Salma Ibrahim
Salma is a recent graduate from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science in Development Psychology alongside minors in Neuroscience and Public Health. A long-term research assistant at the Culture and Family Life Lab, Salma has assisted with projects including JUS Media? Global Classroom and the Food, Culture, and Health Study. Her undergraduate research experience and coursework have fostered an interest in pursuing a career in research. Specifically, for developmental-clinical psychology doctoral programs to study racial and ethnic minority health and develop culturally relevant practices to implement in educational and clinical settings. And while awaiting the application process, she’s transitioned to a staff position as a post-baccalaureate research assistant and lab manager in the lab.
Dalicia Simpson
Dalicia is a post-baccalaureate student currently applying for medical school for Fall 2024 admission and working as a direct care professional. She has been a part of the Culture and Family Life Lab since the Spring of 2020. Dalicia graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in Developmental Psychology and a minor in Public Health. Outside of her passion to become a child psychiatrist, she enjoys being in nature, traveling and cooking.
Ellie Sabby
Ellie Sabby is a 2022 graduate of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She majored in both English and Psychology. Ellie works as a mental health specialist for Children’s Minnesota, where she facilitates group therapy with adolescents and children. She volunteered at the Minneapolis Children’s Hospital during her undergraduate studies and became passionate about working with pediatric patients. Ellie hopes to pursue a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology in the future. She loves supporting children and their caretakers on their mental health journey and will use her clinical knowledge to educate families and patients on the importance of mental health. When she’s not working, Ellie loves to travel, read, write, hike, and spend time with her sisters!
Fenet Mohammed
Fenet is a recent graduate from the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities with a Bachelor of Arts in Developmental Psychology at the Institute of Child Development. She is currently a part of the Culture and Family Life Lab working primarily with the Carpe Diem Study as a research assistant. She is interested in working with children and serving them to ensure all children are on track to do well in school, life and beyond. In her free time she likes to read, go on walks and spend time with friends!
George Schorse
George Schorse is a recent graduate from the ICD (December 2022) with a degree in Developmental Psychology and minors in Family Social Science and French. His educational interests lie in the intersection of identity and mental health, how to build cultural competence to combat disparities present due to race, gender, and sexuality, and how the context of the family and ecological systems can impact development across the lifespan. Currently, George is preparing for graduate school in Marriage and Family Therapy and hopes to work with underrepresented families in the field. He currently works as an Executive Function Coach at LifeFx, an executive function company, and is a co-facilitator for group therapy at Stepping Stone Clinic. Outside of school, George is an accomplished figure skater and loves to spend time with his friends making art, cooking, and spending time exploring Minneapolis.
Vanisa Senesathith (Nita)
Vanisa Senesathith (Nita) is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation at the University of Oxford. She graduated from Macalester College with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2021. After that, she worked as a Research Assistant at the Trauma and Community Resilience Center at Boston Children’s Hospital on the topic of refugee trauma and mental health for two years. Nita has been volunteering as a Research Assistant with the CFL Lab since Fall 2020 and has helped with several projects in the lab such as the JUS?Media Programme and the Food, Culture, and Health Study. Ultimately, Nita hopes to pursue a PhD with a focus on the development and implementation of community-based mental health interventions in low-resource settings, particularly in Laos, her home country.