Gaining Real-World Experience
Each day, we build upon a base of knowledge for good policy and practice in South Jersey, and we work to address issues that impact residents and local organizations through applied research, community engagement and organizational development. Through this work, we connect scores of talented students from diverse backgrounds with opportunities to serve local communities and tackle real-world challenges.
Ethan Aaronson
Ethan Aaro
nson serves as a project assistant, most recently working 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.
eja74@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
John Crowell
John serves is a graduate research assistant serving as a project coordinator for the Pascale Sykes Foundation’s Strengthening Families Initiative and data analyst for an evaluation of Global Peace Foundation’s Countering Violent Extremism Program.
John recently completed a master of arts in Experimental Psychology at Rutgers University-Camden. Prior, he received a B.A. in Psychology from Arcadia University in 2017. John is currently seeking opportunities as a data analyst in the nonprofit sector.
jlc554@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
David Cruz
David Cruz serves as a project assistant for the Cumberland County Positive Youth Development Coalition (CCPYDC), a county-wide effort focused on strategies for decreasing juvenile delinquency. CCPYDC is part of the Municipal Prevention Planning Initiative and funded by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.
David 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. 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.
dc784@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Sara Fiorot, MA
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.
Vasiliki Gallicchio
Vasiliki Gallicchio (Bessy) is a research assistant supporting the Cumberland County Positive Youth Development Coalition, a county-wide effort focused on decreasing juvenile delinquency in Cumberland County. It is part of the Municipal Prevention Planning Initiative funded by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.
Bessy is pursuing a master of arts in Criminal Justice at Rutgers University-Camden, where she also earned her BA in Criminal Justice and Sociology in 2016. Previously, she has worked on the Pascale Sykes Foundation South Jersey Strengthening Families Initiative.
Kristin Kelly
Kristin serves as a graduate research assistant to the South Jersey Strengthening Families Initiative.
She is a first year student in the MA Experimental Psychology program at Rutgers University – Camden. Kristin received her BA in Psychology and Women’s Studies from the University of Delaware in 2017. 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.
kk959@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Ryan Pletcher
Ryan is a research assistant focused on grant acquisition and data collection, and providing support for the Pascale Sykes Foundation’s Strengthening Families Initiative.
Ryan is currently pursuing his M.A. in Psychology at Rutgers University – Camden. He received his B.S. in Psychology from Stockton University in 2018.Ryan’s research interests lie in cognitive psychology, specifically in time perception and memory. Ryan works with Dr. Bill Whitlow in his cognition lab, as well as Dr. Lisa Payne in her EEG lab. Following graduation, Ryan intends to pursue a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology.
rap300@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Shibin Yan
Shibin is a graduate research assistant supporting several projects as an analyst and researcher. He is analyzing secondary data of the community health needs assessment and assisting faculty fellow Dr. Melanie Bowers with research on housing services for those experiencing homelessness.
Shibin is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Public Affairs at Rutgers University—Camden. His research interest includes elderly care, public health, policy evaluation, and anti-corruption. 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.
sy525@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Interested in joining WRI’s team of student researchers? Learn more.
