Hyeeun Chung is a second year Family Science doctoral student from Korea. She earned her B.A. in Consumer and Child Studies from Seoul National University. She also earned her M.S. in Child Development and Family Studies from Seoul National University. Hyeeun has worked on a Multicultural Families Support team as a desk officer at the Headquarters of Healthy Family Support Centers. She also has worked at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA), a government-affiliated organization, focused on low birth rate and aging. Hyeeun's Master's thesis investigated intentions of a having a second child by employment status of married women. Her current research interests include work and family, child care, family policy and fathering. In her spare time, Hyeeun enjoys working out, cooking and spending time with her husband.

Emily Cook is a third year Family Science doctoral candidate from Montgomery Village, Maryland.  She earned a B.A. with Highest Honors in Psychology from Emory University and a M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy from the University of Maryland. Emily's master’s thesis investigated the impacts of trauma symptoms on maternal parenting and child psychological health. Her dissertation will examine the impacts of deployment on active duty military couples' marital satisfaction using longitudinal data from the Department of Defense. Emily currently serves as Project Director for the Maryland Veterans Resilience Initiative, a two year grant that partners the University of Maryland School of Public Health with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She also works in a private practice as a licensed couple and family therapist. In her time away from clients and work, Emily enjoys spending time in the company of her husband and friends, exploring new local restaurants, and reading novels.

Jessica DiBari is a third year Maternal and Child Health doctoral candidate from Northport, New York. She earned a B.A. in Public Health and her M.H.S. in Environmental Health Science from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Jessica has worked for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) contributing to the planning and implementation of the National Children’s Study, a longitudinal study looking at environmental exposures in pregnancy through 21 years of age. She has an interest in prenatal exposures and their impact on early childhood growth and development, health education, and translational research. Jessica's dissertation is on the developmental origins of obesity. In her free time Jessica enjoys playing soccer.

Laurén Doamekpor is a fourth year Maternal and Child Health Ph.D. candidate from Ghana. She was born in Jerusalem and grew up on the island of Cyprus. She earned her B.A. in Biology from Brandeis University in Massachusetts and her M.P.H. in Maternal and Child Health from The George Washington University. Laurén has always been interested in health research and has had the opportunity to work in a variety of different settings. She has worked at Brigham and Women’s hospital conducting clinical research on circadian rhythms and cardiovascular health and also at the University of Ghana’s Institute of Statistical, Social, and Economic Research (ISSER) on various needs assessments and program development projects. Most recently, Laurén worked with the GWU Health Policy Department on immunization policy, women’s reproductive health, and implementation plans for D.C. Medicaid and sister agencies. Her current research interests include the social determinants of sexual and reproductive health, particularly with respect to decision making and autonomy. Her dissertation is focused on understanding the reasons behind immigrant health patterns in the U.S. Laurén’s special interests include all reality television shows, traveling, foosball, and she is a budding master chef who enjoys cooking in her spare time.

Patty Fanflik is a fifth year Family Science doctoral candidate and a native of Maryland. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Palm Beach Atlantic University, a Master's of Science in Human Development and Family Science from Kansas State University, and a Master's of Arts in Sociology from Southern Illinois University. Patty spent six years as deputy director of the Office of Research and Evaluation at the National District Attorneys Association/American Prosecutors Research Institute. She is also a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Patty's research experience has included large-scale national surveys, experimental and quasi-experimental investigations, and qualitative case studies. Her research interests include the interface of law and mental health issues, family and individual coping strategies following violent crime, and family violence. Outside of school and work, Patty loves traveling, spending time with her family and friends, and having fun outdoors with her dog, Piggy.

Amanda Ginter is a third year Family Science doctoral candidate from Cincinnati, Ohio. She attended Miami University for both her bachelor’s and master's degrees. Amanda earned a B.A in both Classical Languages and Women’s Studies (with a focus on sexuality and social systems) and an M.S. in Family Studies. Her Master’s Thesis examined the consequences of mothers’ breast cancer experiences for their adult daughters’ intimate relationships. Prior to attending the University of Maryland, Amanda conducted research on breast cancer and obstetric issues in a variety of academic and hospital settings. She has also conducted research with FMSC faculty on health messages for rural, low-income women as well as the relationship between smoking and postpartum depression. Amanda’s research interests include coping methods for breast cancer patients and their families, HPV vaccine usage, health literacy, and bioethics. She is currently working on her dissertation, a qualitative study that explores how single women navigate breast cancer diagnoses, treatment, recovery, and survivorship. In her spare time, Amanda enjoys knitting, reading, and yoga.

Sherylls Kahn is a second year Family Science doctoral student from Los Angeles, CA. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Pomona College and a M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy from the University of Maryland, College Park. Her Masters Thesis explored the effectiveness of couple therapy for improving well-being in aggressive couples. Sherylls’ main research interests include sibling relationships and family conflict, as well as issues affecting immigrant families. She previously worked as a senior research assistant at Child Trends, a non-profit research organization focused on issues affecting children and their families. Sherylls currently works as a research assistant at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine for a qualitative study investigating the impact of couple conflict on children. She also works on a project focused on improving early childhood classroom quality in the District of Columbia. In her spare time, Sherylls enjoys cooking, watching reality television, learning new things, and exploring new places with her husband and their super cute dog, Oliver.

Tiffani Stevenson Lloyd, a fourth year Family Science doctoral candidate, is a graduate of the CFT Masters program. She is from Fruit Heights, Utah, and she graduated with honors from Brigham Young University with a B.S. in Psychology. As an undergraduate, she assisted in research exploring the link between immigration and heart health, and she also conducted research for her honors thesis which investigated the theoretical implications of a theistic approach to psychotherapy. She spent 4 months in Romania conducting qualitative research and providing therapy for institutionalized children, and 18 months in Venezuela working as a missionary helping families and individuals. Tiffani currently works as a Marriage and Family Therapist in her own private practice in Rockville, Maryland and she is working towards becoming a certified AAMFT supervisor. Tiffani's disseration is on the relationship of religious beliefs and mental health, specifically for African Americans. Other research interests include the relationships, experiences, and mental health of single adults. Outside of school, Tiffani enjoys singing with the National Philharmonic Chorus, gardening and enjoying the outdoors, running and training for competitive races, and cooking and sampling new and exciting cuisine in excellent restaurants. She also enjoys spending time with her husband, family and friends.

Ronneal Matthews is a first year Maternal and Child Health doctoral student from Oklahoma City, OK. She earned her B.S. in Community Health from the University of Central Oklahoma and her MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She has 11 years of experience in the field of public health. Most of her work has been in chronic disease prevention, sexual and reproductive health and Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR). She has worked primarily as a Project Manager conducting program planning, implementation, curriculum development and evaluation. Her current clinical and research interests include sexual and reproductive health of African American women and girls with an emphasis on how intergenerational programs and interventions can impact sexual and reproductive health. Ronneal loves singing, cooking, reading novels, writing poetry and short stories (writing a novel is on her bucket list), playing computer games, going to the park with her kids, going to the movies and going to live music events (especially jazz, deep house & soul). She loves reading Young Adult fiction like Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games, etc. She has two beautiful girls, Journey (8) and Inaya Freedom (5) and a wonderful husband Joseph who is also in graduate school.                                                   

Lauren Messina is a third year Family Science doctoral candidate. She is originally from New Rochelle, NY and graduated from Villanova University with a B.A. in Communications. Lauren earned her M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy from the University of Maryland. She has worked as a research assistant with the Food Stamp Nutrition Education program as well as with the Fathers and Sons in Transit project. Her research interests include applied, intervention and prevention research on parenting, family health behaviors, childhood and adolescent health and mental health, and family resilience. She is involved in several projects which explore the parental processes of feeding and interacting with children about food and meals. Clinically, Lauren is interested in therapeutic systemic approaches to working with parents and children. Her dissertation is titled "Parenting Adolescents with Depression: Diagnoses, Treatment, and Resilience." Lauren has also served on the Executive Committee of the Public Health Garden, as a mentor to undergraduate students through the Graduate Student Government Mentorship program, and as the Outreach Coordinator of Maryland Council on Family Relations. In her free time, she enjoys watching documentaries, traveling to visit family and friends, gardening, and cooking.

Hoda Sana is a second year Maternal and Child Health doctoral student from Iowa. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Creighton University and M.P.H. from George Washington University, with a specific focus in Maternal and Child Health. Hoda has worked as a drug researcher at Boystown Research Hospital; a project facilitator for a smoking cessation project in Sioux City, Iowa; an executive coordinator on a project in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, to establish proper facilities to promote women’s education; and a researcher on high risk patient outcomes in mobile clinics in Kabul, Afghanistan. She desires to continue her studies and research on maternal and child health in third world countries. In her spare time, Hoda enjoys reading comics, flying kites, playing sports (played Rugby during undergraduate career), traveling, and participating in other outdoor activities.

Maya Foster is a first year Couple and Family Therapy masters student from Silver Spring, MD. She earned a B.A. in Psychology and Public Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Maya also completed a senior thesis to graduate with honors. She worked two part-time jobs through college. She served as co-president to UNC Student Parent Association and also served on a university government committee, The Chancellor's Child Care Advisory Committee, where she was able to successfully change a local policy regarding the administration of scholarship funds. She worked as a research assistant in a social psychology laboratory at UNC. She also interned in Washington D.C. at The Center for Youth and Family Investment. Her clinical and research interests include the secondary effects of social policy, specifically, how policies shape family decisions, structure, identity, and value. She is also interested in blended families, fatherhood, absent parents, and childhood trauma. She loves HGTV, food TV, cooking, and fishing on the weekends with her daughter. She also makes and sells upholstered headboards. She was recently honored by Jill Biden who presented her with an award for perseverance!

Erin Sande Levenberg is a first year Couple and Family Therapy masters student from Reno, Nevada. She graduated from the City University of New York (CUNY) Baruch College with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Spanish. Most recently Erin worked as an Adult Literacy instructor at the YWCA in Washington DC. Her research interests include the affects of diagnosis, substance abuse, and adult attachment. Before pursuing a graduate degree, Erin worked at a mental health outpatient clinic where she created group therapy curriculum and co-authored a guided journal for an adolescent day-treatment program. She enjoys yoga, running, hiking, cooking, camping, and her family. Erin also loves incredibly spicy food!

Kira Roerig is a first year Couple and Family Therapy masters student from Oregon. She majored in Therapeutic Recreation with a minor in Psychology from Brigham Young University. Kira has worked as a camp counselor at an outdoors camp for youth at-risk. She has volunteered in Spain, sharing a religious message and volunteering within the communities she lived in. She has also worked for a year training other young adults who would do the same type of service in other Spanish speaking countries. Kira has worked at a therapeutic boarding school for adolescent boys with Asperger’s and worked primarily with the students in the school’s transition program (getting ready to graduate from High School and move on to adult life). She has been employed as a coach, helping students learn about colleges, careers, how to cook and clean and interact with others socially and was concurrently interning as a Recreation Therapist at the same school. Kira is interested in adolescents and parenting, particularly in the transition adolescents and their families make when an adolescent returns home after being in an adolescent treatment facility. She loves to be outdoors, running, hiking, and down-hill skiing. Kira also enjoys art, culture and food.

Russel Rogers is a first year Couple and Family Therapy masters student from Frederick, Maryland. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.S. in Psychology and an M.B.A. He studied Organizational Behavior in a doctoral program at the University of Minnesota, completing all but the dissertation. He has worked as a Human Resources professional and executive compensation consultant. Russel's current research interests include resilience following trauma and comparative effectiveness of alternative mood disorder treatments. He enjoys racquetball, spending time with family, hiking, and reading.

Shana Simkin is a first year Couple and Family Therapy masters student from Newton, Massachusetts. She graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in Child and Family Studies, with minors in Psychology and Spanish. Shana also spent a semester studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain. She previously worked as a senior research assistant at Child Trends, a non-profit research organization focused on issues affecting children and their families. She has also worked at a domestic violence agency as well as a mental health day treatment program for children. Her research and clinical interests include resiliency, family communication, emotional intelligence, and relationship dynamics. In her spare time, Shana enjoys dancing, singing, staying active, and spending time with family and friends.

Jennifer Young is a first year Couple and Family Therapy masters student from Madison, Wisconsin. She earned her bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Chinese at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Jennifer also earned her master’s degree at The Ohio State University in East Asian Languages and Literatures with a Chinese Language Specialty. Her thesis topic was Chinese-American Couples: cultural difference and marital satisfaction. She has interned at Beijing Normal University’s Family Therapy Center. She has also worked as the Operations Manager of the Care for Children Special Needs School and Family Services Clinic in Beijing helping children and families find the resources they need in China. She is interested in intercultural families, multilingual counseling practices, and family therapy in developing countries. Jennifer is passionate about traveling and photography. In her free time, she enjoys biking, board games, and being outdoors. 

Le Zheng is a first year Couple and Family Therapy masters student originally from China. She graduated from Beijing International Studies University with a B.A. in Spanish, and a minor in Management. Le has previously worked at the Mental Health Association of Connecticut as a community educator. Her current research interests include cross-cultural communications and relationships, intergenerational problems experienced by families, and adolescent development. In her spare time, Le enjoys music, movies, traveling, having new experiences, cooking, iPad games, and spending time with family and friends.