Brenda Shein, M.S.Ed (she/her/hers)
Brenda, who's currently on internship, is a sixth-year candidate in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program at Purdue. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she spent her undergraduate years in New York City and graduated from NYU in 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Before coming to Purdue to pursue her doctorate, she worked for a couple of years in community and clinical mental health settings and credits those experiences in helping to shape her vocational pursuits in counseling psychology. Brenda’s research interests broadly focus on ethnic-racial identity development and understanding trauma, adversity, and resiliency from a developmental and socio-cultural perspective. When she's not working, Brenda likes exploring cafes and spending time with others over good food. She finds the most joy in baking, practicing yoga, and going on adventures outdoors.
Muzi (Nina) Li, M.S. (she/her/hers)
Nina is a 5th-year doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at Purdue University. She grew up in Changsha, Hunan, China, and completed her undergrad at Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, where she earned degrees in Clinical Psychology and English. She later went on to get her M.S. in Prevention Science from the University of Oregon. Before coming to Purdue, Nina worked as a research assistant on several projects focused on culturally sensitive behavioral and mental health interventions. Her research is all about exploring health disparities among marginalized groups, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. She’s particularly interested in advancing health disparity theory, developing measurement tools, describing public health disparities, and creating culturally tailored interventions. Lately, she’s been focusing on LGBTQ+ health disparities. When she’s not working, Nina enjoys making tea and drinks, cooking, baking, and playing badminton.
Naisargi (Ness) Mehta, M.S.Ed. (she/her/hers)
Ness is a fourth-year doctoral student in counseling psychology at Purdue University. Born and brought up in Gujarat, India, she earned her bachelor's degree from the School of Liberal Studies in her home state. Ness moved to the U.S. right after graduating with her B.A. (Hons). Ness' research focuses on making mindfulness culturally humble in the Western mental health field. Apart from work, Ness likes writing poems, listening to music (a lot of Taylor Swift), and going for walks when the Indiana weather allows.
Jenni Thang, M.S.Ed (she/her/hers)
Jenni is currently a fourth-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program at Purdue University. Originally from Burma, she now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jenni earned her B.A. in Psychology from Indiana University Bloomington and her M.S.Ed. in Counseling Psychology from Purdue. Her research interests broadly focus on health disparities, civic engagement, and mental health within the Burmese refugee community. In her free time, Jenni enjoys working out, playing pickleball, engaging in outdoor adventures such as paddle board and snowboarding, and spending time with her niece.
Samuel King, M.Ed (he/him/his)
Samuel is a third-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology doctoral program at Purdue University. He received his B.A. in Psychology with a double minor in Anthropology and Sociology, as well as his M.Ed. in College Student Personnel Services from the University of Louisville. His research interest includes examining the role that acculturation, resiliency, thriving, and environment have on the mental health and success of Latinx students attending PWI’s. He is currently the Graduate Assistant under Director, Brittne Paramore in the Office of Student Success and Global Engagement.
Victoria Mollo, M.S.Ed (she/her/hers)
Victoria is currently a third-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program at Purdue. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York where she spent her undergraduate years. Victoria earned her B.S. in psychology and minor in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at CUNY Macaulay Honors College. Victoria’s research interests broadly focus on mental health, well-being, and resilience in families undergoing contextual adversity. When not working, you can find Victoria at the movies catching the latest film, or spending time with her friends, family, and dog named Ghost.
Phoebe Pham, B.A. (she/her/hers)
Phoebe is currently a second-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program at Purdue. She was born in Florida but grew up in Orange County, California. Phoebe graduated from the University of California, Irvine with dual B.A. degrees in Psychological Science and Social Ecology. Her research interests include the impact of parenting and culture on parent-child relationships and child socioemotional development. She hopes to work with Asian clients and community organizations to develop interventions that will improve familial dynamics and utilization of mental health services. Outside of school, Phoebe enjoys playing games, spending time with her puppy Venus, watching kdramas, reading, cooking, and exploring cafes.
Emily Park, B.A. (she/her/hers)
Emily is a first-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program at Purdue. She was born and raised in New Jersey, and graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Applied Psychology. Emily's research interests broadly focus on minoritized youth development, internalized racism, and stigma-based solidarity. During her free time, Emily enjoys reading sci-fi novels, drinking matcha lattes, and skating around campus.