Graduate

BCS PhD Students

Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 Cohort
Noé Erazo

Noé Erazo
M.A. in Applied Linguistics, University of Massachusetts Boston
B.A. in Communications, minor in Spanish, University of Houston

Research Area: Bilingualism and biliteracy

Mr. Erazo is a graduate research associate at the Rightpath Research and Innovation Center. With support and mentorship from Hispanic leaders, Erazo became the first person in his family to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree. He has served the Hispanic community in many capacities, including working as an English-Spanish interpreter at a pediatric rehabilitation center. As a steppingstone, Erazo was recruited to coordinate a statewide project in Texas that worked with hundreds of public schools and Head Start programs for the School Readiness Curriculum Based Measurement System (SRCBM) study. His successful work on this study continues in 91ÉçÇø where he works with Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs to develop English and Spanish language assessments. Erazo’s long-term goals include conducting research in bilingualism, biliteracy, and educational disparities among minority children.

Personal Hyperlink: /cbcs/cfs/faculty-staff/erazo-n.aspx

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/erazo-noe.pdf

 

John Martin
B.A. in Experimental Psychology; Minor in Sociology, University of South Carolina

Research Areas: Transition-Age Foster Care Youth and Self-Determination Development

John Martin is a full-time graduate student at the 91ÉçÇø who earned his undergraduate degree in Experimental psychology from the University of South Carolina. John’s current interest centers around the development of Self-Determination within vulnerable youth, specifically those in social systems like foster care. John hopes his research will provide evidence for the support of Self-Determination development in environments that maybe more restrictive.

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/martin-john.pdf

Fall 2018 Cohort
Erica Anderson

Erica Anderson
M.S. in Counseling, Bethune-Cookman University
B.S. in Psychology, University of Tampa 

Research areas: Minority health and mental health disparities; Access to Mental Health Services; Comorbid behavioral health disorders; and Evaluating Mental Health Programs

Erica Anderson, M.S. is a dual PhD/MPH student. She is in her third year in the Behavioral and Community Sciences Ph.D. program, and is a first-year student in the MPH program with a concentration in Behavioral Health at the 91ÉçÇø. Her research interests are in culturally relevant mental health services, physical and mental health disparities, and integrating non-traditional health workers (i.e. Community Health Workers) into the behavioral healthcare system. Erica earned her B.S. in Psychology with a Minor in Philosophy from the University of Tampa, and an M.S. in Counseling with an emphasis in Clinical Mental Health from Bethune-Cookman University. She was awarded a McKnight Doctoral Fellowship from the 91ÉçÇø Education Fund. Currently, she is a reviewer for the Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research and works on an internal grant funded project aimed at reducing the stigma of mental illness in the African American community. Presently, Erica is a Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern (RMHCI) and has experience working with a diverse client population, providing psychotherapy in a variety of treatment settings. Outside of school, she serves as a mentor with the Hillsborough Education Foundation, Take Stock in Children Program and is actively engaged in community service projects.

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/anderson-erica.pdf

Leigh Ashley

Leigh Ashley
Graduate Research Associate
M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis, the 91ÉçÇø (graduate)
B.A. in psychology, the 91ÉçÇø (undergraduate) 

Research Areas: Positive Behavior Support, peer-mediated intervention, and supported inclusion.

Leigh Ashley is a graduate associate for Dr. Lise Fox in the Department of Child and Family Studies. She works under Dr. Fox with the OSEP-funded National Center for Pyramid Model Innovation (NCPMI). The goals of NCPMI are to assist states and programs in their implementation of sustainable systems for the implementation of the Pyramid Model for Supporting Sociaotional Competence in Infants and Young Children (Pyramid Model) within early intervention and early education programs with a focus on promoting the social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of young children birth to five, reducing the use of inappropriate discipline practices, promoting family engagement, using data for decision-making, integrating early childhood and infant mental health consultation and fostering inclusion. Leigh has been working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis since 2004 and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2009. She has experience working with children and their families in a variety of treatment settings. She is currently engaged in dissertation research projects related to peer-mediated intervention to support early childhood social skills development.

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/ashley-leigh.pdf

Fall 2019 Cohort
Lacey Anne Tucker

Lacey Anne Tucker
Master of Social Work, 91ÉçÇø
Master of Public Health, 91ÉçÇø
Graduate Certificate in Translational Research, 91ÉçÇø
B.S. in Behavioral Healthcare, 91ÉçÇø 
        Minor: Applied Behavior Analysis 

Research Areas: Implementation science; Action research; Rural behavioral health; Behavioral healthcare reform with a focus on task shifting and low-intensity interventions 

Lacey Tucker, MSW, RCSWI, MPH, CPH, is a Doctoral Student in the Behavioral and Community Sciences Ph.D. program at the 91ÉçÇø (USF), College of Behavioral and Community Sciences. Lacey earned her Master’s in Social Work and in Public Health from USF in 2019, and earned her Public Health Certification in 2019, and her Registered Clinical Social Work Intern license in 2020. She also earned a Graduate Certificate in Translational Research in Adolescent Behavioral Health from the Institute for Translational Research Education in Adolescent Drug Abuse (ITRE) in 2019 and currently works as a Graduate Associate for the ITRE. Lacey provides outpatient counseling services to children and families with diverse behavioral challenges and is being supervised to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. 

Personal Hyperlink:

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/tucker-lacey.pdf

Fall 2020 Cohort
Alexandra Albizu-Jacob

Alexandra Albizu-Jacob
M.P.H. with a concentration in Behavioral Health, 91ÉçÇø
B.S. in Psychology, University of 91ÉçÇø

Research Areas: Implementation Science in Behavioral Health, Culturally-responsive evidence-based services, Psycho-oncology

Alexandra is a Learning and Development Facilitator in the Department of Child and Family Studies at the 91ÉçÇø. She received her Master's degree in public health with a concentration in behavioral health from the USF College of Public Health. She was also among the first cohort of scholars in the Institute for Translational Research Education in Adolescent Behavioral Health, a federally funded state-of-the-art research education program that teaches the practical skills of translational research and implementation science in the field of adolescent behavioral health. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of 91ÉçÇø.

Her research interests include psycho-oncology, child and adolescent behavioral health, implementation science, positive family relationships, and the integration of trauma-informed care in health systems. Alexandra strives to utilize her educational background and experiences to positively affect the overall health and well-being of children and families.

Alexandra assists on a wide range of research and evaluation projects related to the overall health and well-being of children and families including, trauma-informed care, infant-family mental health, men and boys' mental well-being, father-child relationships and literacy, and pediatric psychosocial oncology and obesity. She is currently the project coordinator for a randomized controlled trial (R01CA240319-01A1) awarded to Dr. Marilyn Stern and funded by the National Institutes of Health to test the efficacy of the NOURISH-T+ intervention in pediatric psychosocial oncology and obesity.

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/albizujacob-alex.pdf

Mary Goldsworthy

Mary Goldsworthy
B.S. in Health Science, Hawaii Pacific University
M.P.H., 91ÉçÇø
Concentration: Public Health Education

Research Area: Health and well-being for vulnerable populations, older adults, and those who have experienced trauma.

Mary Goldsworthy is a current doctoral student in the PhD program of the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences at USF. Originally from Spokane, Washington, Mary moved to Oahu, Hawaii, to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences with a minor in Gerontology from Hawaii Pacific University. Initially, after graduation she worked on developing and implementing tobacco prevention and control policies in Hawaii with the Department of Health. Then she moved to 91ÉçÇø, where she completed her Master in Public Health (MPH) from the 91ÉçÇø, and worked for the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) as a field researcher, traveling to different U.S. cities to conduct research related to tobacco and other health concerns. Mary is particularly invested in mixed-methods research, using qualitative and quantitative methods to study the health and well-being for vulnerable populations, including older adults and those who have experienced trauma. Currently, she is working with Dr. Amber Gum as a graduate research assistant on a patient-centered partnership addressing trauma in primary care patients (funded by PCORI) and a mixed-methods longitudinal study of adverse outcomes for older adults to improve their quality of life (funded by RRF). 

Kimberly Menendez

Kimberly Menendez
M.S. in Forensic Psychology, Walden University
B.A. in English, University of 91ÉçÇø
Certified Prevention Professional, The 91ÉçÇø Certification Board 
Graduate Certificate in Translational Research in Adolescent Behavioral Health, University of South 91ÉçÇø 

Research Areas: Adolescent drug and violence prevention; Social emotional learning development; Implementation science in behavioral health; Evidence-based programs in school settings 

Kimberly Menendez is the Senior Curriculum Developer of Too Good prevention education programs at the C.E. Mendez Foundation in Tampa, FL.  She served as a Community Agency Mentor for the 91ÉçÇø’s Institute of Translational Research in Adolescent Behavioral Health from 2015-2019.  She received a B.A. in English from the University of 91ÉçÇø and her M.S. in Forensic Psychology from Walden University.  Kimberly is a Certified Prevention Professional and holds a graduate certificate in Translational Research in Adolescent Behavioral Health from the University of South 91ÉçÇø where she is now a doctoral student pursuing a PhD in Community and Behavioral Sciences.  

Publication: Rigg, K. K., & Menendez, K. (2018). Drug prevention programs in schools: Selecting program providers. Health Education Journal, 77(5), 586-597.

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/menendez-kimberly.pdf

Fall 2021 Cohort

Tracy Bales

Tracy Bales
M.P.H. in Behavioral Health, 91ÉçÇø
B.A. in Psychology, 91ÉçÇø
B.A. of Design, College of Architecture, University of 91ÉçÇø
Graduate Certificate in Translational Research in Adolescent Behavioral Health, University of South 91ÉçÇø
Certified in Public Health

Research Areas: Behavioral economics in health; Implementation science in behavioral health; Health communication, decision-making, and goal-setting behavior; Effect of art and environmental context on well-being

Tracy Bales is a doctoral student in the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences Ph.D. program at the 91ÉçÇø. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Design from the University of 91ÉçÇø’s College of Architecture and a Post-Bachelor of Art with Honors in Psychology from the 91ÉçÇø. Tracy earned a Master of Public Health and Graduate Certificate in Translational Research in Adolescent Behavioral Health from the 91ÉçÇø and is Certified in Public Health. Her previous research focused on behavioral economics in health, implicit health decision-making under stress, substance-use in adolescents, and implementation fidelity in substance-use prevention programming. Her current research interests include behavioral economics, health communication, decision-making and goal-setting behavior, and the effects of art and context on behavioral health

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/bales-tracy.pdf

Kelsey Greenfield

Kelsey A. Greenfield
Ph.D. in Behavioral and Community Sciences, 91ÉçÇø
J.D., University of 91ÉçÇø
B.A. in Psychology, University of Richmond

Research Areas: Mental Health, Substance Use, Co-occurring Disorders, Criminal Justice, Program Evaluation.

Kelsey Greenfield (She/Her) is a doctoral student and graduate research assistant in the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy. Before pursuing a Ph.D., she was a criminal defense attorney with the Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office. Her research is primarily focused on the intersection of behavioral health and criminal justice. Ms. Greenfield is especially interested in community-based intervention programs as a method of reducing recidivism in the justice-involved population with co-occurring disorders.

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/greenfield-kelsey.pdf

James-Angelo Suarez

James-Angelo Suarez
Master of Public Health, 91ÉçÇø
Graduate Certificate in Translational Research, 91ÉçÇø
B.A. in Psychology, 91ÉçÇø

Research Areas: School-based implementation of evidence-based practices; Child and adolescent behavioral health; Health and well-being for vulnerable populations

James-Angelo Suarez, MPH, CPH, is a first-year Doctoral Student in the College of Behavioral & Community Science at the 91ÉçÇø. He also works as a Graduate Assistant in the Substance Misuse and Addiction Research Training (SMART) Lab in the Department of Mental Health Law & Policy under Dr. Micah Johnson and Dr. Kimberly Johnson. He previously worked as a middle school educator. He received his Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Behavioral Health from the USF College of Public Health. He was also a member of the 6th cohort of scholars in the Institute for Translational Research Education in Adolescent Behavioral Health (ITRE), where he partnered with the C.E. Mendez Foundation, developers of the Too Good programs. He conducted qualitative research on implementer perspectives of the Too Good implementation support tool. James-Angelo’s current research interests primarily focus on child and adolescent behavioral health, particularly regarding the implementation of evidence-based behavioral health practices in Title I schools.

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/suarez-james-angelo.pdf

Elzbieta (Ela) Weidbusch

Elzbieta Wiedbusch
B.S. in Psychology, Loyola University Chicago
B.S. in Criminal Justice/Criminology, Loyola University Chicago

Research areas: Substance misuse, racial/ethnic health disparities, family cycles of substance misuse, the Criminal Justice System and Juvenile Justice System

Elzbieta (Ela) Wiedbusch is a Presidential Fellow in the Behavioral and Community Sciences Ph.D. program. Hailing from Illinois, she earned a Bachelor of Science in both Psychology and Criminal Justice/Criminology from Loyola University Chicago. Ela’s past research focused on chronic illness, substance use disorder, community-based recovery homes, and treatment & recovery from substance misuse among vulnerable populations. Currently, her research explores racial/ethnic health disparities, family effects on substance misuse, and substance and alcohol misuse among justice-involved youths. Ela is also involved in a pilot program that incorporates mental health counselors into Tampa’s Police Department. Ultimately, she aims to implement evidence-based policies and rehabilitative programs in the Criminal Justice system. 

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/weidbusch-elzbieta.pdf

Fall 2022 Cohort

Allahon Bailey

Allahon Bailey
M.S. in Child, Youth, and Family Studies, University of Nebraska Lincoln
B.S. in Criminal Justice with a minor in Family Studies, University of Nebraska Kearney

Research areas: effects of intergenerational and historical trauma on Black parents’ child rearing; Black crossover youth; Black families’ mental health  

Allahon earned her B.S. in Criminal Justice with a minor in Family Studies from the University of Nebraska Kearney, and an M.S. in Child, Youth, and Family Studies from University of Nebraska Lincoln. She was awarded a McKnight Doctoral Fellowship from the 91ÉçÇø Education Fund. Allahon researches the dynamics of intergenerational trauma in African American families. Her goal is to create an evidence-based strengths-based program tailored to address the educational/mental health needs of BIPOC families and promote resilience, positive family dynamics, and healthy, culturally rooted child rearing practices. This research will provide a foundation of support for an underserved population to thrive under cultural oppression. 


CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/bailey-allahon.pdf

Mina Davari

Mina Davari
Graduate Research Assistant
M.Sc. in Community Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
B.Sc. in Nutrition Science, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. 

Research Areas: Obesity and Eating Behaviors in Pediatric Cancer Survivors

Mina Davari is a Ph.D. student in Behavioral and Community Sciences within the Department of Child and Family Studies at the 91ÉçÇø. Currently, she is a graduate assistant on National Institutes of Health grant awarded to Dr. Marilyn Stern. Her previous research mainly focused on type 2 diabetes and her current research interests are nutrition- and health-related behaviors, obesity and eating behaviors in survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer. Mina hopes that her research helps her to better understand obesogenic behavioral patterns in pediatric cancer

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/davari-mina.pdf

Emilie Ellenberg

Emilie Ellenberg
M.A. in Rehabilitation & Mental Health Counseling, Graduate Certificate in Addictions & Eating Disorders, 91ÉçÇø, 2012 
B.A. in Psychology, Minor in Behavioral Healthcare, 91ÉçÇø, 2010

Research Areas: Unmet mental health needs of persons with chronic illness; health disparities in behavioral health; substance misuse 

Emilie is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (MH#13313) and 91ÉçÇø Certified Addictions Professional (CAP#5796). Emilie has worked in the field of mental health for over ten years. Emilie has specialty training in eating disorders, addictions, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Emilie returned to USF as an instructor for the department of Mental Health Law & Policy in August, 2020. In the past, Emilie has worked as Program Director of a Forensic Residential Treatment Facility and in all levels of mental health care including community-based care, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, and residential. Driven by experience in therapeutic practice, Emilie’s current research now aims provide mental health care to all persons, especially the disadvantaged such as the chronically ill. Working under Dr. Kathleen Moore, she has been conducting qualitative research on barriers to accessing care in the Tampa Bay area.

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/ellenberg-emilie.pdf

Brooke Haney

Brooke Haney
B.S. in Psychology, University of Tampa
B.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Tampa

Research Areas: Substance Use and Co-occurring Disorders, Criminal Justice and Recidivism

Brooke Haney is a Graduate Student Success Fellow in the Behavioral and Community Sciences Ph.D. program. Originally from Southern Maryland, Brooke came to Tampa where she earned her Bachelor of Science degrees in both Psychology and Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Tampa. She is an alumna of the Summer Research Institute at the 91ÉçÇø Mental Health Institute and previously worked as a Research Support Specialist in the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy. In addition, she worked as a contractor determining recidivism for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Problem-Solving Courts. Brooke is particularly interested in quantitative data analysis of substance use and co-occurring disorders as well as their interactions with criminal justice outcomes. She is also interested in epidemiological research pertaining to the prevalence and incidence of substance use and co-occurring disorders. 

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/haney-brooke.pdf

Jocelyn Jarvis

Jocelyn Jarvis
B.S. in Psychology and Philosophy, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Research areas: Health disparities; mental and behavioral health; marginalized populations; adolescent and young adult; program development and evaluation

Jocelyn graduated in 2021 with her bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Philosophy, with certificates in Quantitative Social Data Analysis and Cultures and Communities, at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is a McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement scholar, and currently a Graduate Student Success Fellowship awardee. Her current research interests are to investigate health disparities, especially with regards to mental and behavioral health in adolescents and young adults who are apart of marginalized groups. She is especially interested in community-based program development and implementation. Jocelyn is currently working on projects investigating health disparities, food insecurity, and mental health under the guidance of Drs. Linda Callejas and Marilyn Stern. Ultimately, she aims to provide culturally informed mental and behavioral health programming for adolescents and young adults who are apart of marginalized populations. For further information, you may contact Jocelyn at her USF email address (jarvis10@usf.edu).

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/jarvis-jocelyn.pdf

Fall 2023 Cohort
Juliana Cortes

Juliana Cortes
J.D., University of Puerto Rico
M.S. in Clinical Psychology, Carlos Albizu University
B.A. in Psychology, 91ÉçÇø International University

Juliana Cortes is a recipient of the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship and was accepted to USF’s Behavioral and Community Sciences PhD program Fall 2023. She was born in St. Petersburg, 91ÉçÇø and was raised in Puerto Rico. After graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from 91ÉçÇø International University, she returned to Puerto Rico and finished her Masters in Science in Clinical Psychology graduating with Distinction. Juliana worked as a vocational evaluator, and later on as a family assessment specialist at the Miami Dade County Drug Court. Working at Drug Court, she discovered her passion for law and went on to graduate magna cum laude from the night program at the University of Puerto Rico, School of Law. Juliana has been practicing Employment Law in Tampa, 91ÉçÇø since 2016. 

Juliana’s research interest is the destigmatization of mental health illness within the legal community. Attorneys are at high risk of developing mental health issues to the degree that within the top ten causes of death is suicide. Her goal is to develop empirically based interventions for attorneys experiencing mental health issues by destigmatizing and increasing the utilization of treatment services.

Sahar Heydari

Sahar Heydari
M.S in Nutrition Science, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
B.S in Nutrition Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Research area: Diet and Nutrition in the etiology and prevention of cancer, Food insecurity, Hunger

Sahar is a Behavioral and Community Sciences Ph.D. student at the University of South 91ÉçÇø. She worked in a specialized cancer hospital for four years and conducted some accomplishments, including establishing nutritional treatment plans in the ICU and the cancer ward, training various groups of doctors, nurses, and patients, educating nutritionists and updating nutrition guidelines, among others. Sahar also collaborated on two research projects on Breast Cancer and Leukemia. She is currently a graduate assistant on a National Institutes of Health grant awarded to Dr. Marilyn Stern. Her research goals are to address food insecurity among patients with cancer and the community overall. Sahar’s ultimate goal is to seek to end and eliminate hunger across the world. 

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/heydari-sahar.pdf

Christine Hugh

Christine Hugh
M.S. in Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health, USF. 
B.A. in Sociology,  Manhattanville College 

Research areas: Developmental disabilities; Best practices in employment and transition support for neurodiverse youth and adults. 

Christine Hugh is a Behavioral and Community Sciences Ph.D. student. She also received her M.S. in Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health from USF. Presently, she serves as the Program Director for LAUNCH at USF, housed under the 91ÉçÇø Center for Inclusive Communities (FCIC) in the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences. During her time with LAUNCH, she’s developed and expanded several programs that promote successful employment and higher education outcomes for adults on the spectrum. Originally from New York, Christine moved to Tampa in 2014, where she began working with LAUNCH. Before her move, Christine provided person-centered case management, job coaching, career counseling, placement, and retention services to adults with disabilities and histories of incarceration. 

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/hugh-christine.pdf

Cleo Morris

Cleo Morris 
B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University
M.T. Early & Elementary Education, Virginia Commonwealth University

Research Area: Childhood and Adolescent Trauma Impacts in Academic Settings; Trauma-Informed Learning; Behavioral Evaluation in Schools. 

Cleo Morris is a Ph.D. student in the Behavioral and Community Sciences program at the Univerity of South 91ÉçÇø. Cleo earned her Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Studies and Master's in Teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her research is focused on childhood and adolescent trauma's impact on students' behavior and achievement in academic settings. After earning certifications in Behavior Intervention and Support and Child Abuse and Neglect, Cleo created individualized learning and care programs for students experiencing various traumas at home. Cleo was able to restructure the classroom curriculum and schedule to provide students with trauma-informed resources that positively impacted their learning and behavior. Upon exiting the classroom, Cleo created culturally responsive educational recourses focused on mental health initiatives. 

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/morris-cleo.pdf

Jeffrey Sargent

Dr. Jeffrey Sargent OTD, OTR/L
B.S Health Sciences 91ÉçÇø
Doctorate, Occupational Therapy Gannon University

Research Areas: Community Reintegration with a focus on military and veteran population with and without TBI; Occupational Identity

Dr. Jeffrey Sargent OTD, OTR/L is a Doctoral Student in the Behavioral and Community Sciences Ph.D. program at the 91ÉçÇø (USF). Dr. Sargent previously served in the Army Infantry for 13 years with several tours in Iraq. After service, he completed his bachelor’s in health sciences at USF. In 2016 he was awarded the prestigious Pat Tillman Scholarship, and Berkman Scholarship. He completed clinical doctorate at Gannon University in occupational therapy. He currently works at the James A. Haley VA hospital where he evaluates and treats active-duty special operations members. He will be transitioning to the VA’s HUD-VASH program which serves the homeless population. Dr. Sargent has published several articles focusing on occupational therapy graduate student’s perceptions of research, and community reintegration for the co-occurring forensic population. He is also assisting with several active research projects in the VA. 

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/sargent-jeffrey.pdf

Estefania Simon

Estefania Simon
M.A. in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling , 91ÉçÇø 
B.A. in Psychology, 91ÉçÇø
B.S. in Behavioral Healthcare with a concentration in Applied Behavioral Analysis, 91ÉçÇø 
Minor in Women and Gender Studies, 91ÉçÇø

Research areas: Intersections of disability and the criminal justice system

Estefania received a B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Behavioral Healthcare with a concentration in Applied Behavioral Analysis with a minor in Women and Gender Studies from the 91ÉçÇø. She received a Masters degree in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling in 2020. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and Certified Vocational Evaluator (CVE). She is an RSA scholar and was awarded a McKnight Doctoral Fellowship from the 91ÉçÇø Education Fund. Estefania's research on the intersection of disability and the justice system is aimed at understanding and addressing the unique challenges and barriers that individuals with disabilities face within the legal and criminal justice systems. By focusing on this area, Estefania aims to shed light on the various issues that contribute to the marginalization and disadvantage experienced by people with disabilities in the justice system. She ultimately wishes to improve the lives of people with disabilities through impactful policy changes. 

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/simon-estefania.pdf

Ciara Spivey

Ciara Spivey
B.A. in Psychology, 91ÉçÇø 

Research Areas: Reducing stigma surrounding behavioral health through development and evaluation of stigma-reduction programs

Ciara Spivey is a Behavioral and Community Sciences Ph.D. student at the University of South 91ÉçÇø. She previously earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at USF and also joined the Stigma Action Research (STAR) Lab as a Graduate Research Assistant working with Dr. Kristin Kosyluk. Ciara’s research experience in the STAR Lab has been concentrated on reducing the stigma surrounding behavioral health conditions through her work on the Up To Me project, a disclosure-based program that focuses on self-stigma regarding mental health challenges in college students (funded by NIDILRR). Her research goals and interests are to continue to reduce stigma surrounding mental health and create real-world impact concerning at-risk populations, including children, college students, and domestic violence victims.

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/spivey-ciara.pdf

Sierra Tentis

Sierra Tentis
M.P.H. with a concentration in Behavioral Health, 91ÉçÇø
B.A. in Political Science and Justice & Peace Studies, University of St. Thomas

Research Areas: Health Disparities, Implications of Trauma Exposure And Interventions, Comorbid Behavioral Health Disorders

Sierra Tentis is a graduate student in the Behavioral and Community Sciences Ph.D. program at the 91ÉçÇø. She earned a B.A. in Political Science and Justice & Peace Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2020 and an M.P.H. at the 91ÉçÇø in 2023. She currently works with Dr. Amber Gum on a grant comparing two forms of intervention for older adults with depression. Her research interests include health disparities, trauma exposure and suitable interventions, and comorbid conditions associated with mental health disorders. Additionally, Sierra is interested in program evaluation and mixed-methods research. 

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/tentis-sierra.pdf

Fall 2024 cohort
Elizabeth Broome

Elizabeth (Betsy) Broome
M.Ed in Early Childhood Education Curriculum and Instruction, University of South 91ÉçÇø
B.A. in Psychology, 91ÉçÇø

Research Areas: Early Literacy Instruction, early intervention creation and implementation, multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), Pyramid Model, Practice-Based Coaching support.

Betsy Broome is a Doctoral Student in the Behavioral and Community Sciences Ph.D. program at the 91ÉçÇø, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences. Betsy graduated with her M.Ed. in 2008 from the 91ÉçÇø, College of Education and has been working in early childhood education as a teacher, resource support and coach ever since. Betsy currently works as a Learning and Development Facilitator in the Child Language and Literacy Lab conducting research in early literacy in preschool classrooms. She is currently working on two projects as a Literacy Coach; an Efficacy of Story Friends focusing on vocabulary and oral language instruction, and a development grant focusing on Early Childhood Professional Development in MTSS. Betsy is particularly interested in providing support to early childhood teachers and improving child outcomes.

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/broome-elizabeth.pdf

Daryl L. Gaston

Daryl L. Gaston
M.S. in Criminal Justice Administration, Keuka College
B.S. in Organizational Management, Roberts Wesleyan College

Research areas: Overcoming organizational and systemic barriers; How Black and Brown justice involved men can overcome barriers; Evaluating systemic and organizational barriers.

Daryl L. Gaston, M.S., is a first year PhD student in Behavioral and Community Sciences program, at the 91ÉçÇø. He is a retired police Sergeant from the Rochester Police Department, Rochester, New York. His research interest is in criminal justice exposed Black and Brown men, who experience barriers within organizations, as they work through those organizations. The goal of his research is to identity any barriers within organizations and develop strategies to overcome those barriers. Daryl hopes through his research is to create a pathway for a better life for justice involved Black and Brown men, reduce recidivism; therefore, becoming model citizens and creating a pathway for productive lives.

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/gaston-daryl.pdf

 

Kayleigh Faber
Master of Public Health with an emphasis on Rural and Underserved Populations, Oklahoma State University
B.S in Psychology, Oklahoma State University

Research Areas: Harm Reduction in Substance Use, mental Health & co-occurring disorders, community-based interventions, underserved populations

Kayleigh Faber is a Doctoral student pursuing her Ph.D. in Behavioral and Community Sciences. She received her Master of Public Health from Oklahoma State University (OSU) with a concentration on Rural and Underserved Populations. Through her schooling, she served as a Project Coordinator within the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department at OSU for a grant awarded by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to provide mental health awareness training. Her commitment to addiction education and awareness ushered her into her new role working as a research assistant on the Families Facing the Future program under the mentorship of Dr. Khary Rigg.

Kayleigh will be advised by Dr. Khary Rigg and Dr. Kathleen Moore throughout the duration of her studies as a Doctoral student. Her research interests encompass topics namely related to harm reduction approaches that are targeted to individuals who use substances. She strives to implement community-based interventions and conduct research with the goal of influencing policy in the social justice sector.

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/faber-kayleigh.pdf

Mykenzie King

Mykenzie King
M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Northwestern University
B.A. in Psychology, 91ÉçÇø St. Petersburg

Research areas: Mental health stigma, women's mental health, reproductive rights

I am a mental health counselor and motivational interviewer. I have provided therapy to a wide range of people and issues. In my work I have noticed how deeply the stigma of mental health affects someone's life. Additionally, I have found just how limited the resources are for women dealing with reproductive issues and the stigma that accompanies it. My goal is to connect my research in mental health stigma of reproductive issues with needs in therapy that are not being met and provide better mental health services to women struggling.

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/king-mykenzie.pdf

Zena Rodill

Zena Rodill
B.S. in Behavioral Healthcare, 91ÉçÇø
Undergraduate Research Certificate, 91ÉçÇø

Research areas: Community psychology, multiculturalism, post-traumatic growth, co-occurring disorders, and implementation science

Zena Rodill is a doctoral student in the Behavioral and Community Sciences (BCS) program within the Department of Mental Health Law & Policy (MHLP). She enters the BCS program as a Summer Research Institute at 91ÉçÇø Mental Health Institute (SRI@FMHI) graduate. Her research background includes parent perspectives on substance-induced mental health symptoms, positive healthcare experiences among gender and sexual minority groups, and qualitative study design. Zena plans to engage in community-based research with underrepresented cultural groups on growth from generational trauma, social factors associated with service access, and implementation of behavioral health prevention programs. She receives academic funding from the 91ÉçÇø Education Fund’s McKnight Doctoral Fellowship for 5 years in the BCS program.

CV: /cbcs/documents/bcs-students-cv/rodill-zena.pdf