Dr. Cathi Draper Rodriguez, Ph.D., NCSP, LEP is a Professor of School Psychology and Program Director of School Psychology in the College of Education at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). As Department Chair of Education and Leadership, Dr. Draper Rodriguez led the development of several community-responsive programs, including a Education Specialist degree and credential program in School Psychology with an emphasis on supporting Migrant Youth and Emergent Bilinguals, a bilingual added authorization for teachers, a preliminary Educational Administration credential program, and integrated degree and credential pathways developed in partnership with Liberal Studies. Prior to her work in higher education, she served as a bilingual school psychologist in public schools, consulting with multidisciplinary teams on special education decisions for Emergent Bilingual students, and as an early interventionist providing home-based services to Latina mothers and their young children. Her research focuses on the appropriate identification of disabilities in Emergent Bilinguals, school success for at-risk youth, educational assessment, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support.

Jin Hyung Lim is a PhD candidate in the School Psychology Program at the University of California, Berkeley School of Education. Jin Hyung‚Äôs research focuses on advancing social and emotional learning (SEL) and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) practices by integrating social justice, equity, and cultural humility, to better support school members (e.g., students, families, teachers, and school leaders) from marginalized backgrounds. He is also actively involved in research on school-based mental health services for Asian Americans, who have historically been marginalized from such services. As a D16 CEMA graduate student member, Jin Hyung is committed to recruiting and training school psychology graduate students from racial/ethnic minority backgrounds by constructing safe space for them to thrive and feel welcomed. Learn more.

Dr. Anna Long earned her doctorate in school psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2009, followed by two postdoctoral fellowships‚Äîone clinical and one academic‚Äîincluding one at the Center for Behavioral Education and Research at the University of Connecticut. She currently chairs the APA Division 16 Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs. With over 15 years of experience bridging the research-practice gap for students, families, and schools, Dr. Long is committed to promoting evidence-based practices (EBPs) in ways that are feasible and culturally affirming. She appreciates that implementation is complex and requires both expertise in selecting appropriate EBPs and the ability to adapt them to various cultural communities and school contexts. Thus, Dr. Long understands the vital role of school psychologists in ensuring the successful adoption of proven practices at both the student and system levels. Her research advances social-emotional and behavioral health in schools by investigating issues related to cultural responsivity, implementation science, and client engagement. By examining how ecological and sociocultural factors shape student behavioral and mental health, including patterns of help-seeking and engagement, she aims to empower students and schools to overcome challenges, achieve their goals, and address systemic inequities. Service is central to Dr. Long‚Äôs professional identity. As the D16 CEMA Chair, her goal is to increase the committee’s visibility within APA Division 16 and beyond, to improve its accessibility as a resource to the school psychology community, and to elevate the voices of racially and ethnically minoritized communities. Together, we can drive meaningful change and build a future where every student receives the support they need to thrive and feel valued! Learn more.

Dr. Hua (Elaine) Luo’s research examines how identity-related attributes, such as ethnic-racial identity, shape youth mental health, resilience, and academic success. Guided by ecological systems theory and a strengths-based approach, she is committed to promoting culturally responsive interventions and building stronger family and chool partnerships to create supportive school environments for all students. As part of CEMA, she is excited to develop initiatives that increase diversity in school psychology, support mentorship programs, and advance culturally responsive training practices. Learn more.

Dr. Hao-Jan Luh is currently an assistant professor at Rowan University. His goal is to cultivate resilience in all children and educators. His research focuses on the implementation of evidence-based practices in school settings. He is particularly interested in the implementation supports for classroom management practices and social emotional learning programs. He is also dedicated to promoting multicultural competence in education, with a current focus on international students in school psychology training. Learn more.

Dr. Christy Mulligan is an Assistant Professor at Adelphi University in NY. Her research interests are in the areas of sexually harmful youth, selective mutism, and promoting the wellness and safety of gender diverse students in schools. Learn more.

Dr. Lisa Peterson received her doctorate in school psychology from Texas A&M University, with an emphasis in prevention science as well as training in bilingual school psychology. Dr. Peterson has extensive clinical experience providing services to children and families in public schools and community mental health clinics. Her research interests focus on how to best support the mental health needs of culturally and linguistically diverse children in the schools. She is also interested in professional issues in school psychology, including supervision, school-based mental health models, and addressing the national shortage of school psychologists. As a former bilingual educator and past facilitator of the National Association of School Psychologists’ Bilingual Interest Group, Dr. Peterson is dedicated to increasing the capacity of school psychology to support multilingual and multicultural families through recruitment and retention of diverse students, practitioners, and faculty who value the strengths of all children. Learn more.

Dr. Elisa Shernoff has dedicated her career to publicly engaged scholarship with an emphasis on ensuring access to high-quality instruction in high-need, low-wealth schools where punitive and exclusionary discipline practices erode safe and nurturing educational environments. At the broadest level, her research focuses on designing and examining models of training, consultation, and supervision to support teachers, with research questions aimed at identifying and removing barriers to the delivery of evidence-based, equitable instruction. Her scholarship is: (1) guided by ecological theory, highlighting multiple systems impacting teachers, students, and families; (2) centers teacher voices and experiences; (3) infuses principles of implementation science to promote the adoption and sustainability of evidence-based practices in schools; and (4) uses multiple methodological approaches, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. Her program of research aligns closely with the mission of CEMA by advancing equity-centered scholarship that reduces educational inequities and improves outcomes for historically marginalized students. Learn more.

I am a doctoral student in School Psychology with research interests in culturally adaptive practices across assessment, consultation, and intervention. I am particularly drawn to systems-level work that bridges research and practice to support equitable, student-centered outcomes in schools and their broader communities.

Dr. Tanaka is an adjunct lecturer at San Diego State University. Her research has explored middle school teachers’ work with newcomer immigrant students, experiences of Black, Indigenous, Women of Color school psychology graduate students, and assessing school psychology program climates. She is committed to bilingual (English/Spanish) practice and training in better serving and meeting the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse children and families. Dr. Tanaka dreams of educational and healthcare systems that can prevent and combat systemic harm while facilitating community, care, and resources.

Dr. Cixin Wang is an Associate Professor of School Psychology in the College of Education at the University of Maryland, College Park (Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education). She received her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2011.Her research interests focus on bullying prevention and mental health promotion among children and adolescents. Her research seeks to: (1) better understand different factors contributing to bullying and mental health difficulties, including individual, family, school, and cultural factors; (2) develop effective prevention and intervention techniques to decrease bullying at school; and (3) develop school-based prevention and intervention to promote mental health among students, especially among culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. Learn more.

Yeena Yoon is a third year Ph.D. student in the School Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She completed her B.A. in Public Health Studies and Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University. She is interested in research on reducing mental health disparities in Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and immigrant-origin youth, improving school-based mental health systems and school climate for BIPOC and immigrant-origin youth, and recruiting and retaining diverse graduate students for the field.