Mariana Alfonso Fragomeni
Assistant Professor
Plant Science and Landscape Architecture
I am an urban designer and climatologist focused on heat vulnerability, human health, and climate-oriented design
Community InvolvementHealth EducationPhysical Environment
Zahra Ali
Graduate Student
Plant Science &
Landscape Architecture
PhD student researching nature & land-based Ed. impacts on learning, well-being & socio-ecological relationships
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationNutrition Environment and ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivityPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Tatiana Andreyeva
Associate Professor
Agricultural and Resource Economics, Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health
Focused on economic policies to improve food choices and prevent chronic disease and obesity
Nutrition Environment and Services
Patricia Bellamy-Mathis
Assistant Director for Programming and Partnerships
Educational Leadership (Neag), UConn Husky Nutrition &
Sport
The impact of Sport Based Youth Development on elementary school students’ health and wellness, as well as school-wide climate & culture
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth EducationNutrition Environment and ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivitySocial and Emotional Climate
Katherine Bernier Carney
Assistant Professor
School of Nursing
Assistant Professor focused on developing supportive care interventions for families managing pediatric cancer
Family EngagementHealth EducationHealth Services
S. Megan Berthold
Professor
School of Social Work
Focused on the human rights and well-being of torture survivors, refugees, and asylum seekers
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social Services
Kevin Borrup
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
Injury Prevention Center, Connecticut Children's
Dr. Borrup is Executive Director of the Injury Prevention Center where he oversees research.
Community InvolvementSocial and Emotional Climate
Jeana Bracey
Associate Vice President of School and Community Initiatives
Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut
Dr. Bracey’s expertise is in school mental health, juvenile justice diversion, and systems development
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Melissa Bray
Professor
Educational Psychology (Neag)
Professor Bray’s research interests are in the area of mind body health interventions, mainly for cancer and asthma
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesHealth EducationPhysical Education and Physical ActivityPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Alaina Brenick
Assistant Professor
Human Development and Family Sciences
Expert in experience of, reasoning about, and response to bias-biased victimization and soc-ecological intervention
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Amy Briesch
Professor
Northeastern University, Department of Applied Psychology
Design and validation of social, emotional, and behavioral assessment tools within multi-tiered systems of support
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Margaret Briggs-Gowan
Associate Professor
Psychiatry, UConn Health
I am on the faculty at UConn Health and study the mental health of young children.
Family EngagementHealth ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Douglas Brugge
Professor, Chair
Public Health Sciences, UConn Health
I head the Department of Public Health Science and conduct research on environmental health
Community InvolvementHealth EducationPhysical Environment
Deborah Bubela
Associate Professor in Residence Emeritus
Kinesiology
My work has allowed me to prepare physical therapists to work with children with disabilities and families
Family EngagementHealth ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivityPhysical Environment
Augusto Buchweitz
Associate Professor
Psychological Sciences
Interested in understanding the brain, early literacy and development in underrepresented populations
Social and Emotional Climate
Jeffrey Burke
Associate Professor
Psychological Sciences
I study the disruptive behavior disorders and factors that affect service engagement by parents and families
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Lisa Butler
Professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Health Equity
Queen's University, School of Medicine, Public Health Sciences
Epidemiologist and behavioural scientist focused on the study of interventions to address complex global challenges
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Jacqueline Caemmerer
Assistant Professor
Educational Psychology (Neag)
Interested in social, family, & cognitive influences on achievement, assessment, quantitative methods
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Rebecca Campbell-Montalvo
Assistant Professor
University of South Florida, Social Medicine
I study how people access healthcare services for a range of conditions and needs using social science
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth Services
Rogie Royce Carandang
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Public Health Sciences, UConn School of Medicine
I am a global health researcher interested in school health and child mental health outcomes in low/middle income countries
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivityPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Delaina Carlson
Graduate Student
Human Development and Family Sciences
Focused on the factors that influence early childhood development, health and wellness
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth EducationNutrition Environment and ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Eileen Carter
Assistant Professor
School of Nursing
I am a health services researcher with interest in implementation science and antibiotic stewardship
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth Services
Sharon Casavant
Assistant Professor
School of Nursing
I teach undergraduate nursing courses; research discrimination, neighborhood vulnerability and stress on biomarkers
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivitySocial and Emotional Climate
Jenn Cavallari
Associate Professor
Public Health Sciences, UConn School of Medicine
Professor at UConn Health with focus on protecting worker well-being through epidemiology and intervention research
Employee WellnessPhysical Environment
Sandra Chafouleas
Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and Neag Endowed Professor
Educational Psychology (Neag)
Dr. Chafouleas serves as CSCH Co-Director, with primary expertise in school mental health and behavior assessment.
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Rocio Chang
Assistant Professor
Psychiatry, UConn Health
Focused on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of psychological trauma in children, adolescents and adults
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Natalie Charamut
Graduate Student
Educational Psychology (Neag)
Graduate student interested in youth assessment especially informant discrepancies and rater bias
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Rachel Chazan Cohen
Associate Professor and Director of Early Childhood
Human Development and Family Sciences
Dr. Chazan Cohen studies how early childhood programs support children’s development and family well-being
Family EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Sijia (Sonia) Chen
Graduate Student
Agricultural and Resource Economics
Ph.D. student researching policy, social-economic and environmental impacts on birth outcomes and child health
Family EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivityPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Casey Cobb
Professor of Educational Policy
Educational Leadership (Neag)
Examines education policies and their implications for educational equity
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Jean Coffey
Clinical Professor
School of Nursing
My clinical practice, teaching and research are focused in pediatrics, including children and nature
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivityPhysical Environment
Michelle Cole
Associate Clinical Professor
School of Nursing
Michelle currently serves as the Director of Prelicensure Program and Global Learning in the School of Nursing
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth Services
Melissa Collier-Meek
Associate Professor of School Psychology
Teacher's College, Columbia University
Associate Professor of School Psychology at Teacher’s College, Columbia University focused on intervention fidelity assessment and support
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesEmployee WellnessSocial and Emotional Climate
Eileen Condon
Assistant Professor
School of Nursing
Understanding and preventing childhood adversity and toxic stress
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Kristen Cooksey Stowers
Assistant Professor
Allied Health Sciences
I study how to achieve equitable macro- and micro-level food environments through policy and community engagement
Community InvolvementHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and Services
Deborah Cornman
Associate Research Professor Emeritus
Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP)
Foster multidisciplinary collaborations and conduct health behavior change research
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesEmployee WellnessHealth EducationHealth Services
Shayna Cunningham
Assistant Professor
Public Health Sciences, UConn Health
My research focuses on social determinants of health impacting maternal child health outcomes
Community InvolvementHealth EducationHealth Services
Jen Cushman
Co-Center Coordinator, Associate Extension Educator
UConn Extension
Educator implementing 4-H positive youth development programming in STEM, healthy living and civic engagement
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationSocial and Emotional Climate
Brooke Davey
Associate Professor, Fetal and Pediatric Cardiologist
University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Connecticut Children's
My focus is to identify social determinants of health impacting clinical outcomes in congenital heart disease
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and ServicesPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Shardé Davis
Associate Professor
Communication
Dr. Davis’s research examines how Black women’s complex identities influence their communication with others
Community InvolvementHealth EducationSocial and Emotional Climate
Johanna deLeyer-Tiarks
Assistant Professor
Pace University, Psychology Department
Assistant Professor in the School-Clinical Child Psychology Program
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivityPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Erin DeMaio
Graduate Student
Educational Psychology (Neag)
Focused on implementing new ways to promote student success while creating a healthy, positive school climate
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Danielle DeRosa
Clinical Instructor
Sport Management Program and Husky Nutrition &
Sport
Interested in equitable systems regarding education, sport & nutrition; experience in community campus partnerships
Community InvolvementEmployee WellnessPhysical Education and Physical Activity
Tori DeScenza
Associate Professor In-Residence
Kinesiology
Interested in the promotion, adoption, and maintenance of healthy lifestyle behaviors related to exercise and diet
Employee WellnessHealth EducationPhysical Education and Physical Activity
Laurie Devaney
Associate Professor In-Residence
Kinesiology
Focused on cervical spine and upper extremity injury prevention, assessment, and best practice management
Health ServicesPhysical Education and Physical Activity
Jennifer Necci Dineen
Associate Professor in Residence
School of Public Policy
Survey methodologist with experience surveying children, parents/guardians, educators, and medical professionals
Community InvolvementEmployee WellnessSocial and Emotional Climate
Lindsay DiStefano
Professor
Kinesiology
Focused on promoting youth physical activity by preventing musculoskeletal injury and developing physical literacy
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementPhysical Education and Physical Activity
Shaun Dougherty
Professor of Education &
Policy
Boston College, Education Leadership and Higher Education
Dr. Dougherty’s research focuses on the impacts of educational policies and programs on student outcomes
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Valerie Duffy
Professor
Allied Health Sciences
Professor focused on taste, food preference, healthy eating, and obesity prevention in cross-disciplinary research
Community InvolvementHealth EducationHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and Services
Alicia Dugan
Assistant Professor
Occupational and Environmental Medicine, UConn Health
I am an Assistant Professor at UConn Health and my research focuses on worker health, stress, and work-life balance
Community InvolvementEmployee WellnessSocial and Emotional Climate
Carrie Eaton
Associate Clinical Professor
School of Nursing
Director of Simulation Education
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesEmployee WellnessFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivityPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Caitlin Elsaesser
Associate Professor
School of Social Work
Dr. Elsaesser’s work focuses on the correlates and consequences of traumatic experiences among adolescent youth
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Vanessa Esquivel
Graduate Student
Human Development and Family Sciences
Explores contextual factors influencing early childhood development and family well-being among Latinx populations
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Justin Evanovich
Associate Clinical Professor / Managing Director, Husky Nutrition &
Sport
Educational Leadership (Neag)
Leadership of campus-community partnership and service-learning courses centering equity and justice through sport
Community InvolvementHealth EducationPhysical Education and Physical Activity
Megan Feely
Associate Professor
School of Social Work
Megan Feely is a social work professor who specializes in the study of child maltreatment prevention
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth Services
Michele Femc-Bagwell
Retired Associate Professor in Residence
Educational Leadership (Neag)
Engaged scholarship focuses on family and community engagement in schools
Community InvolvementEmployee WellnessFamily Engagement
Kevin Ferreira van Leer
Assistant Professor
Human Development and Family Sciences
Examines the educational & cultural contexts that promote positive development for Latine migrant families
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily Engagement
Joseph Fetta
Assistant Professor
Quinnipiac University, School of Nursing
My research supports the return to academics and learning after concussion, and interdisciplinary team management
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesPhysical Education and Physical Activity
Eleanor Fisk
Research Associate
James Bell Associates
Dr. Fisk is an applied researcher who works on evaluations of home visiting and early childhood programs
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Julian Ford
Professor and Director
Psychiatry, UConn Health, Center for Treatment of Developmental Trauma Disorder and Center for Trauma Recovery &
Juvenile Justice
Clinical and epidemiological research on complex PTSD
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Alice Forrester
CEO
Clifford Beers Clinic
CBC is a family integrated mental health clinic that provides office based as well in the community services
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth EducationSocial and Emotional Climate
Tammy Freeberg
Senior Vice President of Strategy and Planning
The Village for Families &
Children
Organizational strategy and development focused on behavioral health, child welfare, and family strengthening
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Kim Gans
Professor
Human Development and Family Sciences
Studies interventions in home, work, school, childcare and community settings to prevent obesity in diverse groups
Community InvolvementEmployee WellnessFamily EngagementHealth EducationNutrition Environment and ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivityPhysical Environment
Adrian Garcia-Sierra
Associate Professor
Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
Development of infants’ and adults’ speech perception and its relationship to social/linguistic input and language
Family EngagementHealth EducationPhysical Education and Physical Activity
Nicholas Gelbar
Associate Research Professor
Educational Psychology (Neag)
Dr. Gelbar is an Associate Research Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology
Counseling, Psychological and Social Services
Golda Ginsburg
Professor
Psychiatry, UConn Health
Professor of Psychiatry researching assessment and interventions for youth with anxiety & related difficulties
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily Engagement
Jessica Goldstein
Researcher
School of Social Work
Supports the CT Office of Early Childhood with strategic planning and policy design
Community InvolvementFamily Engagement
Damion Grasso
Associate Professor
Psychiatry, UConn Health
A licensed clinical psychologist with research and clinical expertise in trauma-related disorders
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Sarah Gray
Associate Professor
Psychology, Psychiatry
I am a clinical psychologist with a focus on intergenerational processes in the context of adversity
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Sharon Gray
Associate Extension Educator
UConn Extension, Hartford County
Nutrition, food, and fitness to underserved youth and families in Hartford county using applied research/evaluation
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationNutrition Environment and ServicesPhysical Education and Physical Activity
Carolyn Greene
Associate Professor
Psychiatry
Focused on emotion regulation & parental emotion socialization practices, especially among trauma-exposed families
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Bernard Grela
Associate Professor
Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
Associate Professor in SLHS with a focus on language impairments and reading disabilities
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth Services
Aislyn Griffin
IRB Coordinator
Connecticut Children's
Opps for Institutional Review Board & Human Research Protection Program, with an interest in global health research
Community InvolvementHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and Services
Jessica Guite
Associate Professor in Residence
School of Nursing, and Office of Health Strategy, State of Connecticut
Dr. Guite is a healthcare innovator, pediatric psychologist and clinical researcher. Her expertise and interests include behavioral health, management of chronic pain and health conditions, family-based intervention and healthcare policy
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivitySocial and Emotional Climate
Ofer Harel
Professor
Statistics
Professor & Director of admissions, Department of Statistics. A biostatistician, applied statistician
Sara Harvel
Graduate Student
Curriculum and Instruction (Neag)--Social Studies and Human Rights
I’m interested in refugee acculturation, human rights education, belonging, teacher education, social studies
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Latoya Haynes-Thoby
Assistant Professor of Counseling
Educational Psychology (Neag)
Research foci includes, trauma prevention, trauma resilience, resistance and thriving
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Malina Her
Assistant Research Professor
Human Development and Family Sciences
Focused on family well-being, shared parenting, and divorce in Asian American families
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Katherine Hinderer
Senior Nurse Scientist, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, and Research Professor
Connecticut Children's, UConn School of Medicine, UConn School of Nursing
Pediatric Nurse Scientist focused on school nurses and behavioral health/community and advance care planning
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Fumiko Hoeft
Professor
Psychological Sciences
Expertise including, neuroimaging, learning, reading, dyslexia, gene-environment interaction, and resilience
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesHealth ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Alexander Hogan
Professor of Pediatrics
Connecticut Children's
Pediatric Hospitalist dedicated to improving the quality of care given to children with asthma
Family EngagementHealth Services
Jessica Hollenbach
Director of the Asthma Center, Assistant Professor
Connecticut Children's, Pediatrics (UConn Health)
Reducing health disparities by designing, evaluating, and implementing effective community-based asthma programs
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesPhysical Environment
Abagail Horton
Research and Program Evaluation Manager
Furman University, IACH
Dr. Horton is interested in program evaluation, intervention science, emotion regulation, & mental health/well-being
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Derek Houston
Professor and Department Head
Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
Language development in children with and without hearing loss; equitable access to early intervention services
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth Services
Matthew Hughey
Professor
Sociology
Professor Hughey examines the relationship between racial inequality and collective understandings of race
Physical Education and Physical ActivitySocial and Emotional Climate
Amy Hunter
Assistant Professor
Public Health Sciences, UConn Health
Injury epidemiologist with a research focus on mitigating incident and recurrent child maltreatment
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Gio Iacono
Assistant Professor
School of Social Work
Focused on developing and evaluating LGBTQIA+ youth mental health interventions
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social Services
Kate Killion
Graduate Student
Allied Health Sciences
Interested in equitable healthy food access and evidence-based nutrition programming throughout the lifespan
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and ServicesPhysical Environment
Jessica Koslouski
Assistant Research Professor
Educational Psychology, Collaboratory on School and Child Health
Implementation of trauma-informed teaching practices and school mental health supports for students and educators
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesEmployee WellnessFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Govind Krishnamoorthy
Senior Lecturer, Clinical Psychologist
University of Southern Queensland, School of Psychology and Wellbeing
Australian researcher with interests in child mental health equity, school psychology, and trauma-informed care
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Shabnam Lainwala
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Connecticut Children's
Focused on nutrition and growth and long term growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and Services
Maria LaRusso
Assistant Professor
Human Development and Family Sciences
Expertise includes youth social-emotional development, behavioral challenges, health issues, & school interventions
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesHealth ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Elaine Choung-Hee Lee
Professor, Director
Kinesiology, Human Performance Laboratory
Expert in stress biomarkers and research on stress resiliency and longevity related to exercise/environmental stress
Community InvolvementHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivitySocial and Emotional Climate
Leah Lessard
Senior Director of Research and Evaluation
Action for Healthy Kids
Focused on how relational and contextual factors affect the schooling experiences of socially marginalized youth
Health EducationPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Mengjie Li
Graduate Student
Agricultural and Resource Economics, Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health
Ph.D. student studying economics, with a focus on food retail industry and healthy food choices
Health ServicesNutrition Environment and Services
Kathryn Libal
Professor
School of Social Work, Human Rights Institute
Professor Libal works on human rights frameworks as applied to social policy, child welfare, and humanitarianism
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social Services
Carolyn Lin
Professor
Communication
Studies the content, uses and effects of digital/social/mobile media & strategic/risk/environmental communication
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationPhysical Education and Physical ActivitySocial and Emotional Climate
Margaret Lloyd Sieger
Associate Professor
University of Kansas, School of Medicine
Dr. Lloyd Sieger’s research focuses on child welfare policy and substance use in pregnancy
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth Services
Caitlin Lombardi
Associate Professor
Human Development and Family Sciences
Dr. Lombardi examines the roles of family, early care, and education for promoting children’s early development
Community InvolvementEmployee WellnessFamily EngagementPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Alysse M. Loomis
Assistant Professor
University of Utah, College of Social Work
Research focused on understanding and mitigating the impact of early childhood adversity, particularly within early childhood settings such as preschools
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Lucie Lopez
Graduate Student
Educational Psychology (Neag), School Psychology
Interested in supporting the whole child, particularly in sense of belonging and social emotional learning (SEL)
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Ruth Lucas
Associate Professor
School of Nursing
Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing focused on mother-infant health and nutrition
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationNutrition Environment and Services
Hao-Jan Luh
Assistant Professor
Rowan University, College of Education
I am interested in implementation science and cultural adaptation
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Jennifer Manganello
Professor
University of Albany, School of Public Health
Jennifer Manganello is a health communication professor who does research on health literacy and media influences
Health Education
Helene Marcy
Director of Programs &
Communications
Collaboratory on School and Child Health
Focused on connections across research, policy, and practice arenas relevant to school and child health
Community InvolvementFamily Engagement
Caroline Mavridis
Assistant Research Professor
Human Development and Family Sciences
Dr Caroline Mavridis is an Assistant Research Professor (HDFS) focused on self-care of parents and family workers
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesEmployee Wellness
Jennifer McGarry
Professor, Executive Director of Husky Nutrition &
Sport
Educational Leadership (Neag)
Individual level impacts of SBYD on pre-adolescents and the reciprocal impact on college student mentors
Community InvolvementHealth EducationNutrition Environment and ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivitySocial and Emotional Climate
Rory McGloin
Associate Professor
Communication
Exploring the use of virtual exer-gaming technology and its ability to promote physical activity among youths
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationPhysical Education and Physical Activity
Sarah McKee
Postdoctoral Fellow
Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health
Researching schools’ use of local school wellness policies to support children’s health and nutrition
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementNutrition Environment and Services
Erin Mead
Assistant Professor
UConn Health Center School of Medicine
Focused on risk factors for tobacco use and polyuse in young people, and tobacco regulatory science
Health Education
Kevin Melecio
Graduate Student
Educational Psychology (Neag)
Focused on researching integrated approaches and mixed methodologies for psychoeducational assessments
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Brittany Melo
Postdoctoral Fellow
Northeastern University, Department of Applied Psychology
Postdoc with a focus on promoting whole child development through academic, behavioral and social well-being
Social and Emotional Climate
Jonas Miller
Assistant Professor
Psychological Sciences
Interested in developmental neuroscience models of risk, resilience, and thriving in children and adolescents
Physical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Amy Mobley
Associate Professor
University of Florida, Health Education and Behavior
Associate Professor focused on nutrition education and obesity prevention
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationNutrition Environment and Services
Cristina Mogro-Wilson
Professor
School of Social Work
Strengthening Latino families through parenting, focusing on fathers, and the resiliency of the Latino culture
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily Engagement
Christin Munsch
Associate Professor
Sociology
Christin Munsch is a sociologist who examines the social psychological mechanisms that perpetuate inequality
Employee WellnessFamily EngagementPhysical Education and Physical ActivitySocial and Emotional Climate
Beth Nieves
Visiting Assistant Professor
El Instituto: Institute of Latina/o, Caribbean and Latin American Studies
I am interested in finding collaboration partners for work in education and public health
Community InvolvementHealth EducationHealth Services
Nate Okpych
Associate Professor
School of Social Work
Associate Professor studying postsecondary education access and completion for youth with foster care experience
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Meg Pacely
Associate Professor
School of Social Work
Dr. Paceley examines social environment factors (communities, families) affecting the health of LGBTQ+ youth
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Mallory Perry-Eaddy
Assistant Professor
School of Nursing and Pediatrics (UConn Health)
Explores the potential association of inflammation in critically ill children and morbidities after ICU discharge
Family EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesPhysical Environment
Jon Phillips
Assistant Professor
School of Social Work
Research explores interprofessional collaboration in the child welfare system and other people-serving systems
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesEmployee WellnessFamily EngagementHealth ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Carol Polifroni
Professor Emeritus
School of Nursing
Professor in School of Nursing with research focus on joy and meaning in nursing and workforce diversity
Community InvolvementEmployee WellnessHealth EducationHealth ServicesPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Rebecca Puhl
Professor
Human Development and Family Sciences and Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health
My research broadly addresses weight-based bullying, bias, and discrimination experienced by children and adults
Health ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Kerri Raissian
Associate Professor
School of Public Policy
Focused on child and family policy analysis, specifically promoting child well-being and reducing family violence
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth Services
Anna Ramos
Lecturer &
Advisor
Allied Health Sciences
I teach courses and provide academic advising for undergraduate AHS students
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesHealth EducationHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Benton Renley
Graduate Student
Human Development and Family Sciences
Graduate student focused on the intersections of LGBTQ identity and disability in the context of health and society
Community InvolvementHealth EducationHealth ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
David L. Richards
Associate Professor of Human Rights and Political Science
Human Rights Institute / Political Science
Focused on understanding legal frameworks protecting human rights; also measurement of human rights respect
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Christina Ross
Assistant Professor
School of Nursing
Sexual & reproductive health promotion among youth of color in foster care to lower STI/STD & unintended pregnancy
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Beth Russell
Professor
Human Development and Family Sciences
Associate Professor focused on self-regulation in normative and special populations, using a family systems lens
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Patricia Ryan
Assistant Professor-Adjunct
Psychological Sciences
Pediatric neuropsychologist working with refugees to support brain health and development
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Tricia Ryan
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Psychological Sciences
Pediatric Neuropsychologist: Conduct community based behavioral health research with refugee children and families
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivitySocial and Emotional Climate
Preeti Sandhu
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Psychologist
Connecticut Children's, Division of Pain and Palliative Medicine
Program development of a school-based functional treatment curriculum for those working with pediatric patients
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesHealth EducationHealth Services
Lisa Sanetti
Professor
Educational Psychology (Neag)
Professor of school psychology focused on educator wellness and implementation science
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesEmployee WellnessSocial and Emotional Climate
Melissa Santos
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division Chief of Pediatric Psychology, Clinical Director of the Pediatric Obesity Center
Connecticut Children's
Research is focused on improving obesity treatment outcomes by tailoring treatment to comorbidities
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Hannah Scheibner
Graduate Student
School of Nursing
PhD student focused on examining effects of neighborhood environments on child sleep health to promote equity
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Marlene Schwartz
Professor and Director
Human Development and Family Sciences and Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health
Dr. Schwartz specializes in school wellness and nutrition programs, food insecurity, and federal food policies
Nutrition Environment and Services
Luis Seoane Estruel
Graduate Student
Agricultural and Resource Economics
Ph.D. student studying policy impacts on food choices, with a focus on health economics, labor and empirical IO
Health ServicesNutrition Environment and Services
Vaishnavi Shahane
Graduate Student
Kinesiology
Former PT now grad student researching innovative interventions for children with developmental disabilities
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesPhysical Education and Physical Activity
Sandra Sirota
Assistant Professor in Residence, Experiential Global Learning &
Human Rights
Human Rights Institute
Research focuses on formal & non-formal education for human rights and social justice in the U.S. and South Africa
Community InvolvementSocial and Emotional Climate
Richard Sosis
James Barnett Professor of Humanistic Anthropology
Anthropology
Richard Sosis is an anthropologist whose research focuses on the evolution of religion and cooperation
Social and Emotional Climate
Sudha Srinivasan
Assistant Professor
Kinesiology
Research on developmental disabilities across the lifespan and interventions to improve health-related outcomes
Community InvolvementPhysical Education and Physical Activity
Angela Starkweather
Dean and Professor
Rutgers School of Nursing
Focused on using omic methods to identify the mechanisms of chronic symptoms and develop targeted interventions
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesEmployee WellnessFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivitySocial and Emotional Climate
Stacey Stearns
Program Specialist
UConn Extension
Focused on the intersection of communication and agriculture (projects include GMOs and local food)
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Ravit Stein
Director of Psychological &
Behavioral Consultation
EASTCONN RESC
Oversee a division of educational consultants who support public schools
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesEmployee WellnessFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
George Sugai
Professor Emeritus
Educational Psychology (Neag)
I’m fully retired. My previous activities related to behavior analysis, special education, & behavior supports
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Elizabeth Talbott
Professor of Education and Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development
William &
Mary, Curriculum and Instruction
Use of evidence in education and health care for young people with behavioral & mental health disabilities
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementHealth ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Rebecca Thomas
Graduate Student
Psychological Sciences, Clinical Psychology
Focused on studying the early detection of ASD and the implementation of innovative parent-mediated interventions
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily Engagement
Sierra Trudel
Assistant Professor
Marist College, School Psychology
Understanding character strengths as pathways to healing, well-being, and educational success
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesEmployee WellnessFamily EngagementPhysical Education and Physical ActivitySocial and Emotional Climate
Wendy Ulaszek
Associate Research Professor
School of Social Work and Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
Focused on implementation of organizational change & leaders
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate
Jeffrey Vanderploeg
President &
CEO
Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut
Policy, system development and practice initiatives in pediatric health care and children’s behavioral health care
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Jaci VanHeest
Associate Professor, Director of Public Health Learning Community
Educational Psychology (Neag) and Kinesiology
Focuses on the impact of play on bioenergetic, fitness and academic parameters in children and adults
Family EngagementPhysical Education and Physical Activity
Kristina Wagstrom
Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering Education
Chemical &
Biomolecular Engineering
Studying the impacts of air pollution on human and ecosystem health
Community InvolvementPhysical Environment
Emily Wakefield
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Conneticut Children's, Division of Pain and Palliative Medicine and Pediatric Psychology
Emily Wakefield is a pediatric psychologist focused on pain disbelief and stigma in adolescents with chronic pain
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesHealth EducationHealth Services
Xiaojing Wang
Associate Professor
Statistics
Associate Professor of Statistics at University of Connecticut focused on Bayesian Statistics and its applications
Nicole Watkins
Assistant Professor
Penn State University Scranton, Psychology
Examines interpersonal predictors of internalizing behaviors in adolescents and emerging adults
Community InvolvementFamily Engagement
Ryan J. Watson
Associate Professor
Human Development and Family Sciences
Dr. Watson explores the health and well-being of sexual and gender minority (i.e., LGBTQ) children and adolescents
Community InvolvementHealth EducationHealth ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Sarah Willen
Professor
Anthropology
Medical anthropologist interested in the health impact of social inequities & efforts to promote health justice
Community InvolvementHealth EducationHealth ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Kathleen Williamson
Assistant Research Professor
Educational Psychology, Collaboratory on School and Child Health
Focused on implementation of multi-tiered social-emotional/behavioral supports in schools
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Torri Woodruff-Gautherin
Research Scientist
Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
Coordinate NIH funded research looking at the development of children who use hearing aids and cochlear implants to communicate using spoken language
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth Education
Rui Wu
Graduate Student
Human Development and Family Sciences
Interest in investigating stigma, prejudice and discrimination and their impact on health
Family EngagementHealth Education
Zhichao Xia
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Psychological Sciences and Brain Imaging Research Center
Working on revealing neuro-cognitive mechanisms underlying language and reading processing and relevant disorders
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social Services
Ran Xu
Assistant Professor
Allied Health Sciences
Expertise includes quantitative methods and systems science, with applications in health and other social sciences
Community InvolvementEmployee WellnessFamily EngagementHealth EducationNutrition Environment and ServicesSocial and Emotional Climate
Dilara Yaya-Bryson
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Educational Leadership
I focus on predictors of high-quality education settings, including workforce, inclusivity, and administration
Employee WellnessPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
Anna Young
Assistant Professor
Central Connecticut State University, Communication
Health & Emerging Tech Researcher leveraging ET for well-being and pro-health behaviors
Community InvolvementCounseling, Psychological and Social ServicesHealth EducationHealth ServicesNutrition Environment and ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivityPhysical EnvironmentSocial and Emotional Climate
William Zempsky
Professor of Pediatrics and Nursing/ The Francine L. and Robert B. Goldfarb-William T. Zempsky, MD Endowed Chair for Pain and Palliative Medicine
Conneticut Children's
Clinical care and research in adolescent chronic pain focused on interdisciplinary interventions
Counseling, Psychological and Social ServicesFamily EngagementHealth EducationHealth ServicesPhysical Education and Physical ActivitySocial and Emotional Climate
Yuping Zhang
Associate Professor
Statistics
Developing statistical methods to address scientific problems in genomics, systems biology, and complex diseases
Emma Zuk
Clinical Assistant Professor
University of North Carolina Charlotte, Kinesiology
My research looks to encourage physical activity engagement in children
Community InvolvementHealth EducationPhysical Education and Physical ActivityPhysical Environment
Sabrina Uva
Graduate Student
Human Development and Family Sciences
PhD student focused on promoting well-being and social-emotional development across the lifespan
Community InvolvementFamily EngagementSocial and Emotional Climate