Cassidy Dillard is a first-year school of psychology PhD student within the College of Education. Previously, she obtained her Masters in the Art of Teaching from the University of Portland and worked as a 5th grade general education and 7th grade English Language arts teacher in Tampa, FL. Currently, Cassidy holds a Florida professional teaching license for grades K-12 with an ESOL and Reading endorsement. She aspires to become a licensed psychologist that specializes in neurodivergent affirming practices and mental health.

RJ is an EdS student hailing from New Jersey. RJ earned his Bachelors in Psychology from Bard College, working in multiple research labs as well as a crisis counseling hotline known as BRAVE. Following his undergraduate education, RJ worked as a researcher within Brigham and Women's Hospital and as a paraeducator for youth in Portland Public Schools. RJ is interested in exploring the non-medical intervention for learning disabilities, how medical interventions affect well-being in school and at home, and how these interventions prepare students for a world that is not standardized.

Sabine earned her BA in Psychological Science at Pomona College. As an undergraduate student, she was a behavior therapist and research assistant at the Claremont Autism Center. After college, she worked as a Research Coordinator at the University of Washington’s READi Lab. While at the READi Lab, she helped coordinate a multi-state study examining the efficacy and implementation of Reciprocal Imitation Teaching within the Early Intervention system. At the University of Oregon, Sabine is interested in caregiver-mediated interventions for young children with autism and other developmental delays, the transition to kindergarten, and family service access within the special education system.

My name is Serena (Shuang) Wu, an international student from Shanghai, China. As a first-generation college student in my family, I understand the importance of education and the transformative power it holds. This is what has driven my passion for empowering underrepresented communities throughout my academic journey. My research interest lies in exploring effective strategies and interventions to support children with behavioral and mental struggles, specifically those from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. I would like to understand the intersectionality of culture, language, and mental health in order to develop culturally responsive and inclusive intervention approaches. Looking ahead, my future aspiration is to establish a connection between these children, their schools, and their families through creating an environment that fosters their growth and development.