political dramas (h/t Madam Secretary & Rebellion)
Hometown: Richmond, VA
Education:
- B.S. in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University
- M.A. in Psychological Sciences from James Madison University
Advisor: Dr. Erika Montanaro
Program Track: Community
Research Interests: Reducing sexual health disparities, health risk behavior intervention, community based participatory research
Hobbies: Painting, cooking, yoga, exploring nature, dog mom activities, binge-watching crime docs, game nights
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Education: B.S. in Biology, minor in Psychology from Elon University
Advisor: Dr. Victoria Scott
Program Track: Community
Research Interests: Mitigating racial health disparities through top-down policy change and bottom-up community empowerment; promoting health equity through integrated care, asset-based community development, and community-based participatory research; evidence-based interventions rooted in critical race public health praxis
Hobbies: Cycling, running, anything outdoors, travel, cooking/consuming delicious food
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Education:
- B.A. in Psychology from East Carolina University
- B.S. in Rehabilitation Services from East Carolina University
- M.A. in General Psychology from North Carolina Central University
Advisor: Dr. Jeanette Bennett
Program Track: Community
Research Interests: Physical and mental health disparities, root causes of health inequities, community-based participatory research and evaluation, place-based initiatives, and the connection between stress, coping mechanisms, and racism
Hobbies: Nexflix, volunteering, working out, cooking and trying new restaurants (I love to eat!)