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
Megan Coleman
Megan Coleman serves as a project assistant for the Cumberland County Positive Youth Development Coalition (CCPYDC), Burlington County Partnership For Youth Success (BCPYS), the Strategic Initiatives Team, and the CORP Jail Evaluation Project at the Walter Rand Institute.
Megan is a first-year student of Criminal Justice in the Accelerated BA/MA at Rutgers University-Camden. She is currently co-authoring an integrative review on the risk of family violence after incarceration. Her research interests in criminal justice include juvenile delinquency, community development, at-risk populations, and offender re-entry.
mlc358@camden.rutgers.edu
Sara Fiorot
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.
Trista Harig
Trista Harig serves as a graduate research assistant focusing on grant acquisition, background research, data collection, analysis, and several other roles as a member of the Research & Evaluation team.
She is currently pursuing her M.A. in Psychology at Rutgers University-Camden. Trista received her B.A. in Psychology from Azusa Pacific University in 2019. Her research interests are in Social Psychology and focus on prejudice, discrimination, intergroup dynamics, and multiculturalism. As a member of Dr. Charlotte Markey’s lab, she is currently investigating stigmatization and discriminatory attitudes toward overweight and obese individuals in the workplace. Following her Master’s, Trista plans to pursue her Ph.D. in Social Psychology.
tnh52@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
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
Lili Razi
Lili Razi is a graduate assistant working on community development, spatial changes, and strategic planning. She is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Public Affairs with a focus on Community Development at Rutgers University – Camden.
Currently, Lili is working on the Holly City/Millville strategic planning initiative at WRI. This project helps to develop housing strategies and policies that increase homeownership, reduce vacant properties, and attract new home buyers. She is also involved with “A New View” – a Bloomberg public art instillation that transforms lots where illegal dumping is happening into artistic spaces. Given her background in urban and community engagement practices, she hopes to participate in capacity development and shape effective urban public policies in areas of need.
lr625@rutgers.edu
Shwetal Sharma
Shwetal Sharma serves as a graduate research assistant focused on data collection and analysis with the Research and Evaluation team.
She is pursing her M.A. in Psychology at Rutgers University-Camden. She is currently working in Dr. Ira Roseman’s Emotions Lab and her research interests are in emotion and psychopathology. She completed her B.A. in Psychology at Fergusson College, India, and aspires to become a doctor in Clinical Psychology in the future.
sds284@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.
