The Institute for Generational Resilience Informed by Trauma

Diana Charlop is a third-level doctoral student in Hofstra University's PsyD program. Prior to attending Hofstra, she studied Vocal Performance and Medicine Health and Society at Vanderbilt University. Her passion for vocal performance informed her love of psychology. The COVID-19 pandemic was the impetus for her to pursue her doctorate in order to create an impact. Diana has previously worked with the Child Mind Institute and the Ackermann Institute for the Family. She looks forward to working with community partners and developing programming at the Institute for GRIT!

Anna Moy is a third-year student in Hofstra University’s School-Community Psychology Doctoral Program. She graduated from Queens College in 2022 with a B.A. in Psychology and History.  While pursuing her Bachelor’s degree, Anna conducted a study on the relationship between the COVID-19 lockdown and an increase in depression symptoms in young adults.  From her experience working in hospital and clinical settings, Anna was also given the opportunity to work with individuals facing economic challenges and those lacking the social support they needed. This formative experience ignited her passion for community psychology and inspired her to work to address the unique needs of underserved populations.

Gladys Adusei is a recent graduate from NYU with a master’s degree in Psychology. She is a current second-year doctoral student in Hofstra's PsyD program for School-Community psychology. Gladys has an extensive amount of expertise working with children who have developmental disabilities, particularly those with ASD. She is passionate about delivering substantial therapy practices for underserved and marginalized groups.

Jordyn Blaustein is a second-year doctoral student in the PsyD program at Hofstra. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in both psychology and family science from the University of Maryland. Jordyn is very interested in looking at mental health through a public health perspective, including social justice and advocacy, and working with children and families of diverse backgrounds.

Tiffany Santiago is a first-year doctoral student in the School-Community Psychology program at Hofstra University. She recently graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a History concentration from Stony Brook University, where she worked as a Research Assistant for the Understanding and Improving Intergroup Relations Laboratory. Tiffany is dedicated to conceptualizing children's development and implementing research-based recommendations to alleviate concerns about cognitive, behavioral, social, and emotional development. She is committed to assisting children, caregivers, instructors, and community members in understanding and resolving persistent challenges they may encounter by tackling issues that impact welfare, learning, school involvement, and community development. In her free time, she enjoys kickboxing, yoga, and traveling.

India Thomas is a first-year doctoral student in Hofstra's PsyD program for School-Community Psychology. She earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice from North Carolina A&T State University in 2023. During her undergraduate studies, she led mental health events to promote the well-being of students across campus. After graduation, India taught in a trauma-informed, social-emotional learning and substance abuse prevention program, and provided therapy to children with ASD. These experiences have reinforced her dedication to community collaboration, psychoeducation, and advocacy to support underserved populations.

Priyanka Patel is a first-year doctoral student in the PsyD program for School-Community psychology at Hofstra. She recently graduated with her master's degree from The New School in Psychology. Priyanka has substantial experience working with children with ADHD and Autism and hopes to gain more experience working with populations in underserved populations.

Lauren is a third-year Doctoral Student in Hofstra's School-Community Psy.D. program. She graduated from The George Washington University in 2022 with a B.A. in Psychology, with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. During her time in DC, Lauren engaged in many different experiences related to psychology and research. Her interests in serving vulnerable communities stem from an internship with the Jewish Federations of North America’s Center for Advancing Holocaust Survivor Care, specifically during the outbreak of COVID-19, analyzing the success of national programming aimed towards improving the lives of Holocaust survivors in the United States. At GW, she also worked as an undergraduate research assistant for Team Represent on their DMV HIV History Project, collecting qualitative data to highlight the history of important people and places related to ending the HIV Epidemic in the DC-Maryland-Virginia area. These experiences have ignited a passion for helping others and fostering resilience. It is of the utmost importance to her to immerse herself in promoting ideas of community psychology through research, action, and mental health care.