Current PhD Students

Leslie Cantu

Fall 2022

Leslie Cantu

Esmeralda Rubalcava Hernandez

Fall 2022

Esmeralda Rubalcava Hernandez

Katherine Kitchens

Fall 2022

Katherine Kitchens

Minjaal Raval

Fall 2022

Minjaal Raval

Shamila Sivakumaran

Fall 2022

Shamila Sivakumaran

Aundraea Brown

Fall 2021

Aundraea Brown

Aundraea’s research interests include school social work, school-based mental health, race-based stress, racial justice and mental health and green space access within communities of color.

Priyanjali Chakraborty

Fall 2021

Priyanjali Chakraborty

Access to reproductive healthcare for women of color and immigrant populations and gender sensitive mental-health care.

Jessica Cassidy

Fall 2021

Jessica Cassidy

Jessica Cassidy’s research interests include, primary and palliative care interventions focused on Alzheimer’s and related dementias, rural dementia care, care partners of persons living with dementia, dementia health equity, environmental gerontology, and non-pharmacological interventions.

Lacey Jenkins

Fall 2021

Lacey Jenkins

Lacey’s research interests include child welfare systems and child maltreatment prevention.

Faheem Ohri

Fall 2021

Faheem Ohri

Faheem’s research interests include health determinants, medical social work, comorbidities, domestic violence, substance use among youth, and suicide prevention.

LaTisha Thomas

Fall 2021

LaTisha Thomas

LaTisha’s research interest surrounds the specific mental health needs of the Black community to include the reduction of stigma, accurate diagnosing practices, and the creation of culturally informed clinical interventions.

Megan Westmore

Fall 2021

Megan Westmore

Megan’s research interests center around outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including their access to abuse and sexual assault prevention and healing services.

Rebecca Cole

Fall 2020

Rebecca Cole

"Rebecca's research interests are social workers with more than one income and social work in the law enforcement field related to crisis intervention."

Alan Kunz Lomelin

Fall 2020

Alan Kunz Lomelin

"Alan's research interests include mental health treatment, mental health disparities in latinx populations, integrated healthcare models, criminal rehabilitation, and forensic social work."

Ricka Mammah

Fall 2020

Ricka Mammah

"Ricka’s research interests at the doctoral level are centered around Mental Healthcare for Minorities, Domestic Violence, Multicultural Issues in Social Work, Culturally Competent Practices, and International Social Development."

Erica Robinson

Fall 2020

Erica Robinson

"Erica's research interests include exploring factors that lead to success among historically marginalized groups."

Gabrielle Scott

Fall 2020

Gabrielle Scott

"Gabrielle’s research focus is on addiction and mental health."

Ahmed Alanazi

Fall 2019

Ahmed Alanazi

Ahmed's research interests oriented around suicide prevention, drug addiction, trauma-informed care, mental illness, and empowerment for marginalized population.

Zhirui Chen

Fall 2019

Zhirui Chen

"Zhirui's research interests include aging, end-of-life care, bereavement, Alzheimer's disease and related dementia, home- and community-based services, and family caregiving."

Sarah Herrera

Fall 2019

Sarah Herrera

"Sarah's research interests include educational justice, feminist theory, critical race theory, activist mental health, and social work education."

Christine Highfill

Fall 2019

Christine Highfill

"Christine’s research interest is Military- Connected Spousal Abuse."

Steven Moore

Fall 2019

Steven Moore

"Steven's research interests include recidivism in prisons, dual diagnoses with PTSD and substance abuse, hospital readmission prevention, domestic violence prevention, military family reunification, suicide prevention, and aging disability services."

Mansi Patel

Fall 2019

Mansi Patel

"Mansi's research interests include criminal justice reform, sentencing disparities in justice involved people, women offenders, restorative justice, and advocacy."

Amanda Ryan

Fall 2019

Amanda Ryan

Amanda's research interests include mental health, substance abuse, and community health.

Zachary Tarbet

Fall 2019

Zachary Tarbet

"Zachary’s current research interests include mental health, substance abuse, veterans issues and program analysis."

Jessica Williams

2018 Cohort

Jessica Williams

"UTA is helping me get where I want to be by providing support and connecting me to people in my prospective field."

Nibedita Shrestha

2016 Cohort

Nidbedita Shrestha