School of Social Work hosts trio of VITAL scholars

UB’s Visiting Future Faculty program welcomes its fourth class of VITAL scholars, showcasing the university’s research and teaching opportunities to promising doctoral students in hopes of increasing the ranks of faculty at UB from traditionally underrepresented populations in North America.

Developed by the Office of the Provost and the Office of Inclusive Excellence, the program this year brings 35 scholars from 28 institutions from throughout the U.S., including Stanford, Yale, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Northwestern and University of Southern California, to name a few. The scholars are on campus Oct. 13-17.

While the scholars are here, UB scholars and professors will explain research and teaching opportunities at the university, and support them as the next generation of faculty. The 35 VITAL scholars are being hosted by faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Education, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, School of Nursing, School of Social Work, School of Dental Medicine and the School of Public Health and Health Professions.

All 35 scholars — ABD (all but dissertation) candidates in doctoral programs in any field who intend to pursue academic careers — are involved in research activities across a broad range of disciplines ranging from the humanities to STEM fields.

During their UB visit, the VITAL scholars will have the opportunity to present their research, cultivate relationships with UB faculty and graduate students, build community with other VITAL scholars and experience Buffalo’s rich history and culture. The scholars will get a tour of Buffalo curated by Kerry L. Traynor, clinical assistant professor of urban and regional planning, School of Architecture and Planning.

“VITAL is an important part of UB’s commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence,” says Seval Yildirim, vice provost for inclusive excellence.

“One of only a few of its kind in the nation, the VITAL program contributes to ensuring that doctoral candidates of color will have every opportunity to develop as future scholars and faculty.

“Having experienced our UB hospitality and learned about the Buffalo region, the VITAL scholars will also serve as ambassadors for UB in the broader academy,” says Yildirim. “It is exciting to see that VITAL scholars from previous years have given very positive feedback about the program.”

Although VITAL is not a formal recruitment program, to date, the following six VITAL scholars are now UB employees:

•  Isabel Anadon, assistant professor, Department of Sociology and Criminology, College of Arts and Sciences.
• Gladys Camacho Rios, visiting assistant professor, Department of Linguistics, College of Arts and Sciences.
• Brittany Jones, assistant professor, Department of Learning and Instruction, Graduate School of Education.
• Adedoyin Inaolaji, assistant professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
• Daniela Goya-Tocchetto, assistant professor, Department of Organization and Human Resources, School of Management.
• Waylon Wilson, project staff associate, Dean’s Office, College of Arts and Sciences.

Additionally, two VITAL Scholars from the 2023 cohort have accepted offers to be 2024 SUNY PRODiG+ fellows at UB: Quintin Gorman Jr., Department of Sociology and Criminology, and Khadejah Ray, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy.

This year’s VITAL scholars:

Heba Alex, sociology, University of Chicago

Alex is a political and legal sociologist who studies evaluation processes in areas such as occupations, organizations and courts. Her work has been funded by the Pozen Center and W. Allison Davis Graduate Research Award at the University of Chicago and the American Bar Foundation Fellowship.

Madison Allen Kuyenga, learning and instruction, Michigan State University

Allen Kuyenga is a PhD candidate in educational psychology and educational technology at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on integrating indigenous, vernacular and computational knowledge into technologies that center cultural heritage, diversity and equity.

Özlü Aran, psychology, University of Denver

Aran (she/her/hers) is a postdoctoral researcher in the REID lab at Northeastern University. She completed her PhD in developmental and child psychology with a concentration in developmental cognitive neuroscience at the University of Denver in summer 2024. Previously, she received her BS in psychology and MS in developmental psychology at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey, and spent a year as a Fulbright visiting scholar in the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota.

Da’Ja’Nay Askew, educational leadership and policy, Indiana University Bloomington

Askew is a PhD candidate in higher education and student affairs at Indiana University, where she also holds minors in human development and certificates in quantitative and qualitative research and institutional research. Her dissertation critically examines the impact of faculty relations and civic engagement on Black students’ success and social integration at private liberal arts institutions. Askew brings more than a decade of experience in teaching, program development and consulting, focusing on equitable practices, anti-racist pedagogy and social justice.

Megan Awwad, Indigenous studies, University of Southern California

Awwad is a Palestinian scholar and PhD candidate in American studies and ethnicity at the University of Southern California. She earned a MA in environment and community from California State Polytechnic Institute, Humboldt. Her research interests lie in Indigenous studies, critical environmental studies, carceral studies and Palestine studies. Focusing on settler colonialism and colonial environmental initiatives, Awwad’s work examines the dispossession and marginalization of Indigenous Palestinians, shedding light on the impacts of these systems on both land and community.

Faizun Bakth (she/her/hers), psychology, Wayne State University

Bakth is a fifth-year PhD candidate in developmental science at Wayne State University. Using multiple longitudinal methodologies, her research focuses on how adolescents’ positive and negative peer experiences shape their health, identity and academic performance. Her research has been published at outlets including Sleep Health, Journal of Research on Adolescence, Development and Psychopathology, Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology and School Mental Health. Bakth has also received multiple Wayne State awards in recognition of her teaching and research.

Maalvika Bhat, communication, Northwestern University

Bhat is a PhD candidate in technology and social behavior, a dual PhD program in computer science and communications at Northwestern University. Her research spans two distinct areas. First, the designing of explainable AI experiences that bridge the gap between complex algorithms and users, with a particular focus on how algorithmic trade-offs impact AI literacy and governance. Second, Bhat studies online knowledge networks, investigating the creation and diffusion of information in digital spaces. She received her BS in computing from Olin College of Engineering.

Marissa Carmi, Indigenous studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Carmi (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin) is associate director of the American Indian Center and a PhD candidate in the Department of American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research explores the multidimensionality of Oneida sovereignty in the 20th century and Oneida intellectual history. In her role at the American Indian Center, Carmi is responsible for building campus partnerships and developing community-driven initiatives to advance UNC’s capacity to serve Native nations across the state and beyond. Previously, she worked for the Administration for Native Americans, where she now serves as a consultant.

Nicole Conteras-García, educational leadership and policy, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Contreras-García is a PhD candidate in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She uses qualitative and mixed methods with the goal of identifying holistic supports for, and in collaboration with, racially and ethnically minoritized community college students. Contreras-García is a community college graduate, having received her AA from Rio Hondo College. She is also a former McNair research scholar and received her BA in sociology from University of California Los Angeles and MS in educational leadership and policy analysis at UW-Madison.

Giovanna Denucci, restorative dentistry, Indiana University School of Dentistry

Denucci is a Brazilian DDS, MSc and PhD candidate in dental sciences at the Indiana University School of Dentistry. With a passion for preventive dentistry, her research focuses on erosive tooth wear with a particular emphasis on non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs). She aims to deepen the understanding of NCCLs etiology, early diagnosis and clinical management. Through innovative detection tools and in vitro simulation modeling, her work seeks to enhance diagnostic accuracy and improve patient outcomes in managing this complex dental condition.

Henry Duah, nursing, University of Cincinnati

Duah is a nurse scientist dedicated to addressing emerging clinical and public health problems, advancing health equity and improving population health through data-driven solutions. He has collaborated on multiple clinical and public health research projects using secondary data methodology, culminating in more than 60 peer-reviewed publications. He currently serves as a postdoctoral scholar at the Ohio State University College of Nursing.

Florence Egbeyale, Department of Religion, Florida State University

Egbeyale’s research engages Jewish-Christian histories and texts, especially in African contexts, in relation to gender and cultural hermeneutics, intersectionality and children and maternity-related issues.

Dalia Garcia, communicative disorders and sciences, University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University

García is a PhD candidate in language and communicative disorders, a joint doctoral program at the University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University. Her research focuses on how to measure language proficiency, how bilinguals control their languages and how these language control mechanisms change in aging and Alzheimer’s disease.

Akira Harper, learning and instruction, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

Harper is a PhD candidate in STEM education at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. Her research and scholarship seek to understand how raciolinguistic, antiracist and/or anti-Black ideologies manifest themselves in STE(A)M teachers’ discourses, as well as the organizations of learning, in ways that become consequential to the positioning, or disciplinary engagement, of racialized youth. She is currently an assistant teaching professor at UMass Dartmouth.

Thomas Hinneh, nursing, Johns Hopkins University

Hinneh is a PhD candidate and American Heart Association predoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Drawing on his experience in establishing a nurse-led clinic and co-founding a NGO for community cardiovascular screening, Hinneh’s research highlights the potential of team-based care in improving hypertension management, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Pooja Ichplani, communication, Florida State University

Ichplani examines the sociological aspects of communication science to address applied challenges at the intersection of health and social justice, with a keen interest in participatory communication, social network analysis and intervention research for risk prevention. Her topical areas of interest include intimate partner violence, cancer communication, anti-smoking and climate change. She completed her MA in development communication and extension from University of Delhi, and her thesis paper was named recipient of the Schiller Award at IAMCR 2019.

Lisa Je, chemical and biological engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Je holds a BA in chemistry and a BS in chemical and material science engineering through the Vassar-Dartmouth Thayer Dual Degree Program in Engineering, and an MS in chemical and biological engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a first-generation college student, committed to mentoring underrepresented students and creating more accessible STEM inclusive opportunities. Je’s research is on modeling ionic liquids for next-generation batteries using molecular dynamics and topology.

Roseline Jean Louis, nursing, Emory University

Jean Louis is a trained labor and delivery nurse and PhD candidate at Emory University School of Nursing. As a recipient of the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA predoctoral fellowship, her work focuses on modifiable risk factors to improve maternal health outcomes plaguing the Black birthing community in the United States. Jean Louis is an Edward A. Bouchet graduate honor society scholar and a previous birth equity research fellow at the National Birth Equity Collaborative. Through research and practice, she aims to develop and implement respectful and anti-racist strategies to improve maternal health among marginalized populations.

Lester J. Kern, social work, University of Chicago

Kern is a PhD candidate at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. He examines mental health interventions and explores the experiences of their central actors. Specifically, he highlights the experiences of psychiatric emergency department workers, including how they exercise discretion in their daily work and how inter- and intra-organizational relationships impact their work. Kern received an MSW from Wayne State University and a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Violet M. Kimble, psychology, Yale University

Kimble is a PhD candidate in neuroscience at Yale University, specializing in substance use disorders with a focus on sex differences in addiction. Her research on L-type calcium channels examines the neural mechanisms driving drug-seeking behaviors, particularly in female subjects. Kimble has earned the NIH OSNAP award and Yale’s Dean’s Emerging Scholars Research Award. She is passionate about mentoring, teaching and health care advocacy, aiming to influence both scientific research and policy to advance gender-specific treatments for addiction and mental health.

Amber Lawson, learning and instruction, Michigan State University

Lawson is a PhD candidate in curriculum, instruction and teacher education at Michigan State University, specializing in language, literacy and urban education. Her research focuses on making foundational literacy culturally responsive for children of color in K-2 by incorporating children’s identities, home languages and lived experiences as assets throughout their learning. With two years of teaching kindergarten and four years of teaching first grade in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, Lawson’s experiences as an early elementary teacher play a vital role in her research and teaching.

Tiantian Li, engineering education, Purdue University

Li received a BS in biological engineering and an MS in industrial engineering, also from Purdue. Li is passionate about improving systems-thinking education to increase students’ readiness for challenges of Industry 5.0. Her research interests include systems thinking, assessment development and validation, and multicultural experiences in STEM. In recognition of her service and teaching, she received the Purdue College of Engineering Outstanding Service Scholarship and the Center for Instructional Excellence Graduate Teaching Excellence Award.

Kashauna Mason, geology, Texas A&M University

Mason grew up on the island of Dominica, also known as the Nature Island of the Caribbean. Her experiences in nature cemented her love for geoscience. She earned an AS in geography, physics and mathematics from Dominica State College, followed by a BS in geology and physics from the University of Arkansas. Currently, she is a PhD candidate at Texas A&M University, focusing on sedimentology and planetary science. At TAMU, she co-founded the first National Association for Black Geoscientists chapter, raising thousands of dollars to support students attending technical conferences. 

Sasha Mejia-Bradford, counseling, school and educational psychology, University of Pennsylvania.

Mejia-Bradford is an Institute of Education Sciences fellow and PhD candidate in interdisciplinary studies in human development at the University of Pennsylvania, researching how cultural values buffer Latino adolescents from in-the-moment, racial-ethnic discrimination stress using wearable tech. A former teacher and research manager, she holds an MEd in secondary education from Eastern New Mexico University, an MA in educational studies, program evaluation and improvement research from the University of Michigan and a BA in history, education and applied psychology from University of California, Santa Barbara.

Ashley Melcherts, sociology, Mississippi State University

Melcherts is a Surinamese Dutch sociologist, former track and field student-athlete and currently a PhD candidate at Mississippi State University. She teaches Intro to Sociology and Intro to Race and Ethnicity, and is a member of the Race and Racism Research Working Group. Melcherts’ research focuses on social inequalities at the intersections of race, ethnicity and gender, and how they influence people’s sense of self. She seeks to understand identity formation in the larger context of such processes as racism and colorism by centering the lived experiences of Black Surinamese Dutch people.

Jayla Moody Marshall, educational leadership and policy, North Carolina State University

Moody Marshall is a PhD candidate in higher education, opportunity, equity and justice at North Carolina State University. Moody Marshall’s scholarship empowers marginalized students’ voices to foster more equitable spaces in higher education. Her scholarship critically questions college outcomes, examining students’ purposes, joy and dreams, and who possesses the privilege to pursue these concepts. She is a seasoned professional with expertise in student success, advising and equity training. She is also an avid speaker and writer, believing that by empowering those on the margins of education to share their stories, meaningful change is achieved.

Laxmi Prasad Ojha, learning and instruction, Michigan State University

Prasad Ojha is a PhD candidate in curriculum, instruction and teacher education at Michigan State University. His research focuses on the language and literacy practices of transnational multilingual children and youth across family, school and community contexts. His work has been published in various academic journals and edited volumes, including International Multilingual Research Journal, Educational Philosophy and Theory, and Modern Language Journal. Prasad Ojha has also guest-edited for a special issue on reimagining pre-service teacher education to prepare critically conscious teachers for multilingual classrooms.

Oluwatoyin Olatunde, community health and health behavior, University of Arkansas Fayetteville

Olatunde is a PhD candidate in health behavior and health promotion at the University of Arkansas. Olatunde obtained her MPH in child and adolescent health from the University of Ibadan, and a BS of medicine and surgery from Olabisi Onabanjo University. Her research focuses on substance abuse, mental health and sexting. She has experience in both clinical and public health settings, and is committed to advancing health outcomes through her research and professional efforts. Olatunde received the Outstanding PhD Student Award in Public Health from the University of Arkansas.

Camila Olivero Araya, engineering education, Ohio State University

Olivero Araya earned a BS and MS in industrial engineering from Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Chile. She is a PhD candidate in engineering education at Ohio State University. Her research focuses on advancing faculty development, well-being, teaching empathy and intercultural communication in doctoral advising. Her vision is to foster an engineering culture that supports well-being and growth. Her teaching integrates rigorous technical instruction while empowering students through critical thinking, problem-solving and reflection.

Jacqueline Paíz, counseling, school and educational psychology, Indiana University-Bloomington

Paíz’s research interests include attitudes toward seeking psychotherapy, social determinants of mental health and intergenerational trauma among people of color through a health-equity lens. Paíz uses intersectionality, critical race and feminist theory as guiding frameworks for her research and clinical work. She earned her MS in learning and developmental sciences in 2023.

Shawn Parra (they/ele/el), social work, University of Illinois at Chicago

Parra is genderqueer Afro-Latine, a child of immigrants who has dedicated their work to address intersectionality, Black, brown, queer, trans rights, mental health and family relationships. Parra completed their BA and MA in psychology and their MSW from Boston University. In their MSW, they majored in clinical social work, minored in macro social work and specialized in trauma and violence studies.

JaNiene Peoples, social work, Washington University in St. Louis

Peoples is a social work PhD candidate in the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) T32 Predoctoral Fellow. She studies risk and protective factors influencing mental health and substance use among Black emerging adults and college students through a health-equity lens. Her dissertation is funded by NIDA (R36) and the Grand Challenges for Social Work. Peoples is currently pursuing tenure-track faculty positions to continue advancing health equity through research, teaching and service.

Great C. Umenweke, chemical and biological engineering, University of Kentucky

Umenweke is a graduate research assistant in the university’s Center for Applied Energy Research. His dissertation focuses on the catalytic deoxygenation of oleaginous biomass to renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. Umenweke is eager to explore academic opportunities and network.

Darion A. Wallace, educational leadership and policy, Stanford University

Wallace is a PhD candidate in the race, inequality and language in education and history of education programs at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. His research examines the ways K-12 American schools (re)produce logics of (anti)Blackness and structure the life and educational outcomes of Black students. His domains of research interrogate the politics of un/freedom and abolitionism in Black educational history, Black historical sense-making in youth movement spaces and critical analysis of the contemporary social context of Black education that permits or constraints the aforementioned.

Jameka Wiggins, engineering education, Ohio State University

Wiggins’ current research aims to understand engineering faculty’s meaning-making of their critical consciousness through an examination of their positionality and lived experiences. As a scholar and advocate, she aims to amplify underrepresented voices in engineering through research and support. Wiggins holds a BS in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and a MS in engineering management from Ohio State University.