School Psychology

Melissa Magrath

Melissa Magrath (she/they) is a doctoral student in the School Psychology program at UC Berkeley’s School of Education.

Before Berkeley, they received their bachelor's degree in Government and Legal Studies and Psychology from Bowdoin College. After graduating from Bowdoin, Melissa worked as the Elementary English Language Fellow at the American Farm School in Thessaloniki, Greece. Melissa then moved to Maha Sarakham, Thailand, working as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant.

Born and raised in Appalachian Maryland, Melissa’s primary research interests center on rural...

Cassandra Yee

Cassandra is a proud Latina and first-generation student with Mexican cultural roots in the desert southwest border. She obtained her bachelor's degree in psychological sciences from the University of Arizona in 2021 and received her master's degree in education from the University of California, Berkeley in 2024. Cassandra is currently a fifth-year PhD candidate in the School Psychology program at the Berkeley School of Education, and advised by HSI expert Dra Gina A. Garcia. She currently serves as a student representative on the Latinx Thriving Initiative (LTI) Advisory Board, is a...

Kyla Kemble

In 2021, Kyla Kemble (she/her) joined the school psychology program at the Berkeley School of Education, under the advisement of Dr. Frank C. Worrell. A New Jersey native, she received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology Honors at Seton Hall University in 2021.

Broadly, Kyla’s current research focuses on establishing and maintaining culturally responsive practices in classrooms, consultation and collaboration with teachers, and implicit biases in education. Additionally, she has a special interest in multiracial youth and enjoys thinking about how to implement positive racial...

Umara Hansen

Umara Hansen (she/her) is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the School Psychology program at UC Berkeley. She graduated with highest honours, Summa Cum Laude, with a B.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Ottawa, where she conducted fMRI-based research on the impact of stress on well-being. Before graduate school, Umara served as Outreach Lead for Anxiety Canada and contributed as a research assistant in multiple labs across Canada and the United States, including the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Lab at the University of British Columbia and the Stress and Development Lab at...

Quennie Dong

Quennie Dong is a doctoral candidate in the School Psychology program at the University of California, Berkeley. She has earned degrees from the University of California, Irvine (B.A., Psychology and Social Behavior, minor in Education) and Florida International University (Ed.S., School Psychology). Quennie’s research focuses on inclusive socioecological systems of support for educational leaders, teachers, and youth, with an emphasis on the Asian American community. Her scholarship critically examines the racialization of Asian Americans in education, considering how systemic and...

Jin Hyung Lim

Jin Hyung Lim is a PhD candidate in the School Psychology Program at the University of California, Berkeley School of Education. Jin Hyung’s research focuses on identifying risk and resilience factors that support the well-being of school members (e.g., students, families, teachers, and school leaders), especially those from minoritized backgrounds. More specifically, he is interested in social and emotional learning (SEL) and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) as resources and systems that foster resilience among school members. Through his work, he seeks to advance SEL and MTSS...

Carlos Rivera Bernabé

Carlos Rivera Bernabé (he/him) is a doctoral student in the School Psychology Program at the University of California, Berkeley, under advisement of Dr. Frank C. Worrell.

Prior to Berkeley, he received his bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Southern California with a minor in Education and Society. While at USC, he worked as a research assistant at the Center for Education, Identity, and Social Justice, contributing extensively to empower low-income middle school and college students of color in STEM through culturally responsive mentorship.

His research...

Ilke Bayazitli

Ilke Bayazitli is a doctoral student in the School Psychology program at UC Berkeley. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Boğaziçi University in 2021. She then received her master's degree in Psychological Science with a concentration in Social, Personality, and Affective Science from San Francisco State University in 2023. She has been involved in research on the psychosocial factors that are associated with the well-being of adolescents, including discrimination based on different identities, educational experiences, time perspective, and substance use.

Ilke's...

Emely Lugo

Emely N. Lugo (she/ella) is a third-year doctoral student in the School Psychology Program at UC Berkeley’s School of Education (BSE).

Before joining BSE, Emely studied Psychology and Child Development at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), where her research examined the efficacy of computerized cognitive training in strengthening cognitive skills, including working memory, flexibility, and processing speed. She also investigated how motivation shapes the effectiveness of these interventions for at-risk K-12 students.

Building on this foundation, Emely’s...

Ekene Azuka

Ekene Azuka is a Ph.D. student in the School Psychology Program within the Berkeley School of Education (BSE). Prior to joining BSE, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Studies and Psychology from Vanderbilt University's Peabody College in 2021 and spent two years as a Special Projects Coordinator for the North Star Academy Charter School District in New Jersey.

As a graduate student, Ekene focuses on trauma-informed practices in K–12 schools, academic outcomes for children who have experienced trauma, and school improvement and reform. She is also deeply committed to...