Fellows: 2001-2002

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Dr. Cacilia Kim
Dr. Kim was an SRCD Congressional Fellow for 2001-2002. She received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Kim also received her J.D. from UCLA, where she was an inaugural member of UCLA’s Program in Public Interest and Social Policy. While in California, Dr. Kim worked at the Edelman’s Children’s Court in Monterey Park, which handles all child abuse cases for Los Angeles County. Her research interests focus on the effects of culture and ethnicity on family dynamics and child development, particularly in the social and emotional development of immigrant and minority children and the impact of various environmental, cultural and parental influences on their attitudes and behaviors. As a Congressional Fellow, she worked on educational issues in the office of Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM).

Dr. Helen Raikes
Dr. Raikes was an SRCD Visiting Scholar in the Office of Research, Planning and Evaluation, Administration on Children and Families, providing oversight for the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project, data archiving and other research projects pertaining to infants and toddlers. She has a Ph.D. from Iowa State University and resides in Lincoln, NE, where her work at The Gallup Organization and the University of Nebraska focused on child care, infants and toddlers and indicators of child well-being.

Dr. Anthony Salandy
As an SRCD Congressional Fellow, Dr. Salandy worked in the office of Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) on the issues of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and HIV/AIDS and drug policy. Dr. Salandy comes to the fellowship with a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Auburn University. While completing his degree, Dr. Salandy held a Social Policy internship at Columbia University as an SRCD Putting Children First Fellow and was also SRCD’s Social Policy Network for graduate students Director. Prior to this, Dr. Salandy worked in the office of a State Senator from Alabama and served in the United States Army. He has also worked on an NIH Minority Access to Research Careers research project and was an SRCD Millennium Fellow at the 1999 Biennial Meeting in Albuquerque. His continuing interests focus on topics such as ethnic differences in the use of social support and its influence on children’s adjustment, and resiliency factors in the lives of at-risk African-American youth.

Dr. LeShawndra Price
Dr. Price was an Executive Branch Policy Fellow working at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Her work was with the Developmental Psychopathology and Prevention Research Branch at NIMH on projects in both the Sociocultural Processes and Health Disparities Program and the Disruptive Behavior and Attention Deficit Disorders Program. She received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While completing her graduate studies, Dr. Price served as a mentor for the Summer PreGraduate Research Experience program at UNC and was a research assistant for the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Center for Developmental Science, and the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center. She has previously held a National Institutes of Health Minority Predoctoral Fellowship and was recognized by the Carolina Girl Scout Council as a Woman of Tomorrow. Her primary research interests are in the social and academic development of children and adolescents, with a focus on factors and contexts that foster resilience in underprivileged children.

Dr. Rachel Schiffman
Dr. Schiffman contributed her expertise as an SRCD Executive Branch Fellow at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). She worked with the Center on AIDS and Other Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse (CAMCODA) in several critical areas, including: health and developmental consequences of drug exposure/use among children, adolescents and young adults; HIV/AIDS and drug abuse among adolescents; and child and adolescent aspects of NIDA's goal for blending research and practice. Dr. Schiffman came to the fellowship after serving as Acting Director of Research at the College of Nursing at Michigan State University. She received her Ph.D. in Education from the University of Connecticut, with a specialty in educational psychology. Prior to her doctoral training, Dr. Schiffman received her M.S. in nursing. In addition to being a professor, Dr. Schiffman has played an integral role as a local researcher and Consortium member of the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project (EHS), having served on a steering committee and on the EHS Fathers Study subcommittee.

Dr. Cassandra Simmel
As an Executive Branch Fellow, Dr. Simmel worked at the Administration of Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), in the Commissioner's Office of Research and Evaluation (CORE). Her work focused on child welfare issues, including working with the Office of Child Abuse and Neglect (OCAN) on child abuse and neglect research, and also on an evaluation project of the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (for adolescents transitioning out of foster care). Dr. Simmel came to the fellowship with a Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley. While completing her graduate work, Dr. Simmel was a Research Associate with the Center for Social Services Research and the Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center at Berkeley. At these centers, she conducted research pertaining to a longitudinal study of adopted youth, including the mental health outcomes of adopted foster youth. She also worked on an evaluation project of a demonstration foster care program in Northern California (Shared Family Care). Her main interests involve mental health issues of foster youth, long-term psychosocial outcomes of child maltreatment, and the intersection of substance abuse and child welfare.

Dr. Ivelisse Martinez-Beck
Dr. Martinez-Beck continued her SRCD Executive Branch Fellowship with a second term at the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, DHHS. She continued to work in the Child Care Bureau there. You will find background information on Dr. Martinez-Beck within the 2000-2001Fellows section of our website.

Dr. Carole Kuhns
Dr. Kuhns continued her work at the Commissioner’s Office for Research and Evaluation (CORE) at the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) as a part-time SRCD Fellow. She returned to Virginia Tech to continue her teaching and research there for the rest of her time. You will find background information on Dr. Kuhns within the 2000-2001Fellows section of our website. At CORE, Dr. Kuhns is involved in the Early Head Start Research Study, as well as on projects with the Child Care Bureau.