Kyjeila Latimer, Ph.D.
Kyjeila earned her doctorate in Behavioral Science at the University of North Texas.
Her research focuses on studying phentoypical features that impact the experiences
of Black people beyond skin tone. Her overarching research interests include scale
development, racial trauma, intersectionality, and Black student mental health.
Alexis Jones
Alexis Jones is currently a Counseling Psychology doctoral student at Auburn University.
Alexis is interested in ways that culture and racial identity work together to influence
resilience, quality of life (e.g. physical and mental health), and success (educational
outcomes) of African Americans across the developmental span. She is also interested
in the development of prevention and intervention strategies that positively impact
the physical health, mental health, and well-being of young adults. Her clinical interests
include working with minority groups and faith based groups.
Stephanie Joseph
Stephanie Joseph is currently a 2nd year Doctoral Student in School Psychology at
Temple University. Ms. Joseph's research centers on improving and increasing the access
to and utilization of mental health resources in underserved and underrepresented
communities. Ms. Joseph's dual interests include examining racial and gender identity
development in Black women and girls, as well as developing culturally sensitive assessments
and interventions for marginalized and underrepresented communities.
Nekya Garrett
Nekya Garrett is a recent graduate of Teachers College, Columbia University with a
Masters degree in Clinical psychology. She attended Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta,
GA and received a B.A. in Psychology in 2015. Her current research interest includes
exploring the relationship between the strong Black woman schema and mental health
outcomes in Black women and examining the intersectionality between racial and gender
identity as it relates to mental health outcomes in African American women and children.
Currently, Nekya is investigating the mediating role of perceived social support,
the strong Black woman schema, and depression in Black college women. She is particularly
interested in Black women's help seeking behaviors to psychological services, preferred
coping mechanisms, and reducing stigma surrounding psychological disorders and decreasing
cultural mistrust in the African American communities. Nekya also has clinical interests
in psychological assessments and creating and utilizing culturally competent treatment
and therapeutic techniques.Her future goals are to be in a private practice setting,
conducting research benefiting ethnic minorities, and being a part of the academia.
In her free time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and writing poetry.
Ivy Harris
Ivy Harris is currently a Quantitative Researcher in the Human Resources Function
at Gartner. Iv's research uses mixed-methods to the study of Black women's identity
and experiences in the workplace. As a former Master's student at Columbia University,
Ivy studied cultural mistrust and mental health stigma among Black church members.
Undergraduate Lab Alumni
Alexandria Downing
University of North Texas 
