Rachel Lim | Editor-in-Chief | r.lim@nyu.edu
Rachel Lim is a senior in the Applied Psychology undergraduate program, and is one of the Editors-in-Chief of OPUS. Throughout her undergraduate career, Rachel has had the opportunity to gain various research experiences. She was a research assistant at NYU Family Translational Research Group, as well as an intern at the NYU Child Study Center, where she was involved in the development of research protocols for gaining clinical data through Internet-based research methods. Currently, Rachel is a member of the Latino Family Engagement and Language Development (L-FELD) research team, where she works closely with teachers and children in early childhood classrooms in New York City. Through her work at L-FELD, Rachel recently completed her honors thesis, under the mentorship of Dr. Adina Schick, on the role of teachers’ instructional support in early childhood classrooms, and its implications for children’s learning. Rachel is interested in investigating educational policies that support teachers’ professional development, particularly for culturally-competent and high-quality education. Upon graduation, Rachel hopes to continue her involvement in research and education.
Alexa Montemayor | Editor-in-Chief | am7129@nyu.edu
Alexa Montemayor is one of the Editors-in-Chief of OPUS, where she is publishing a literature review about the effects of familial and community factors on girls’ involvement with the legal system. As a Senior in the Applied Psychology program, Alexa has had the opportunity to work closely with this population through her work on the ROSES (Resilience, Opportunity, Safety, Education, Strength) research team. Her devotion to learning more about alternatives to incarceration led to her further involvement on a secondary project on ROSES. Through this work she analyzes stakeholders’ (e.g., caseworkers, social agencies, parole officers, and court officials and judges) perceptions of girls’ interactions with the legal system. She is also a volunteer in the department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Bellevue Hospital, where she administers admission and discharge screenings to individuals in the in-patient unit. Upon graduation, Alexa will continue to pursue her interest in mental health and will begin a Master’s degree in Social Work at New York University in the Fall of 2020.
Khirad Siddiqui | Editor-in-Chief | khirad.siddiqui@nyu.edu
Khirad Siddiqui is one of the Editors-in-Chief of OPUS, where she is publishing her second piece, and is also the President of the Applied Psychology Undergraduate Club. A senior in the department, Khirad is passionate about criminal justice reform and worked for two years as a Juvenile Justice Advocate on the ROSES Research Team, where she is now a Peer Supervisor. She also utilized her time on ROSES to work on a separate study called the Girls Justice Initiative, and through that work and her mentorship under Dr. Shabnam Javdani, she formulated and conducted her Honors thesis on parents who file legal allegations against their children. Khirad also works on campus through the Presidential Internship Program, previously interning at the NYU Leadership Initiative and the Graduate School of Arts and Science. She is pleased to announce that upon graduation, she will enroll in a PhD program in Criminology, Law & Society as a Eugene Cota-Robles Fellow at UC, Irvine, where she will study the experiences of incarcerated Muslims, especially on the process of converting to Islam behind bars.
Oana Groza | Editor-in-Training | oana.groza@nyu.edu
Oana Groza is an Editor-in-Training of OPUS majoring in Global Public Health and Applied Psychology. She has been a part of the Social Inequality and Intergroup Relations Lab team where she codes for and analyzes studies related to group responsibility of injustice and collective memories. She is also a part of the Public Health Policy Lab in CGPH where she investigates social justice issues, products, and policies that cause harm with the goal of providing policymakers and organizations with guidance to improve public health. After completing her undergraduate degree, Oana plans to pursue a Masters in Public Health with a focus in global health and policy. Her interests center around food access and healthcare policy.
Kasane Tonegawa | Editor-in-Training | kvt219@nyu.edu
Kasane Tonegawa is one of the Editors-in-Training of OPUS and is currently a junior in Applied Psychology with minors in Italian Studies and Sociology. She is interning at DOROT, an organization that works with the older population, in which she visits older adults to help with technology, socialize, and close an intergenerational gap. She is passionate about activism and social justice especially in the areas of mental health stigma and access to mental health coverage. Kasane has been using her experience working as a Resident Assistant and Research Assistant at the Suzuki Lab in order to better understand how to work with people and how to re-conceptualize mental illnesses to reduce stigma. Kasane hopes to be an art therapist and strives to use her passion for social justice to influence her work.
Freya Chen | Communication Director | yc3244@nyu.edu
Freya Chen is a freshman in the Applied Psychology Department with a secondary major in Economics. She worked with local charity organizations that help children in poverty in underdeveloped areas in China and advocate social justices for underrepresented groups. She is interested in mental health for women and other underrepresented groups and hopes to research in related areas.
Sydney Liang | Layout and Design Director | syl569@nyu.edu
Sydney Liang is one of the Design and Layout Directors of OPUS and a freshman in the Applied Psychology program. She currently volunteers at the Latino Family Engagement and Language Development (L-FELD) lab, where she assists teachers in first grade classrooms. Previously, she did volunteer work to provide aid to the refugee community in Hong Kong. Sydney hopes to further immerse herself in the applied psychology program as she continues to matriculate to NYU.
Grace Park | Layout and Design Director | asg521@nyu.edu
Grace Park is also one of the Design and Layout co-Directors of OPUS as well as one of the OPUSzines Creative Directors. She is a freshman in the Applied Psychology program while exploring minors in Computer Science and Studio Art. This summer, Grace plans to volunteer at a North Korean Refugee program in South Korea in which she hopes to use her graphic and creative design skills to help spread awareness to the effort. Grace hopes to continue exploring different fields at NYU and chasing creatively stimulating ideas.
Francesca Bottazzi | Contributing Writer | fb986@nyu.edu
Francesca Bottazzi is a senior staff writer for OPUS, publishing her first piece in this journal. A soon-to-be graduating senior in Applied Psychology through Steinhardt, she has developed a vested interest in mental health, development, and research. She has volunteered at NYU’s LFELD research team for the past two years where she has worked as an assistant within classroom settings, and studied the socio-cultural context of children’s development and learning within both home and school contexts. Though unsure of what the future may bring, Francesca is excited for life after graduation, where she hopes to continue doing research and working within communities throughout New York City.
Alain Goulbourne | Contributing Writer | asg521@nyu.edu
Alain Goulbourne is a graduating senior in the Applied Psychology program, with minors in Creative Writing and German. She is currently a research assistant on the Transitions to Parenthood research team. As part of the Transitions team, she helps to investigate the breastfeeding experiences and supports of first-time mothers in the United States, in order to ultimately improve hospital policy and practice. Having immigrated from the Caribbean to the U.S., Alain is interested in researching adolescence and identity, and also how culture and the feminine identity inform experiences and narratives.
Brianda Hickey | Contributing Writer | bh1500@nyu.edu
Brianda Hickey is a Contributing Writer of OPUS earning a Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology. She is also the Vice President and Treasurer of the Applied Psychology Undergraduate (APUG) club. Brianda works as a Research Associate at the Child Mind Institute (CMI) with children who have ADHD and/or autism spectrum disorder under the supervision of Principal Investigator Dr. Adriana Di Martino. In her role at CMI, she administers cognitive assessments, operates an MRI scanner, and coordinates research participant cases. Additionally, since 2017, she has worked as a Research Assistant on Researching Inequity Society Ecologically (RISE) Lab fulfilling roles as a Data Collector and a Data Analyst. After graduating in Spring 2019, she intends to further develop her clinical and research-based skills as a Research Associate at CMI working with children on the autism spectrum.
YiLin Lee | Contributing Writer | yilin.lee@nyu.edu
YiLin is a first semester senior in the Applied Psychology program, with a minor in Sociology. She is a member of the Latino Family Engagement and Language Development (L-FELD) lab, volunteering in a kindergarten classroom and conducting children’s assessments. YiLin is also a research intern at MDRC with the Expanding Children’s Early Learning (ExCEL) Network, working primarily on a project that seeks to sustain positive outcomes of preschool programs into children’s formal schooling years. She has worked on the Chinese Families Lab, studying cross-cultural and cross-generational differences in gender socialization and parenting beliefs. In the future, YiLin plans to pursue international education policy in order to better inform education systems in an increasingly globalized world.
Andrew Han | Junior Staff Writer | han.andrew@nyu.edu
Andrew Han is a junior majoring in Applied Psychology and Global Public Health with a minor in Sociology. He is currently a research assistant for the Center for Research on Culture, Development, and Education (CRCDE), where he analyzes data on how features of the home environment and parent-child interactions impact key skills in early childhood. He is currently conducting an independent project examining the role of ambient noise in the relations between socioeconomic status (SES) and infant play behaviors. In addition, he is an Editorial Assistant for the Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions in the Silver School of Social Work. He hopes to continue down a path of research and policy, evaluating how poverty and interpersonal relationships influence early language development.
Michelle Hansen | Junior Staff Writer | mh4108@nyu.edu
Michelle Hansen is a senior at New York University majoring in Applied Psychology with a focus on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies, and minoring in both Sociology and American Sign Language. In addition to writing for OPUS, Michelle interns at the Child Mind Institute, works with the Researching Inequity in Society Ecologically Lab, and is in the midst of completing her honors thesis on allegations of crime made against youth in residential treatment. She is excited to have her work published in OPUS, and hopes to continue writing in her post-baccalaureate endeavors!
Anastasia Knight | Senior Staff Writer | afk307@nyu.edu
Anastasia Knight is a senior staff writer for OPUS, and is thrilled to be publishing her second paper in this original journal. A graduating senior in Applied Psychology at New York University, Anastasia is passionate about social justice. When she is not conducting her independent research study, she works as an advocate with NYU ROSES. She is ready for life beyond graduation, and although unsure what the next step will be, is excited to see what the future holds. Finally, she would like to thank her mentor, Alejandro Ganimian, for making this study possible, and the OPUS editors for making it legible.
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