BA, Tufts University; MA, Tufts University; PhD, Boston College

Research Interests: Child institutionalization; deinstitutionalization (care reform and family reintegration); prevention of family separation; and family strengthening in the Global South

Current Position: Postdoctoral fellow at Brown University 

CURRICULUM VITAE

Select Publications, Presentations, and Funding: 

• Neville, S. E., Saran, I., & Crea, T. M. (2022). Parental care status and sexual risk behavior in five nationally-representative surveys of sub-Saharan African nations. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 59.
• Delivered keynote address, titled "Intercountry adoption: Effects on children and systems," to the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program: Promoting transparent and ethical intercountry adoptions project for South Africa
  
• Led the research design, data collection, and data analysis for an exploratory sequential mixed methods evaluation of a family reintegration initiative for children in residential care institutions in Kenya and Guatemala. Funded with $45,750 from Catholic Relief Services and Maestral International
  

BA, Pennsylvania State University; BS, Pennsylvania State University; MSPH, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health 

Research Interests: Examining the factors that drive complex health and psychosocial problems, including violence and stigma in communities affected by armed conflict; using rigorous quantitative and mixed methods approaches and implementation science models to strengthen humanitarian delivery and post-conflict health systems.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Select Publications and Highlights:

• Antonaccio, C. M., Pham, P., Vinck, P., Brennan, R. T., Collet, K., & Betancourt, T. S. (Accepted). Fear, Distress, and Perceived Risk Shape Stigma Toward Ebola Survivors: A Prospective Longitudinal Study in Sierra Leone. BMC Public Health.
• Antonaccio, C. M. (2020). On trauma, resilience, and survival: Lessons from 15 years of pediatric cancer and remission. JAMA Oncology, 6(12), 1866-1867.
• Catalyst Fellow with the Boston College Center for Social Innovation 
• Instructor for the required human-centered design course for first-year students in the undergraduate engineering program

BA, Clark University; MA, Ball State University; PhD, Boston College

Research Interests: Latinx health and mental health disparities; race and racialization; and access to healthcare

Current Position: Assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work 

CURRICULUM VITAE

Select Publications and Awards:

• Figuereo, V., & Calvo, R. (2021). Racialization and Psychological Distress among U.S. Latinxs. Journal of Racial & Ethnic Health Disparities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-021-01026-3
• Figuereo, V., & Calvo, R. (2018). Latinx use of traditional health care: The social network effect. Journal of Health & Social Work, 43(4), 217-225. https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/hly024
• Elaine Pinderhughes Fellowship, Boston College School of Social Work

BSW, St. Xavier's College; MA, Tata Institute of Social Sciences; MA, University of Stavanger

Research Interests: Child protection and juvenile justice; migration, families, and associated changes

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: dahals@bc.edu

Select Publications and Awards:

• Pereira, C., Perreira, A., Budal, A., Dahal, S. et al. (2021). 'If You don't migrate, you're a nobody': Migration recruitment networks and experiences of Nepalese farm workers in Portugal. Journal of Rural Studies.
• Dahal, S. & Kumar, P. (2021). Determinants of the age of motherhood for women in Nepal and analysis of data from Nepal demographic and health survey 2016: Implications for policies and programs. The International Journal of Community and Social Development, 3(2), 145-160.
• Rao, S., Dahal, S., Hadingham, S., & Kumar, P. (2020). Dissemination challenges of liquefied petroleum gas in rural India: Perspectives from the field. Sustainability, 12(6), 2327.
• 2014 Civil Society Scholar Award, Open Society Institute 
• 2010 Best Student in Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences

BS, University of California Riverside; MSW, California State Long Beach; PhD, Boston College

Research Interests: Anti-oppressive strategy development; socialization and legitimacy; and structural violence

Current Position: Assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Social Work

CURRICULUM VITAE

Select Publications, Awards, and Grants:

• Under the radar: Strategies used by Black mothers to prepare their sons for potential police interactions (with Amutah-Onukagha),  Journal of Black Psychology, 2019
• Elaine Pinderhughes Fellowship, Boston College School of Social Work 
• Diversity and Inclusion Research Grant, Boston College School of Social Work

BA, Elizabethtown College; MSW, University of Maryland; PhD, Boston College

Research Interests: Children experiencing forced migration

Current Position: Assistant professor of social work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County

CURRICULUM VITAE

Select publications, awards, and honors:

• Evans, K., Diebold, K., & Calvo, R. (2018). A call to action: Reimagining social work practice with unaccompanied minors. (with Diebold, K., and Calvo, R.) Advances in Social Work, 18, 788-807. doi:10.18060/21643
• Dr. Carolyn Thomas Fellowship recipient from Boston College School of Social Work
• Doctoral Scholars Institute Participant, Network for Social Work Management
  

BA, University of Delhi, M.Sc., Kings College London; MA, Tata Institute of Social Sciences; PhD, Boston College

Research Interests: Contextual vulnerability; natural disasters; energy poverty; and environmental justice

Current Position: Assistant professor at The Ohio State University College of Social Work 

CURRICULUM VITAE

Select Publications and Awards:

• Rao, S. (2020). A natural disaster and intimate partner violence: Evidence over time. Social Science and Medicine, 247 (January), 112804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112804
• Rao, S. Teixeira, S.* (2020). The Green New Deal: Social Work's Role in Environmental Justice Policy. Social Work. (* Equal contributors) doi.org/10.1093/sw/swaa004
• Kumar, P., Dover, R. E., Iriarte, A. D. V., Rao, S., Garakani, R., Hadingham, S., Dhand, A., Tabak, R. G., Brownson, R. C., & Yadama, G. N. (2020). Affordability, accessibility, and awareness in the adoption of liquefied petroleum gas: A case-control study in rural India. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114790
• Received the 2020 Dorothy Book Research Paper Award, BCSSW. Awarded to the doctoral student with the best paper published, in press, or accepted for publication.

BA, Indiana University, MA, American University 

Research Interests: Implementation science, non-specialist-delivered interventions, mental health and psychosocial support, conflict-affected communities

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: bondlc@bc.edu

Selected Publications and Highlights:

• Bond, L., Simmons, E., Sabbath, E. (2022). Measurement and Assessment of Fidelity and Competence in Non-Specialist-Delivered, Evidence-Based Behavioral and Mental Health Interventions: A Systematic Review. Social Science and Medicine – Population Health, 19(101249).
• Consultant with Sesame Workshop, ACHIEVE Pre-Doctoral Fellow, National Institute of Health (NIH) Fogarty International Center, (D43TW012275)

BA, California State University, MSW, California State University

Research Interests: Black families; employment characteristics; and equitable access to education and services.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: tuckert@bc.edu

Select Publications and Awards:

• Maglalang, D.D., Harris, A.N., Tucker, T.B., & Parchment, T.M. A Mixed-Methods Study of the Experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color MSW Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Social Work Research.
• Tucker, T.B. (2022, January). Show Me Who Your Friends Are: Adolescent Health Risk Behavior Outcomes By Proxy. Poster. Society for Social Work and Research, Washington, DC.
• 2021-2022 recipient of the Elaine Pinderhughes Fellowship at Boston College

BA, Duke University; MPH, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; MSW, Boston College

Research Interests: Precarious employment and mental health; comparative welfare policy (in both Global South and Global North contexts); and adolescent and youth reproductive health promotion, particularly in humanitarian contexts.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: dalsantl@bc.edu

Highlights:

• Recipient of the 2021 Dorothy Book Award for best paper (published, in press, or accepted for publication) produced by BCSSW doctoral student in a given year.
• Fusaro, V., Dal Santo, L., & Schaefer, L. The end of welfare? Repurposing assistance and leaving families behind. (2021). In M. Reisch (Ed.), Social Policy and Social Justice. Cognella Academic Publishing.
• Data analyst for Boston College’s MSW program assessment of student learning outcomes (2020-2022)

BA, University of Notre Dame, MA, University of Chicago

Research Interests: School-based supports; barriers and facilitators to access (education, healthcare); institutional trust; occupational health and burnout for caregiving professionals; and climate change and environmental justice.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: neimane@bc.edu

Selected Publications and Highlights:

• Klein, E. K., Bond, L., McLean, K. E., Feika, M., Bah, A. J., & Betancourt, T. S. (2023). Navigating the tension between fatherhood ideals and realities of a post-conflict setting: A phenomenological study of former child soldiers in Sierra Leone. SSM-Qualitative Research in Health.
• Bond, L.,*  Klein, E.K.,* Gates, E. (2023). Challenges and strategies for implementers and evaluators working in conflict settings. Evaluation. (*denotes equal contribution)
• Graduate Research Assistant at NORC at the University of Chicago; Evaluation
  
• Dissertation funding from Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
• Recipient of NORC's Center for Equity Research "2024 Equity Scholar" Fellowship

BSW, University of Hong Kong, MSW, University of Michigan

Research Interests: Productive and social engagement (e.g., formal volunteering, informal helping, and employment) in later life; cross-cultural gerontology; equity in the workplace; ageism; and Asian health disparities.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: laihc@bc.edu

Selected Publications and Highlights:

• Lai, P. H. L., Halvorsen, C. J., Chang, K., Nguyen, L. H. T., Howard, E. P., & Lyons, K. S. (2024). Unemployed, Immigrant, and Older Asian Workers in a US-Based Job-Training Program: Their Experiences and Well-Being, and Strategies for Reaching This Important Population. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 1-17
  
• Received the Doctoral Student Leadership Award in the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work (AGESW) in November 2022
  
• Gonzales, E., Matz, C., Morrow-Howell, N., Lai, P. H. L., Whetung, C., Zingg, E., Keating, E., James, J. B., & Putnam, M. (2022). Advancing long and productive lives. In R. P. Barth, J. T. Messing, T. R. Shanks, & J. H. Williams (Eds.), Grand challenges for social work and society (2nd ed., chapter 5, pp. 111-144). New York and Washington, DC: Oxford University Press/NASW Press
  

Research Interests: Gerontology/aging, health disparities, policy; health equity, dementia, caregiving, life course context, immigration, community-engaged research, and psychometrics

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: mendezba@bc.edu

Selected Publications and Highlights:

•  Grand Challenges Social Work Award—Eliminating Racism Challenge
• Briceño, E.M., Mendez Campos, B., Mehdipanah, R., Chang, W., Heeringa, S.G., Martins-Caulfield, J., Levine, D.A., Garcia, N., Gonzales, X.F., Langa, K.M., Zahuranec, D.B., Morgenstern, L.B. (2024) Ethnic differences in the association between cognitive performance and informant-rated cognitive decline. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
  
• Briceño, EM, Arce-Renteria M, Mendez Campos B, Mehdipanah RM, Chang, W, Lewandowski-Romps L, Garcia N, Gonzales XF, Levine DA, Langa KM, Heeringa SG, & Morgenstern LB. (2024) The association between bilingual semantic fluency and episodic memory among bilingual Mexican American older adults. The Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology.

BS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, MSW, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Research Interests: Global public health, social Impact of infectious disease outbreaks and public health response in Sub-Saharan Africa, mental health care integration into primary health care settings in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the impact of policy on mental health and health outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: okunoren@bc.edu

Selected Publications and Highlights:

• Crea, T. M., Klein, E. K., Okunoren, O., Jimenez, M. P., St. Arnold, G., Kirior, T., Velandria, E., & Bruni, D. (2022). Inclusive education in a refugee camp for children with disabilities: How are school setting and children’s behavioral functioning related? Conflict & Health,16(53).
• Summer Research Grant, 2023. Center for Human Rights and International Justice. Boston College. 
• Okunoren, O. (2022). Environmental Factors Contributing to Malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa. Environmental Health Summit, Boston College

Bs, University of Wisconsin, MSW, University of Southern California

Research Interests: Family context and children's health, men's health and fathering, adverse childhood experiences, and social determinants of health

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: grafftn@bc.edu

Selected Publications and Highlights:

• Recipient of the Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (F31) from the NIH
  
• Recipient of Boston College School of Social Work Emerging Scholar Award in 2023
  
• Grafft, N., Gago, C., Park, I. Y., Bauer, K., Haneuse, S., Haines, J., & Davison, K. (2024). Coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination among young children: Associations with fathers’ and mothers’ influenzavaccination status. Preventive Medicine Reports, 42, 102746.
  

BS, Georgetown University, MSW, Virginia Commonwealth University 

Research Interests: Migrant mental health and climate displacement, mental/behavioral health service access and utilization, substance use and violence prevention, and causal inference and experimental/quasi-experimental designs

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: hodgesjb@bc.edu

Selected Publications and Highlights:

• Hodges, J. C., McKetchnie, S. M., González, A. C., & Hawkins, S. S. (2024). The impact of inclusionary state immigrant policies on psychosocial outcomes among Latinx adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 63(3), 355–364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2023.05.024
  
• Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award—F31 Predoctoral Fellowship Grant. Agency: NIH/National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities. The Role of Social Relationships in Behavioral Health Treatment-Seeking among Post-Maria Puerto Rican Migrants
  
• Hodges, J. C., Walker, D., Baum, C. & Hawkins, S. S. (2023). Impact of school shootings on adolescent school safety, 2009-2019. American Journal of Public Health, 113(4), 438–441.
  

BA, Tufts University, MSW,  NYU Silver School of Social Work

Research Interests: Social Work practice in school settings; school social work; neighborhood effects; effective social-emotional interventions for adolescents; school-based mental healthcare; child and adolescent development; and school mental health worker wellbeing

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: strausjj@bc.edu

Selected Highlight: 

• Recipient, Carolyn Thomas Doctoral Fellowship, Boston College

BS, Universidad Iberoamericana, MA, The University of Chicago Divinity School

Research Interests: Neurobiology/sociology of imagination; structural violence; historical trauma; multimodal interventions; workplace violence in hospitals; international development; and participatory methods.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: suarezrr@bc.edu

Selected Publications and Highlights:

• 2023-2024 Recipient of the research grant “Pilot Project Award” for developing research in occupational health and theoretical neuroscience on violence from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. $15,000 USD. 
  
• Community Development and Participatory Action Research: Created a scholarship program for adult education. 20 scholarships were granted to Mexican citizens to study philosophy, creative writing, and neuroscience during 2023-2024. The program will be renewed for the 2024-25 cycle by granting 20 new scholarships. Budget: $5,000 USD. 
  
• Director and founder of Laboratorio en Movimiento, an independent research initiative to promote community development in Chiapas. 
• (2022). How to enhance brain potential in fieldwork education? The Multimodal Integration of Imagination and Trauma (MIIT) Framework, in Drolet, J., Charles, G. & McConnell, S., Transforming Social Work Field Education: New Insights from Practice Research and Scholarship, University of Calgary Press.
• Fiction writing (book): (2020). Especies del Caos (award-winning short-story collection from the Council of Arts in Chiapas), México: Editorial Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, 143 pp.

BS, Brigham Young University, MSW, Brigham Young University

Research Interests: Climate change and health, migration, contextual vulnerability, quantitative data methods, and GIS

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: sandbers@bc.edu

Selected Publications and Highlights:

• Sandberg, S., Saasa, S., & Yirenya-Tawiah, A. (2023). Social exclusion and substance use among African immigrants: The role of discrimination. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 33(4), 502-520.
• Awarded Type A SI-RITEA grant from Schiller Institute for project relating to brick kilns in Bangladesh (co-investigator); Kumar, P., Kandikuppa, S., Sandberg, S. (2025). Improved brick kilns are crucial for a just transition in Bangladesh. International Growth Center Policy Brief. First published online 2 April 2025. 

BA, Columbia College, MSW, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Research Interests: Gerontology, immigration, and financial capability

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: lopezpy@bc.edu

Selected Publications:

• Lopez, B., & Piedra, L. M. (2022). Elderhood: Redefining aging, transforming medicine [book review]. Qualitative Social Work, 21(1), 217-220. https://doi.org/10.1177/14733250211069433
  
• Halvorsen, C., & Lopez, B. (2023, November). Entrepreneurship Past 50: Self-Employment Trends 2000 to 2022. Boston College School of Social Work. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4651610
  

Research Interests: Decision-making agency of forced migrants, private and community sponsorship of refugees, forced migrant mental health and resilience, refugee and immigration policy, international and comparative research, evidence synthesis, implementation science, and community-engaged participatory research

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: Megan.Taylor.3@bc.edu

Selected Publications and Highlights:

• García, M. F., Hodges, J. C., Costas-Rodríguez, B., Maldonado-Molina, M., Schwartz, S. J., Pineros-Leano, M. F., Bates, M. M., Calderon, I., Taylor, M. M., Rodriguez, J., Brown, E. C., & Salas-Wright, C. P. (2025). Something lost, something gained: The trade-offs of Puerto Rican Hurricane Maria migrants. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 95(3), 247–259. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000782
• Taylor, M. M., Piñeros-Leaño, M., Piñeros-Leaño, N., Ortiz, G., Dager, E., & Desrosiers, A. (2025, January). Economic self-reliance & mental health: Testing a hybrid entrepreneurship & social-emotional learning intervention for Venezuelan crisis migrant youth in Bogotá, Colombia. Oral presentation at the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration biannual conference, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
• Member and Governance Committee Chair, THRIVE Gulu Board of Directors. THRIVE Gulu provides programming to support the mental, financial, social, reproductive, and spiritual health of communities in post-conflict Northern Uganda. We serve both local Ugandan and refugee communities, including refugees living in the Palabek Refugee Settlement. 2024-Present

Research Interests: Mental health in migrants, migrant families development, forced displacement, acculturation processes, and public health

Email: erika.clairguecaizero@bc.edu

Research Interests: Global mental health and psychosocial support; intervention delivery; implementation science; and adversity-affected communities.

Email: haitisha.mehta@bc.edu

BSW, James Madison University, MSW, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, JD, California Western School of Law

Research Interests: Social policies and disparities, racism and colorism in the criminal process, and criminal law and procedure

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: baidooch@bc.edu

Selected Publications and Highlights:

• Baidoo, C. E., Burney, S. N., & Sabbath, E. L. (2025). Skin tone and criminal sentencing outcomes in the United States: A systematic review. American Journal of Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-025-09804-z
• Fusaro, V. A., Collier, K. M., Baidoo, C., & Coley, R. L. (2025). Rental arrears and perceived risk of eviction among U.S. renter households by household composition, race, and ethnicity 2020 to 2024. Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 11, 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1177/23780231241309788.
• Baidoo, C. E. & Hawkins, S. S. (2024). Colorism in the U.S. criminal legal system. Encyclopedia of Social Work. NASW Press and Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.1664
• Rappaport Public Policy Fellowship, Harvard University Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston
• Elaine Pinderhughes Doctoral Fellowship, Boston College School of Social Work

Research Interests: Violence prevention; early childhood development; early relational health; and children with disabilities

Email: eisenbso@bc.edu

Research Interests: LGBTQ+ communities; community-engaged research; policy evaluation; implementation science; and school social work.

Email: patrick.mulkern@bc.edu

Research Interests: Chronic pain; women's health; healthcare utilization; and healthcare access.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: mcketchn@bc.edu

Selected Publications and Highlights:

• Sabbath, E. L., McKetchnie, S. M., Arora, K. S., & Buchbinder, M. (2024). US Obstetrician- Gynecologists’ perceived impacts of Post-Dobbs v Jackson state abortion bans. JAMA Network Open, 7(1). doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.52109
  
• McKetchnie, S. M., Price, M., O’Cleirigh, C., & Easton, S. (2024). Barriers and facilitators to healthcare and treatment engagement among women of childbearing age living with chronic pain: A scoping study. Society for Social Work and Research, January 10-14, Washington, DC.
  

Research Interests: Immigrants and refugees; Latinx communities; mental health; and innovations in research methods.

Email: estefania.palacios@bc.edu

Research Interests: Upskilling and older workers, aging services workforce development, and occupational health and wellbeing

Email: patskani@bc.edu

Research Interests: Productive engagement in later lives (e.g., employment, volunteering, caregiving, etc.), ageism, environmental gerontology, and long-term care policy

Email: suchin@bc.edu

Research Interests: Family well-being, public health policy, maternal and child health, adolescent mental health, urban health, health equity, spatial and quantitative methods, AI in health research, public health policy evaluation, social determinants of health, and GIS and population health

Email: wx@bc.edu

BA, University of California, Los Angeles, MA, University of California, Los Angeles

Research Interests: Organizational inclusion, health and wellbeing among transgender and racialized workers, transitions from informal to formal labor (including sex work), critical organizational behavior and identity work, gender-affirming and harm reduction workplace practices, mixed-methods and ethnographic approaches, and health equity research incorporating decolonial and feminist approaches

CURRICULUM VITAE

Email: ortizge@bc.edu

Selected Publications and Highlights:

• Ortiz, G. C. (2024). Queering racialized designations: Centering queer and trans Latine students at an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (eHSI). Journal of LGBTQ Youth. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2024.2309509.
• Lacombe-Duncan, A., Ortiz, G. C., Underhill, A., Persad, Y., Armstrong, I., Kyne, L., Gupta, M., Saucier, A., Arbess, G., Chan, L. Y. L., Goodhew, J., & Loutfy, M. (2025). A retrospective chart review analysis of anal cytology uptake among transgender women. Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease.
• Recipient of the Health Policy Research Scholars Grant (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, $120,000, PI, 2023–2027)
• Recipient of the CIHR Grant Co-Investigator: Women-Centered HIV Care Hub (Canadian Institutes of Health Research, $840,000, 2023–2027)

Research Interests: Substance use, mental health, social development, professional social work regulation, and decolonisation

Email: wilberforce.kurevakwesu@bc.edu

Research Interests: Implementation science, community-based participatory research, substance use, and harm reduction

Email: Jadovich@bc.edu

Research Interests: Public health, peacebuilding, early childhood development, mental health, gender, social justice and equity, migration, forced displacement, intervention design, Colombia, and Latin America 

Email: gutiema@bc.edu