Stephen Kilgus, Ph.D., Principal Investigator
Dr. Kilgus is an Associate Professor in the School Psychology Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research is in the area of school mental health. Dr. Kilgus has authored and contributed to the development of a number of assessments, including Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS), Direct Behavior Ratings (DBRs), and the Intervention Selection Profile (ISP). He is also a co-author of the Resilience Education Program (REP).
Katie Eklund, Ph.D., Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Eklund is an Associate Professor in the School Psychology Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her current research projects include implementation of universal screening and Tier 2 social emotional interventions in K-12 schools, addressing the social-emotional and behavioral needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students, and investigating the impact of School Resource Officers on school climate and safety.
Nate von der Embse, Ph.D., Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. von der Embse is an Associate Professor in the School Psychology Program at the University of South Florida. His research involves the development of school mental health assessments and interventions, implementation of prevention models, and optimization of educator decision-making. Dr. von der Embse has authored and contributed to the development of a number of assessments, including Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS) and the Intervention Selection Profile (ISP).
Dan Maggin, Ph.D., Co-Investigator
Dr. Maggin is an Associate Professor of Special Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His research addresses three areas related to the education of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) including the identification of evidence-based practice and supporting school personnel implement evidence-based strategies.
Jessica Willenbrink, Ph.D., Research Associate
Dr. Willenbrink is a postdoctoral research associate within the School Psychology program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Within SMHC, she assists with the development and investigation of the Resilience Education Program and the Intervention Selection Profile. Jessica is interested in research examining the prevention of mental health disorders for children and adolescents in school settings. Her research focuses on social, emotional, and behavioral prevention programs at the Tier 1 and Tier 2 levels. She has specialized experience in the research and implementation of universal/Tier 1 mindfulness curricula applied in school settings.
Miranda Zahn, M.S. Graduate Research Assistant / Curriculum Vitae
Miranda Zahn is a doctoral candidate in the School Psychology program at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She has worked as a project assistant during the development and evaluation of the Intervention Selection Profile suite of tools for the past several years, supporting teacher training, implementation, and data analysis. More broadly, her professional interests are in the areas of indirect service delivery and tiered supports for social, emotional, and behavioral needs in schools with diverse students from an anti-racist lens. Her dissertation examines how secondary teachers become efficacious to promote student mental health, classroom engagement, and student behavior through the use of culturally responsive practices.
Yuna Seong, B.A., Graduate Research Assistant
Yuna Seong is a doctoral student in the School Psychology program. She is advised by Dr. Katie Eklund. She received her B.A. in Sociology with minors in Applied Psychology and Professional Writing from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2020. At UCSB, Yuna worked on studies on Tier I-III MTSS for social-emotional skills. Her current research interests are in cultural responsivity of MTSS for social emotional learning.
Teagan Twombly, B.A., Graduate Research Assistant
Teagan Twombly is a doctoral graduate student in the School Psychology program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Previously, she earned her BA in Psychology and Spanish from UW-Madison, where she participated in research that explored children’s understanding of various social categories such as race and gender. Teagan is advised by Dr. Katie Eklund and her current research interests broadly include school-based mental health practices and how schools can adopt evidence-based, prevention and early intervention programs to support students with social and emotional challenges. Additionally, she is interested how schools can support culturally and linguistically diverse students who have experienced trauma through cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness practices.
Lauren Knuckey, B.A., Graduate Research Assistant
Lauren Knuckey (she/her) is a doctoral student in the School Psychology program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She attended Luther College in Decorah, IA and received her BA in neuroscience and Spanish with a minor in environmental studies. After graduating, she worked as a student engagement specialist in a psychiatric treatment center in Denver, CO where she became interested in trauma-informed care within school systems. Lauren’s research interests include student mental health programming and culturally-responsive practices, especially in the context of teacher, family, and community collaboration.
Elizabeth Davis, B.A., Graduate Research Assistant
Elizabeth Davis is a doctoral student in the School Psychology program area. She majored in Psychology and minored in Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While in Chapel Hill, she worked as a research assistant at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute on the Self-Regulation Skills for Success Study. After graduation, she worked for two years as a research specialist at the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education on a project examining teacher preparation programs for elementary school teachers. Elizabeth is particularly interested in researching interventions for students with behavioral and social-emotional concerns.
Alexis Sanchez, M.A., Graduate Research Assistant
Alexis Sanchez is a fourth-year doctoral student in the school psychology program at the University of South Florida and the lab manager of the RAISE lab. Alexis’ research interests include social justice for minoritized populations, advocacy and policy change that promotes educational success, and promotion of school based mental health supports. Alexis has authored on multiple evaluations of the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS) and a literature review of the Youth Mental Health First Aid (Y-MHFA) training.
Chelsea Salvatore, M.A., Graduate Research Assistant
Chelsea Salvatore is a third-year doctoral student in the school psychology program at the University of South Florida. Her current research interests include school-based mental health, behavioral interventions, and multi-tiered systems of support. Chelsea has engaged in school consultation to support the use of evidence-based assessments, such as the Social, Academic, Emotional Behavioral Risk Screener (SAEBRS), as well as to use data to select feasible interventions, and provide training to educators.
Gabrielle Francis, M.A., Graduate Research Assistant
Gabrielle Francis is a second-year doctoral student in the school psychology program at the University of South Florida. Her research interests broadly include professional development for teachers, test anxiety, racial inequity in school-based interventions, school-based mental health and positive psychology. Gabrielle has engaged in school consultation to support the use of evidence-based assessments, such as the Social, Academic, Emotional Behavioral Risk Screener (SAEBRS), as well as to use data to select feasible interventions, and provide training to educators.