Kenyona Walker, M.A. 
Kenyona Walker is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in the school psychology program at The Ohio State University anticipating graduation in 2020. Somewhat of a non-traditional student, after attempting college in 1997, Kenyona ultimately returned and completed her Bachelor’s degree in 2014 after a 17 year hiatus. She believes that she is her research, as she is now able to identify some of the factors that impacted her decisions to prematurely withdraw from college. Kenyona worked for three years for The Child Development Council of Franklin County (CDCFC) as a Lead Mental Health Consultant who supervised and oversaw the work of fellow school psychology students who began the evaluation process for preschoolers suspected of a disability. Next, she developed her skills as a program manager in research while overseeing the evaluation portion of Non-Fiction Text for Inquiry Based Science (NFTI). That role allowed her to leverage her knowledge of assessments to aide in the creation of a K-2 science assessment and modification of a 3-5 assessment, which was utilized across the state of Ohio with over 150 teachers and thousands of students for research purposes. More recently, Kenyona has taken on the role of a program manager on the Results Management Team (RMT) at The Ohio State University, where she helps empower organizations, communities and schools through collaboration, evaluation and capacity-building. In addition to her work, her current research interest includes: African American female college retention, racial identity formation and racial socialization of African American youth and young adults. Kenyona would not be able to pursue her goals without the help of: Todd Walker her husband for over 19 years and her 17 year old son and 14 year old daughter.
Laura T. Miller, M.A.
Laura T. Miller is a fourth year doctoral candidate in the school psychology program at The Ohio State University (OSU). Laura earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in psychology and dance at Kenyon College in 2011, then worked as a classroom instructor with children with autism, implementing Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). In 2015, Laura began her graduate studies at OSU, and obtained her Master of Arts (M.A.) in 2016. Laura has taught for the First Education Experience Program (FEEP) at OSU, teaching a weekly seminar about social, emotional, and logistical aspects of education to prospective undergraduate special education teachers, and currently, she works as a graduate teaching assistant for the school psychology program at OSU, teaching an assessment lab, assisting program faculty with teaching and grading, and completing administrative tasks. She currently serves as the president of the OSU chapter of the Student Affiliates of School Psychology organization (SASP). Laura’s research interests are in the areas of culturally responsive teaching practices, preservice teacher education, classroom management, and social justice, and she is projected to earn her Ph.D. in school psychology in the spring of 2020.
Gabrielle Hicks, M.Ed.
Gabrielle Hicks earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Psychology as well as a Bachelor of Science in Applied Health Science (B.S.A.H.S.) [focus: Human Development & Family Studies] from Indiana University Bloomington in 2016. She then earned a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Psychology from Loyola University Chicago in 2017. As a Community Educator during her undergraduate career, Gabrielle facilitated 37 programs to educate more than 750 students on issues involving race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ability, socioeconomic status, international culture, and veteran status. More recently, she served as a site coordinator for a high school freshmen intervention focused on reducing the dropout statistics within the South Chicago community through the provision of academic and social-emotional resources and support. She is now pursuing her Ph.D. in School Psychology at The Ohio State University, anticipating graduation in 2021. She currently works within the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Ohio State as the Target Programs Associate for Assistant Vice Provost Yolanda Zepeda. Gabrielle also serves as the President-Elect for the Student Affiliates of School Psychology organization (SASP). Her current research interests include the implementation of trauma-informed multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) as well as a number of subjects which aim to improve educational outcomes for minority students.
Caitlyn Chambers, B.S.
Caitlyn Chambers earned a Bachelor of Sciences (B.S.) in Psychology from Loyola University New Orleans in 2015. While at Loyola she worked with the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights as a Data Intern, where she collected and analyzed records of juvenile offenders in the system to create a database to highlight the racial disparities in the School-to-Prison Pipeline in New Orleans. After graduation, she worked as a Forensic Interviewer with the New Orleans Child Advocacy Center, interviewing children and adolescents who had been suspected of sexual and/or physical abuse. She went on to start her Ph.D. career in School Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi in August 2016 where she served as President of the School Psychology Organization of Graduate Students and founded the Graduate Diversity Council at the University. In her time there, she worked on numerous projects including teaching kids with autism how to play soccer, developed social skills manuals, and evaluated disciplinary data in a local high school. While at USM, she worked in a rural school district as a Behavior Specialist, completing FBAs, BIPs, evaluations, and leading social skills groups in the district. Caitlyn transferred to The Ohio State University in August 2018 under the supervision of Dr. Miranda to focus her research interests with a program that supported a multicultural orientation. She currently works as a Mental Health Consultant with the CDCFC Head Start organization in Columbus, Ohio. Her current research interests include: the School-to-Prison Pipeline and its effects on African American youth, interventions for African American youth with developmental disabilities, and interventions for disruptive behavior in classrooms.
Emily Bumpus, M.A.
Emily Bumpus joined Dr. Graves’ research team in the fall of 2018. Emily is in her second year of The Ohio State University’s doctoral program for School Psychology. Prior to pursuing school psychology, she taught as an intervention specialist for four years. Passionate about advocating for and serving diverse student populations, she has continued to partner with schools on a consultation basis. Emily is currently conducting research examining the effectiveness of eye gaze technology for students with severe to profound intellectual disabilities, and is also interested in researching the effects of trauma-informed social-emotional curriculums within culturally diverse settings. In her free time, Emily loves spending time outside with her husband, John, and dog, Banjo.
Shanye Phillips, B.A., B.S.
Shanye Phillips earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and her Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies (Life Span Development Option) from the Pennsylvania State University in 2018. During her undergraduate career she also minored in Child Maltreatment and Advocacy Studies and also was a distinguished member of Psi Chi and a member of Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program. Being a McNair scholar allowed Shanye to participate in a summer research internship, publish a research study, and attend several conferences where she presented her research. During this time she began to develop her research skills and interest in research by being a research assistant for several lab at Pennsylvania State University. She is currently pursuing a PhD in School Psychology from the Ohio State University. Shanye’s research interests which include the influence of racial, ethic, and cultural factors in academic success, resilience in childhood and adolescence.