Bryana Foxx-Parham
Office Assistant
Bryana Foxx-Parham is a freshman in Rutgers University–Camden majoring in Business Management. She is working on South Jersey statistics on unemployment and poverty to find ways to help the community.
David Cruz
Project Assistant
David Cruz is a first-year student in the MA Criminal Justice Program at Rutgers University-Camden where he also earned his BA in Criminal Justice and Religion in 2017. David will be working with the Cumberland County Positive Youth Development Coalition. The Coalition develops strategies for decreasing juvenile delinquency and is part of the Municipal Prevention Planning Initiative that is funded by New Jersey’s State Attorney’s Office.
In 2017 David was a recipient of the ¡Adelante V! Hispanic Heritage and Multicultural Celebration Award, presented by DH/Perfil Latino TV, Inc. for diligent commitment and dedication to serving the South Jersey community and for academic achievement as a successful youth leader and supporter of Hispanic initiatives. During his undergraduate career, David has conducted research within Philadelphia prisons and has worked with the Pennsylvania Innocence Project. At the Municipal level, David has worked for the Camden Redevelopment Agency, where he primarily focused on Area-Wide Planning efforts in the Mt. Ephraim Choice Neighborhood of Camden. The AWP project focused on Brownfields that are a major impediment for the redevelopment of the city. David’s academic interests include Human Trafficking, Intimate Partner Violence, and Immigration.
Ethan Aaronson
Project Assistant
Ethan Aaro
nson is a first year student in the MA Criminal Justice program at Rutgers University – Camden. He graduated from the University of Vermont in 2014 with degrees in Political Science and History. Serving as a Project Assistant at the Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs, he most recently worked on a Community Health Needs Assessment and Implementation Plan for the South Jersey Health Collaborative. His research interests include recidivism prevention and community integration for formerly incarcerated individuals, the expansion/restoration of voting rights for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, as well as community policing and other innovative policing strategies.
John Crowell
Graduate Assistant
John Crowell is a second year student graduate student in the MA Experimental Psychology program at Rutgers University-Camden. He received his BA in Psychology from Arcadia University in 2017. He currently serves as a project coordinator for the Pascale Sykes Foundation’s Strengthening Families Initiative and data analyst for an evaluation of the Global Peace Foundation’s Countering Violent Extremism Program. After graduation, John intends to pursue a career as a data analyst in the nonprofit sector.
jlc554@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Kristin Kelly
Graduate Research Assistant
Kristin Kelly is a first year student in the MA Experimental Psychology program at Rutgers University – Camden. She received her BA in Psychology and Women’s Studies from the University of Delaware in 2017. At the Walter Rand Institute, she serves as a Graduate Research Assistant to the South Jersey Strengthening Families Initiative.
Her research interests include social and health psychology, especially with gender/social roles, body image and eating disorders, women in the workplace, and feminist psychology. She also works under Dr. Charlotte Markey in the Healthy Developments Lab at Rutgers University – Camden. In the future, Kristin is interested in pursuing a doctoral program in social psychology.
Remi Leibovic
Web Assistant
Remi Leibovic is the new WRI web assistant, helping bring design to the Walter Rand Institute. She is a senior year Undergraduate Graphic Design and Digital Studies dual major. In addition, she holds an associates degree in Computer Animation and Applied Science from Bergen Community College. Also, she is an active member in the campus community, being apart of different clubs and organizations. The Annual Report layout is being designed by her and other print related projects.
Ryan Pletcher
Graduate Research Assistant
Ryan Pletcher is currently pursuing his M.A. in Psychology at Rutgers University – Camden. He received his B.S. in Psychology from Stockton University in 2018. His work at the Walter Rand Institute includes grant acquisition and data collection, and he is currently involved in the Pascale Sykes Foundation’s Strengthening Families Initiative.
Ryan’s research interests lie in cognitive psychology, specifically in time perception and memory. Ryan works with Dr. Bill Whitlow in his cognition lab and also works for Dr. Lisa Payne in her EEG lab. After graduation, Ryan intends to pursue his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology
rap300@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Sara Fiorot
Project Assistant
Sara Fiorot serves as a Research Project Assistant, and she has primarily worked on Community Health Needs Assessments commissioned by Inspira Health Network and the South Jersey Health Collaborative. Her work on the Community Health Needs Assessments has helped to identify key health issues, social determinants of health, as well as strengths and weakness of health-related services, in various South Jersey communities. Sara has earned her B.A. in Philosophy from East Stroudsburg University. She has also earned Master’s degrees in Philosophy and Sociology from West Chester University and Lehigh University, respectively. Most recently, she has earned an M.A. in Experimental Psychology from Rutgers University-Camden. She has done research on person perception and self-presentation and is also generally interested in how socioeconomic status is related to educational and health outcomes. Sara will be pursuing her PhD in Higher Education Policy and Organizational Studies.
Sarah Filippi-Field
Project Assistant
Sarah is studying Urban Studies and is in her second semester at Rutgers-Camden. She primarily works with the Bridgeton Break Out Group as a Project Assistant and hopes to pursue her Master’s in Public Administration after finishing her undergraduate degree. During high school, Sarah served as a Youth Representative on the Cumberland County Positive Youth Development Coalition (CCPYDC) and was an active member of the Vineland Break Out Group.
Shibin Yan
Graduate Assistant
Shibin Yan is a Ph.D. student at Rutgers University—Camden majoring in public affairs. His research interest includes elderly care, public health, policy evaluation, and anti-corruption. At the WRI, he is involved in several projects. Currently, he serves to analyze the secondary data of the community health assessment project, and assists faculty fellow Dr. Melanie Bowers to conduct the research on homeless housing. He used to work for a think tank in China for two years to secure professional training in policy analysis. After graduation, he intends to work as a research consultant.
Ummulkhayer Sameha
Clerical Assistant
Ummulkhayer Sameha is an undergraduate student in the Rutgers-Camden College of Arts & Sciences with a double major of Political Science & Psychology. Her dream is to become a lawyer, and after graduation, she plans to pursue law school. In her free time, she enjoys reading The New Yorker and playing the flute
Vasiliki Gallicchio
Graduate Research Assistant
Vasiliki Gallicchio (Bessy to her friends) is a graduate student pursuing her Masters of Arts in Criminal Justice at Rutgers University-Camden where she also earned her BA in Criminal Justice and Sociology in 2016. Bessy has worked on the Pascale Sykes Foundation South Jersey Strengthening Families Initiative. In the past year she has been working with the Cumberland County Positive Youth Development Coalition. The Coalition develops strategies for decreasing juvenile delinquency and is part of the Municipal Prevention Planning Initiative that is funded by New Jersey’s State Attorney’s Office.