Lab Director

DR. fanita tyrell

I am an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland at College Park. I received my PhD in Developmental Psychology, with a minor in quantitative methods at the University of California, Riverside. Following my doctoral training, I c​ompleted postdoctoral fellowships at the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota. My research and scholarship have been funded by the Ford Foundation, National Institute of Mental Health, Society for Research in Child Development, and American Psychological Foundation.

I have always been interested in understanding how youth and their families  thrive in the face of negative life experiences and adversity. Therefore, my research focuses on investigating the sociocultural processes that support or undermine the positive development and adaptation of youth and families from adversity-exposed, ethnic-racial minority, and immigrant backgrounds. The goal of my work is to advance theory and research on resilience and to inform culturally sensitive and developmentally appropriate intervention programs aimed at promoting positive adaptation and resilience in historically disadvantaged youth and their families.

Postdoctoral Fellow

DR. CARlisa Simon

Dr. Carlisa Simon is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the RACC Lab. She recently graduated with her Ph.D. in Education, Human Development, and Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to earning her Ph.D., Dr. Simon earned her MA in Education at UCLA and her BA in Psychology from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Her dissertation project employed a mixed methods approach to investigate the combined effect of parent and peer ethnic racial socialization on  Black undergraduates' well-being. Dr. Simon trained as a mixed methods researcher during her time as graduate researcher in the UCLA Middle and High School Diversity Project Lab under the supervision of her advisor, Dr. Sandra Graham. Her long-term goal is to serve as a tenured-track faculty position at a University, in which she can balance her love for mentoring, teaching, and research.

PhD Students

Loretta Eboigbe

Loretta Eboigbe is a first-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program, conducting research under the mentorship of Dr. Tyrell in the RACC Lab. She graduated with a B.A. in psychology from Brown University in 2020. After that, she worked as a Lab Manager and Community Engagement Director at the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. Loretta is interested in investigating the relationship between cultural socialization, biopsychosocial stress, and adaptation in Black immigrant families.

Yuqi (SARAH) WANG

Sarah is a first-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program, conducting research under the mentorship of Dr. Tyrell in the RACC Lab. She earned a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Chemisry from the University of Pittsburgh in 2019. After graduating, Sarah worked as a Lab Manager at Pitt for 3 years researching the relationship between adolescent stress and depression. Currently, Sarah is interested in the longitudinal patterns and mechanisms through which interpersonal stress and trauma influence the development of depression and resilience in underserved, understudied adolescents. 

Lab Manager

CARLOS MELENDEZ

Carlos Melendez is the Lab Manager for the RACC Lab. He recently graduated with his M.P.S. in Clinical Psychological Science from the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to starting in the lab he was a Post-Baccalaureate Fellow at the National Institutes of Health where he studied how early life stress and childhood trauma influenced externalizing psychopathology,  specifically substance and alcohol use disorders. Carlos is interested in understanding the contextual factors of marginalized youth (early life stress, parenting, discrimination, racism, etc) in order to inform and implement interventions for underrepresented communities. Additionally, he is interested in how social experiences interact with biological factors to influence the development of psychopathology in vulnerable populations.

Graduate Students

SARAH KESHAVARZ

Sarah Keshavarz is a graduate of University of California, San Diego, and has majored in Clinical Psychology. She is currently in the MPS program at UMD. She is from San Diego and has recently moved to Maryland. Her research interests lie in minority mental health, as she hopes to provide mental health resources to her community, as well as other communities that do not value mental health resources.

Undergraduate/Post-Baccalaureate Students

AbdulAziz BAIG

AbdulAziz Baig is a recent graduate from the University of Maryland, where he received his B.A. in Psychology. He is currently a post-baccalaureate research assistant in the RACC lab. AbdulAziz plans on pursuing a PhD in clinical, social, or counseling psychology. 

Ayushi Sarkar

Ayushi Sarkar is a senior pursuing a double major in Psychology and Human Development. She is currently an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the RACC Lab. Ayushi hopes to pursue graduate studies in School Psychology.

Juliette caban

Juliette Caban is a junior pursuing a double major in Psychology and Communications specializing in Political Communication and Public Advocacy. She is currently an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the RACC lab. She is interested in communication and the media influence on cognitive processes in the context of cultural identity.

Emma clark

Emma Clark is a junior pursuing a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Human Development. She is currently an undergraduate research assistant in the RACC lab. Emma is interested in pursuing a graduate degree in Clinical Psychology with a focus on Child and Developmental Psychology.

Teresa Williams

Teresa Williams is a senior majoring in Psychology, and minoring in Sociology, at the University of Maryland. After she graduates with a B.S. in Psychology, in May 2023, she plans to pursue a graduate program in biopsychology or cognitive and developmental psychology, to further explore her interests in those fields of research. Specifically, she is interested in the extent to which epigenetic factors impact development, as well as the intersection between health and illness. She joins the RACC Lab to obtain research experience and a deeper understanding for the role of social determinants of health.

Leslie Giselle Medina

Leslie Giselle Medina is a senior pursuing a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Human Development. She is currently an undergraduate research assistant in the RACC lab. Leslie has many interests she may pursue in graduate school, including Developmental Psychology and Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Outside of the lab, Leslie currently holds the title of President of "Pa'Lante Latin Dance Company" at UMD.

Michelle Rodriguez

Michelle Rodriguez is a freshman pursuing a B.S. in Public Health Science and a minor in Humanities, Health and Medicine. She is currently serving as the RARE Community Outreach Coordinator in the RACC lab. She is interested in engaging with communities of color surrounding the University of Maryland and increasing the representation of individuals from diverse backgrounds in scientific research. Michelle hopes to pursue graduate studies in Epidemiology to better understand biologic, social, and behavioral determinants of diseases and public health events.

Lab Director

Asya Loeb 

Asya Loeb is a senior majoring in Psychology at the University of
Maryland, College Park. After she graduates with a B.S. in Psychology,
in May 2023, she plans to pursue a graduate program in clinical
psychology, to further explore her interests in those fields of
research. She joins the RACC Lab to obtain research experience and
further understanding of conducting IRB-approved studies.

Ever sheplee

Ever Sheplee is a sophomore pursuing a double major in Psychology and Criminology. She is currently an undergraduate research assistant in the RACC lab. She aspires to work with people from diverse backgrounds throughout her experience in the lab, allowing her to gain new perspectives in the field of psychology.

Suliat ogunmona

Suliat Ogunmona is a senior majoring in psychology at University of Maryland. In the future, she plans to pursue a graduate program in clinical psychology to explore psychological research further. She plans to work with children and minorities, working on topics like psychological disorders, upbringing, and forensic psychology. She joined this lab to gain more research experience and understand how individual's experiences can affect their ability to gain resilience. 

Min yeung 

Min Yeung is a Junior pursuing a major in Psychology and a minor in Human Development. She is currently an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the RACC Lab. Min hopes to pursue graduate studies in Clinical Psychology and loves coffee 

Alyssa Poawui 

 Alyssa is a junior majoring in Psychology with minors in Human Development and General Business Administration.  She is currently an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the RACC lab. Alyssa is interested in researching the psychological development of children, more specifically black children with mental illnesses. She hopes to pursue graduate studies in developmental psychology.

Zaina Maharoof

Zaina Maharoof is a freshman pursuing a B.S. degree in Physiology and Neurobiology. She is currently an undergraduate research assistant in the RACC Lab. She is interested in bringing equity and accessibility to both physical and mental healthcare, specifically for underrepresented communities. Zaina is interested in pursuing graduate studies to expand and apply her knowledge of psychology and neurobiology.

Eduardo figueroa

Eduardo Figueroa is a sophomore pursuing a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Technology Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation. He is currently an undergraduate research assistant in the RACC lab. Eduardo is interested in pursuing a graduate degree in Clinical Psychology. Outside of the lab Eduardo is involved as the marketing manager for La Voz newspaper.

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