ALUMNI PROFILES
Ana F. Abraído-Lanza
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
Ana Abraído-Lanza completed a post-doctoral training fellowship program in Psychiatric Epidemiology at Columbia University's School of Public Health. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University. She teaches courses on Current Issues in Latino Health, Health Psychology, Theories in Public Health Research and Practice, as well as a course entitled Seminar in Research and Professional Development. Her research focuses on cultural, psychosocial, and socioeconomic factors that affect psychological well-being, adjustment to chronic illness, and mortality and health among Latinos, as well as health disparities between Latinos and non-Latino whites..
View Dr. Abraído-Lanza's Columbia profile here.
e: aabraido@columbia.edu
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate CenterAna Abraído-Lanza completed a post-doctoral training fellowship program in Psychiatric Epidemiology at Columbia University's School of Public Health. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociomedical Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University. She teaches courses on Current Issues in Latino Health, Health Psychology, Theories in Public Health Research and Practice, as well as a course entitled Seminar in Research and Professional Development. Her research focuses on cultural, psychosocial, and socioeconomic factors that affect psychological well-being, adjustment to chronic illness, and mortality and health among Latinos, as well as health disparities between Latinos and non-Latino whites..
View Dr. Abraído-Lanza's Columbia profile here.
e: aabraido@columbia.edu
Jennifer Ayala
PhD, Social Psychology, CUNY
Dr. Ayala is currently an Assistant Professor in the Education Department at Saint Peter’s College in Jersey City, New Jersey. She is actively involved with the CUNY PAR Collective. Her most recent research is a participatory action research project in New Jersey. She is co-principal investigator of the New Jersey Urban Youth Research Initiative.
View Dr. Ayala's PARC page here.
e: jayala@spc.edu
PhD, Social Psychology, CUNYDr. Ayala is currently an Assistant Professor in the Education Department at Saint Peter’s College in Jersey City, New Jersey. She is actively involved with the CUNY PAR Collective. Her most recent research is a participatory action research project in New Jersey. She is co-principal investigator of the New Jersey Urban Youth Research Initiative.
View Dr. Ayala's PARC page here.
e: jayala@spc.edu
Leonard Bickman
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
Dr. Bickman is a professor of psychology and public policy of Peabody College and a professor of psychiatry at Vanderbilt University. He holds a Betts Chair at Peabody College and is the director of the Center for Evaluation and Program Improvement at Vanderbuilt University and, since 1996, he has been the Editor in Chief of Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental heath Services Research.
Dissertation: Bickman, Leonard B. (1969). The effect of the presence of others on bystander intervention in an emergency. Harold Proshanky & Stanley Milgram, Sponsors. Thesis (Ph.D.) City University of New York.
View Dr. Bickman's website here.
e: leonard.bickman@vanderbilt.edu
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate CenterDr. Bickman is a professor of psychology and public policy of Peabody College and a professor of psychiatry at Vanderbilt University. He holds a Betts Chair at Peabody College and is the director of the Center for Evaluation and Program Improvement at Vanderbuilt University and, since 1996, he has been the Editor in Chief of Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental heath Services Research.
Dissertation: Bickman, Leonard B. (1969). The effect of the presence of others on bystander intervention in an emergency. Harold Proshanky & Stanley Milgram, Sponsors. Thesis (Ph.D.) City University of New York.
View Dr. Bickman's website here.
e: leonard.bickman@vanderbilt.edu
Nida Bikmen
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
Dr. Bikmen graduated from Bogazici University, Turkey and earned her Ph.D. here at the GC. She is interested in studying issues of diversity and intergroup relations. Her research aims at identifying conditions that facilitate endorsement of diversity and multicultural groups and that prevent interpersonal and intergroup conflict. Specifically, she is interested in group identities and their consequences in terms of academic outcomes, representations of group history, intergroup attitudes, and collective action.
e: bikmenn@denison.edu
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate CenterDr. Bikmen graduated from Bogazici University, Turkey and earned her Ph.D. here at the GC. She is interested in studying issues of diversity and intergroup relations. Her research aims at identifying conditions that facilitate endorsement of diversity and multicultural groups and that prevent interpersonal and intergroup conflict. Specifically, she is interested in group identities and their consequences in terms of academic outcomes, representations of group history, intergroup attitudes, and collective action.
e: bikmenn@denison.edu
David Bimbi
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
Dr. Bimbi’s dissertation was entitled: “Beyond ‘vectors of transmission’ through commercial sex: Exploring models of sexual risk taking with clients and casual partners among Internet based male sex workers. His 2nd doctoral exam, “Male Prostitution: Pathology, Paradigms and Progress in Research,” was published in the book “Male Sex Workers: The Business of Doing Pleasure.” He and SP Alum Dr. Juline Koken, combined their dissertation data for the chapter “Male and Female Escorts: A Comparative Analyses,” in the 2nd edition of the book “Sex for Sale.” He recently completed a CDC project for transgender women, and plans to continue focusing on this population as well as transgender men. Dr. Bimbi also serves on the Board of Directors of the Pride Connections Center of NJ and is presently an Asst. Professor in Health Sciences at CUNY’s LaGuardia Community College and Faculty Affiliate at the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST).
View Dr. Bimbi's CHEST profile here.
e: dbimbi@chestnyc.org
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
Dr. Bimbi’s dissertation was entitled: “Beyond ‘vectors of transmission’ through commercial sex: Exploring models of sexual risk taking with clients and casual partners among Internet based male sex workers. His 2nd doctoral exam, “Male Prostitution: Pathology, Paradigms and Progress in Research,” was published in the book “Male Sex Workers: The Business of Doing Pleasure.” He and SP Alum Dr. Juline Koken, combined their dissertation data for the chapter “Male and Female Escorts: A Comparative Analyses,” in the 2nd edition of the book “Sex for Sale.” He recently completed a CDC project for transgender women, and plans to continue focusing on this population as well as transgender men. Dr. Bimbi also serves on the Board of Directors of the Pride Connections Center of NJ and is presently an Asst. Professor in Health Sciences at CUNY’s LaGuardia Community College and Faculty Affiliate at the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST).View Dr. Bimbi's CHEST profile here.
e: dbimbi@chestnyc.org
Brian Cassel
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
Dr. Cassel is now at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center as a Senior Analyst with the Oncology Administration.
View his center's website here.
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate CenterDr. Cassel is now at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center as a Senior Analyst with the Oncology Administration.
View his center's website here.
Kenny Foster
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
Dr. Foster was placed at Texas Women's University.
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate CenterDr. Foster was placed at Texas Women's University.
Ronni Greenwood
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
Dr. Greenwood is a Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Dundee.
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate CenterDr. Greenwood is a Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Dundee.
Elizabeth Haines
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
Dr. Haines graduates from the University of Delaware with an Honors in Psychology and a B.A. in English. Haines earned her Doctorate from the Graduate Center in 1999. Dr. Haines is a social and personality psychologist interested in the basic processes underlying social perception. My particular interest in social perception is when people "get it wrong" as in the case of stereotyping. racism, and sexism. Some of my current work is investigating bias against parents in the workplace, the reduction of 'implicit racism' as measured by the Implicit Association Test, working memory and physiological correlates of implicit racism, and women's self perception of power in response to a powerful role. I also have long-standing interests in nonverbal behavior, intergroup conflict, system justification, memory, gender, and social power. I work collaboratively with undergraduate students and run a social psychology lab with several students each semester.
e: hainese@wpunj.edu
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate CenterDr. Haines graduates from the University of Delaware with an Honors in Psychology and a B.A. in English. Haines earned her Doctorate from the Graduate Center in 1999. Dr. Haines is a social and personality psychologist interested in the basic processes underlying social perception. My particular interest in social perception is when people "get it wrong" as in the case of stereotyping. racism, and sexism. Some of my current work is investigating bias against parents in the workplace, the reduction of 'implicit racism' as measured by the Implicit Association Test, working memory and physiological correlates of implicit racism, and women's self perception of power in response to a powerful role. I also have long-standing interests in nonverbal behavior, intergroup conflict, system justification, memory, gender, and social power. I work collaboratively with undergraduate students and run a social psychology lab with several students each semester.
e: hainese@wpunj.edu
Juline Koken
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
Juline Koken, Ph.D., successfully defended her dissertation “Working in the Business of Pleasure: Stigma Resistance and Coping Strategies Utilized by Independent Female Escorts” on December 10th, 2008. She is presently a post-doctoral fellow in Behavioral Science Training in Drug Abuse and HIV Research at the National and Development Research Institutes (NDRI) and Public Health Solutions. Juline is also continuing her work as a Project Director at the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST) under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Parsons and Dr. Sarit Golub. Her research interests center around the health impact of social marginalization, particularly for people who are marginalized due to their gender, sexuality, and sexual behavior, such as sex workers, transgender, gay, bisexual and lesbian individuals, and persons living with HIV/AIDS.
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate CenterJuline Koken, Ph.D., successfully defended her dissertation “Working in the Business of Pleasure: Stigma Resistance and Coping Strategies Utilized by Independent Female Escorts” on December 10th, 2008. She is presently a post-doctoral fellow in Behavioral Science Training in Drug Abuse and HIV Research at the National and Development Research Institutes (NDRI) and Public Health Solutions. Juline is also continuing her work as a Project Director at the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST) under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Parsons and Dr. Sarit Golub. Her research interests center around the health impact of social marginalization, particularly for people who are marginalized due to their gender, sexuality, and sexual behavior, such as sex workers, transgender, gay, bisexual and lesbian individuals, and persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Sean G. Massey
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
Dr. Massey's dissertation was titled "Polymorphous prejudice: Liberating the measurement of heterosexuals’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men." He is now an Assistant Professor of Human Development at SUNY Binghamton. He is also an elected official of the Binghamton City Coucil representing the 5th district and he founded and owns a bar/restaurant in Binghamton, NY called Traquil Bar & Bistro. Dr. Massey is also the co-editor and contributing author of the forthcoming book at Peter Lang Publishers, titiled: LGBTQ Youth in Educational Contexts: Beyond Progress and Marginalization.
View Dr. Massey's Binghamton University faculty profile here.
e: smassey@binghamton.edu
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate CenterDr. Massey's dissertation was titled "Polymorphous prejudice: Liberating the measurement of heterosexuals’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men." He is now an Assistant Professor of Human Development at SUNY Binghamton. He is also an elected official of the Binghamton City Coucil representing the 5th district and he founded and owns a bar/restaurant in Binghamton, NY called Traquil Bar & Bistro. Dr. Massey is also the co-editor and contributing author of the forthcoming book at Peter Lang Publishers, titiled: LGBTQ Youth in Educational Contexts: Beyond Progress and Marginalization.
View Dr. Massey's Binghamton University faculty profile here.
e: smassey@binghamton.edu
Eric W. Schrimshaw
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
Dr. Schrimshaw is now an Assistant Professor of Sociomedical Sciences in the Center for the Psychosocial Study of Health & Illness at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. Dr. Schrimshaw’s work focuses on the role of interpersonal factors on health and well-being. Much of this work, including his dissertation, has examined the beneficial role of supportive relationships and the negative impact of conflict and rejection on various health outcomes among stigmatized populations. More recently, Dr. Schrimshaw’s work has addressed the health implications of the non-disclosure of stigmatized identities. Specifically, his work has documented the negative health implications that a lack of disclosure can have for mental health, substance use, and sexual risk behavior.
e: es458@columbia.edu
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate CenterDr. Schrimshaw is now an Assistant Professor of Sociomedical Sciences in the Center for the Psychosocial Study of Health & Illness at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. Dr. Schrimshaw’s work focuses on the role of interpersonal factors on health and well-being. Much of this work, including his dissertation, has examined the beneficial role of supportive relationships and the negative impact of conflict and rejection on various health outcomes among stigmatized populations. More recently, Dr. Schrimshaw’s work has addressed the health implications of the non-disclosure of stigmatized identities. Specifically, his work has documented the negative health implications that a lack of disclosure can have for mental health, substance use, and sexual risk behavior.
e: es458@columbia.edu
Jana Sladkova
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
Dr. Sladkova is an Assistant Professor at UMass, Lowell in the Psychology Department
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate CenterDr. Sladkova is an Assistant Professor at UMass, Lowell in the Psychology Department
Harold Takooshian
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
Dr. Takooshian graduated from the SP program in 1979. His dissertations was on helping behavior as a social indicator (Stanley Milgram, mentor). He is now a professor of Psychology & Urban Studies at Fordham University, Director of the Organizational Leadership program, and is chair of the NY Committee of SPSSI--the Society for Psychological Study of Social Issues. Like most SP alumni in his cohort, he has great memories working with inspired and inspiring professors whose peerless teaching matched their research, and who put aside their own full plates each Wednesday at noon to join their students at the weekly colloquium. He worked with professors Milgram, Denmark, Bard, Dohrenwend, Messick, Borgatta.
View Dr. Takooshian's faculty website at Fordham here.
e: takoosh@aol.com
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate CenterDr. Takooshian graduated from the SP program in 1979. His dissertations was on helping behavior as a social indicator (Stanley Milgram, mentor). He is now a professor of Psychology & Urban Studies at Fordham University, Director of the Organizational Leadership program, and is chair of the NY Committee of SPSSI--the Society for Psychological Study of Social Issues. Like most SP alumni in his cohort, he has great memories working with inspired and inspiring professors whose peerless teaching matched their research, and who put aside their own full plates each Wednesday at noon to join their students at the weekly colloquium. He worked with professors Milgram, Denmark, Bard, Dohrenwend, Messick, Borgatta.
View Dr. Takooshian's faculty website at Fordham here.
e: takoosh@aol.com
Rafael A. Torruella
PhD, Social-Personality Psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
MA Social Psychology and Community Counseling, Ball State University
BA, Psychology and Anthropology, Rollins College
Dr. Torruella is interested in the lives of injecting drug users who are relocated from Puerto Rico to the United States for drug treatment. He studies the social and political context that influences this migration and its effect on people who use drugs. The title of his dissertation was "¿Allá en Nueva York Todo es Mejor?: A Qualitative Study on the Relocation of Drug Users from Puerto Rico to the United States"
e: rafi8@yahoo.com
PhD, Social-Personality Psychology, CUNY Graduate CenterMA Social Psychology and Community Counseling, Ball State University
BA, Psychology and Anthropology, Rollins College
Dr. Torruella is interested in the lives of injecting drug users who are relocated from Puerto Rico to the United States for drug treatment. He studies the social and political context that influences this migration and its effect on people who use drugs. The title of his dissertation was "¿Allá en Nueva York Todo es Mejor?: A Qualitative Study on the Relocation of Drug Users from Puerto Rico to the United States"
e: rafi8@yahoo.com
Corina Lelutiu-Weinberger
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate Center
As a doctoral student, Dr. Wienberger developed research blending traditions of human development and social theory. Dr. Wienberger’s work at the Graduate Center advocated for change towards alternative pedagogies that can potentially empower students. Her master’s thesis inquired about emerging systems of education in post-communist Romania that fostered student independent thinking in the new “democratic” political climate. In her dissertation, Corina examined the outcomes of student curriculum design and advocated for student official participation in their own education. The students were New York City public school youth of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Her findings were in favor of incorporating a priori youth concepts into formal curriculum, given their importance and critical outlook on adult-created curricula. Consequently, Corina outlined the specifications of an alternative pedagogy of ‘permeability’ that has the potential to foster diversity and more efficient learning. She now works as Project Director for the Young Men’s Health Project (YMHP) at the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST).
e: cweinberger@chestnyc.org
PhD, Social-Personality psychology, CUNY Graduate CenterAs a doctoral student, Dr. Wienberger developed research blending traditions of human development and social theory. Dr. Wienberger’s work at the Graduate Center advocated for change towards alternative pedagogies that can potentially empower students. Her master’s thesis inquired about emerging systems of education in post-communist Romania that fostered student independent thinking in the new “democratic” political climate. In her dissertation, Corina examined the outcomes of student curriculum design and advocated for student official participation in their own education. The students were New York City public school youth of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Her findings were in favor of incorporating a priori youth concepts into formal curriculum, given their importance and critical outlook on adult-created curricula. Consequently, Corina outlined the specifications of an alternative pedagogy of ‘permeability’ that has the potential to foster diversity and more efficient learning. She now works as Project Director for the Young Men’s Health Project (YMHP) at the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST).
e: cweinberger@chestnyc.org