Gabriela served as the SURVIVE Field Coordinator at the UIC Survey Research Laboratory (SRL). She worked at SRL from 2000 to 2019, where her responsibilities focused on coordinating field data research for both phone and face-to-face studies. She oversaw the data collection and management of field staff in the fields of health, education, and social policy.
Gabriela joined the UIC Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement (IPCE) in February 2019 and currently is the Program Coordinator for the institute’s leadership development program, the Urban Public Policy Fellowship (UPPF) program. The UPPF program is a leadership development program designed to expose historically underrepresented minority undergraduate students at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) to key public policy issues. The program provides Fellows with seminars covering the areas of public policy-making, advocacy, community development, and service provision, and a valuable internship experience.
Gabriela has a bachelor’s degree in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, traveling and spending time with her husband and two young children.
Gabriela joined the UIC Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement (IPCE) in February 2019 and currently is the Program Coordinator for the institute’s leadership development program, the Urban Public Policy Fellowship (UPPF) program. The UPPF program is a leadership development program designed to expose historically underrepresented minority undergraduate students at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) to key public policy issues. The program provides Fellows with seminars covering the areas of public policy-making, advocacy, community development, and service provision, and a valuable internship experience.
Gabriela has a bachelor’s degree in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, traveling and spending time with her husband and two young children.
Captain Willie D. Brown is a 24-year veteran of the fire service and founder of Internal Intelligence Group© LLC. He is author of the book entitled Diversity In Public Service – Facilitating A Discussion and a leading expert in Public Safety Services inclusion and diversity training. Captain Brown holds an A.A.S Degree in Fire Science, a B.S. in Public Administration (Fire Service Management) and is certified in Inclusion-Diversity training from the UW-Madison Extension. His training experience includes: Fire Academy lead instructor, former Rock Valley College Adjunct Professor, and public speaker. Captain Brown holds a host of fire service related certifications.
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Robert “Bo” Chaney was raised in the Englewood area of Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from Dunbar High School, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Rockford University and a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from Northern Illinois University. His experience includes teaching in urban schools for 5 years and serving in the Rockford, Illinois fire service, currently in his 13th year.
Dominic Combs, currently works for the Broward County Department of Human Services, where he serves as the Senior Program Coordinator for their University Student Practicum program. Dominic is a native of Dayton, Ohio, where he received his first M.Ed. in Special Education from Wright State University. He is a licensed secondary special educator and taught in Dayton Public Schools before pursuing his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Simultaneous with his doctoral education pursuits, Dominic completed an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction with a specialization in program development, assessment, and evaluation. In December 2018, Dominic also earned a master’s degree in social work (MSW), with a concentration in mental health. Dominic is able to integrate his areas of focus to conduct research about special education teacher licensure programs, and the multifaceted skills needed to engage students labeled as having behavioral disorders (BD), emotional disturbances (ED), as well as those who have experienced trauma. His goal is to create culturally responsive, trauma-sensitive strategies for educators to engage, support, and address the on-going needs of Black males in special education labeled as BD or ED.
Amandilo M. Cuzan is a Bronzeville native and community activist who uses his skills as a producer, director, writer, instructor, and public speaker to bring together diverse groups around common goals. As longtime president of OM Productions International and chairman of the Bronzeville Alliance Communication Team, Cuzan has been closely involved in issues relating to sustainable healthy living in the 21st Century and the quality of education in Bronzeville area schools. In addition, Cuzan serves as Secretary of the Wells Prep Elementary Local School Council (LSC). In 2009, the Bronzeville Alliance launched the Family History Project with the purpose of promoting literacy and research skills among area youth and creating a fun and exciting family activity. Cuzan has been a leading force in promoting and directing the Family History Project and teaching young adults how to be responsible and effective users of today’s social media. Cuzan is also a graphic artist and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and Multimedia production from the University of Minnesota. Much of his work can be seen on YouTube at omproductions81.
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Aaron Dunlap has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Northern Illinois University and is presently a Survey Research Associate at the University of Illinois at Chicago Survey Research Laboratory. Aaron has extensive practice in survey research, management, logistics, and information technology. Aaron is also a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and volunteers his time fostering and mentoring youth through the fraternity’s Sigma Beta Program.
Survey Research Laboratory (SRL) Project Coordinator Isabel Farrar has a masters degree in Applied Sociology from Loyola University Chicago. She is a highly experienced survey professional with nearly 20 years of experience with the SRL as a project coordinator. She has managed numerous telephone, face-to-face, Web, mail, cognitive interview, and focus group projects during that time. Isabel has made presentations at professional conferences and also published papers concerned with various aspects of survey methodology. She will serve as the project coordinator for this study and oversee each phase of the research.
Co-Investigator Timothy Johnson is Director of Survey Research Laboratory (SRL) and Professor of Public Administration within the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs at UIC. Dr. Johnson has 32 years of experience conducting and supervising applied survey research; 26 of those years have been spent at UIC SRL. Over the course of his career, he has published in excess of 100 peer-reviewed research manuscripts, many of which focus on problems in survey design and measurement. In addition to directing SRL, conducting independent research, and teaching courses in survey methodology, Dr. Johnson also has served as a consultant to the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Academies of Science, the National Center for Health Statistics, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation.
LaDonna Long is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Roosevelt University. Her research focuses on women’s experiences with victimization, particularly how race, class, and gender influences post-assault coping mechanisms. Her prior work focused on age and educational differences in African American women who have experienced sexual victimization as well as factors that predict disclosure of sexual victimization to health professionals. She has also published work on rape medical advocates experiences in the emergency room with survivors and law enforcement. Currently, she is interested in researching how multiple traumatic life experiences, including sexual assault, impact help-seeking among women.
Forrest Glenn Marberry is a Chicago, Illinois native. He is the son of Minister Janet Ford Hill and Fred Nolan Marberry. Forrest is the grandson of the late Bishop Louis Henry Ford, Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, for whom the Bishop L. H Ford Expressway (I94) is named and Margaret Little Ford. He is an Ordained Elder in the Church of God in Christ having been first ordained by his grandfather at the age of 13 and rededicated in adulthood.
Principal investigator Henrika McCoy is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Jane Addams College of Work (JACSW). Dr. McCoy has worked in the field of social work for over 26 years, primarily with vulnerable youth, and their families, involved in child welfare, juvenile justice, and special education. Her research focuses on the experiences of urban youth, including juvenile offenders who are young men of color and the confluence of mental health disorders and juvenile delinquency. In particular, she is interested in how mental health issues, including trauma exposure, precipitate involvement for youth of color into the juvenile justice system. Her prior work includes using cognitive interviewing to examine how race influences responses to the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument version 2 (MAYSI-2). Her research interests also include addressing the broader issues that create and sustain the race and ethnic disproportionality and disparities in the juvenile justice system.
Robert Motley, MSW, received his B.A. in Social Work from Northeastern Illinois University and Masters of Social Work from University of Illinois at Chicago Jane Addams College of Social Work. Robert is a doctoral student at George Warren Brown School of Social at Washington University in St. Louis. His research focuses on the traumatic experiences of Black emerging adults aged 18-29 and how these experiences impact their mental and behavioral health outcomes. Robert is a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Pre-doctoral Fellow, which enables him to engage in NIH grant writing and review. His role as the Race and Opportunity Lab manager at George Warren Brown consists of developing administrative processes for lab research, overseeing all projects and events, and conducting data analyses and manuscript development for publication.
Marvin Neely grew up on the south side of Chicago in a CHA housing project. He was educated in elementary and high school at Catholic schools, where he learned his foundations. He is an educator. Marvin holds Master’s degrees in Special Education, a Master’s degree in Secondary Education (Math and Science) and a Master’s degree in Administration and Leadership (Type 75) and a Type 75 Superintendent endorsement.
Cary Jerome (C J) Oakley is a native of Charlotte, Tennessee. After graduating high school, he followed his older brothers into the world’s greatest navy. Designated and trained as a Data Systems Technician, his primary responsibility was to maintain a vast array of computers, radar, and other electronic equipment controlling the warship’s offensive and defensive weapon systems. In later years, he graduated from the Navy Senior Enlisted Academy and held positions as Senior Instructor, Tactical Data Systems Schools Command, Ships Maintenance and Material Manager and closed out his 26-year career as Command Master Chief (E9), the enlisted leader of all Sailors assigned to a command or post.
Emalee Pearson is an MSW-level social worker and MPH-level public health professional who has research and direct-practice experience in mental health, violence prevention as well as the development and delivery of trauma-informed programming for at-risk, urban youth. Emalee is also interested in reducing the gap in availability and accessibility of evidence-based mental health services to justice involved and underserved youth impacted by trauma.
Marcelis Posey has a master’s degree in Liberal Studies from Loyola University Maryland and is presently a masters-level graduate student at the Jane Addams College of Social Work. Anticipated to graduate in 2017, Marcelis has extensive practice in Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training, Harm Reduction Intervention, Mental Health First Aid, and Motivational Interviewing. Marcelis is also a member of the specialized Integrated Evidence-based Behavioral Health Care Training Program through JACSW that focuses on work with in Late Adolescent and Transitional Youth (Ages 16-25).
Zachary S. Stewart is a masters-level graduate student at the Jane Addams College of Social Work. He has over 5 years of experience in a variety of settings including secondary education and residential programs for teens and young adults with emotional and behavioral needs. Zachary has extensive knowledge and practice in therapeutic crisis intervention, mental health counseling, motivational interviewing, and community outreach. Zachary’s professional interests include minority adolescent well-being, African American families, co- parenting, the criminal justice system, and social policy/program. Zachary anticipates graduating in 2017.
Mack Taylor is a research consultant and phlebotomist who was born in Philadelphia and graduated from Cheyney University with a B.S. in Recreation and Leisure Management. Upon graduating he became involved in behavioral research at the Charles O’Brien Center at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. He has spent over a decade working on research studies focused on HIV prevention, drug addiction (crack cocaine and opiates), chronic pain and opiate abuse, prison populations and opiate abuse, and Men who have sex with men (MSM) studies. Most of his career has been spent at the University of Pennsylvania where he also honed most of his skills.
Mack is currently working on research studies focusing on early care and education, and assessment administration for 4th and 8th graders in the Philadelphia School District. In Mack’s downtime he enjoys nature photography, mountain biking, fixer uppers, and trying his hand at DIY projects.
DeSean Townsend was born in Los Angeles, CA, and graduated from Sierra Nevada High School. After high school he trained at Earle C. Clements Academy in the field of medical office management. After working in the medical field he joined management in the contact center environment where he trained and managed agents. DeSean’s passion to help others fueled his desire to join the SURVIVE project.