Current Student Profiles

Robin Branco
B.A., University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
MSW, Boston University Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Research Interests: Addiction,stigma surrounding addiction, social constructivism,trauma and resiliency, cultural factors that impact coping, social oppression of women

Jina Chang
MSW, Columbia University
Research Interests: cultural, environmental and social factors that affect the health of Asian American and European American youths in the United States

Julie Devasia
MPH, UMass in Amherst
Research Interests: HIV patients’ adherence to antiretroviral medication

Alison Drew
A.B., Harvard College
Ed.M, Harvard
Research Interests: youth mentoring best practices

Sarah B. Garlington
B.A., Sarah Lawrence College
M.S.S.W., University of Tennessee
M.Phil. (Ecumenics), Trinity College, Dublin
Research Interests: social welfare policy development, cross national comparisons of welfare policy, social values, the role of religion in the public sphere, structural oppression

Natallie A. Gentles
BSc., University of the West Indies (Mona, Jamaica)
MSW, University of the West Indies (Mona, Jamaica)
Research Interests: child and family mental health programs and policies, the welfare state, families involved with child welfare services, migration and second culture acquisition

Jessica Greenawalt
B.A., Boston University
MSW, California State University, East Bay
Research Interests: Participatory Action Research, community organizing, legislative advocacy, child welfare policy, foster care policy, immigration policy, structural inequalities, institutional racism

Rick Hall
BSSW, Marist College
MSW,Fordham University
MA (Criminal Justice), University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor
ACSW – Academy of Certified Social Workers (NASW)
Research Interests: Addiction, evidence-based treatment practices for addiction, applications of motivational interviewing, program development in addiction and dual diagnosis treatment, improving access to addiction treatment, role of pharmacotherapy in addiction treatment

Annie Herriott
B.A, University of Wisconsin, Madison
M.S., Erikson Institute in Chicago
Research Interests: child welfare policy, anxiety disorders, poverty, family violence, childhood development

Bronwyn Keefe
MPH, Boston University
MSW, Boston University
BA, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Research Interests: gerontology, geriatric education and training, research methodology, social and health policy

Ivy Krull
B.A., Harvard
MSW, Boston University
Research Interests: Social and health policy; the welfare state, health and socioeconomic disparities; cultural competence; child welfare

Alvin S. Lee
B.A., California State University, Long Beach
MSW, University of Pennsylvania
Research Interests: youth and adolescent mental health, mental health access and utilization, cultural factors that impact the experience of mental illnesses as it pertains to service utilization

Maxwell Levis
M.Div, Harvard
Research Interests: clinical testing technologies, psychometrics, multiculturally sensitive psychoassessments, comparative religious approaches to mental health

Michelle Novelle
B.A. Union College
MSW, Boston University
Research Interests: Social Orphans and the factors that place children at risk for this phenomenon such as early entry into adult roles, armed conflict and poverty. Research interests also include issues related to foster care and adoption and the inclusion of children’s voices in the research process.

Anna Rosales
BA, California State University, Dominguez Hills
MA (Psychology), Pepperdine University
MSW, California State University, Long Beach
Research Interests: Intersection of child welfare policies and immigration policies in regards to Latino immigrants; foster care policy; nonprofits and governmental organizations; organizational theory; structural theory and oppression

Toni Tugenberg
BA, Pomona College
M.Ed, Harvard Graduate School of Education
MSW, Boston University
Research Interests: Death and dying; Communication around end-of-life decisions; Mental health services research; Treatment for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia; Qualitative research methodology

Yut Yang
B.A., Providence College
M.S.W., Rhode Island College
Research Interests: Southeast Asian youth and family outcomes, health and mental health disparities, youth risk behaviors, mentoring relations, social welfare policy