Meet the Team

Dorothy L. Espelage, Ph.D.

Dorothy L. Espelage, Ph.D., is William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the recipient of the APA Lifetime Achievement Award in Prevention Science and the 2016 APA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy, and is a Fellow of APS, APA, and AERA. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Education, awarded the SPR Prevention Science Award in 2020, and received a lifetime mentoring award from the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence. She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Indiana University in 1997.  Over the last 25 years, she has authored over 350 peer- reviewed articles, eight edited books, and 100 chapters on bullying, homophobic teasing, sexual harassment, dating violence, social-emotional learning interventions, and adolescent suicide. Her research focuses on translating empirical findings into prevention and intervention programming and she has secured over 50 million dollars of external funding. She advises members of Congress and Senate on bully prevention legislation. She conducts regular webinars for CDC, NIH, and NIJ to disseminate research. She has conducted randomized clinical trials to evaluate K-12 social-emotional learning programs to reduce youth aggression, peer-led interventions to address sexual violence and suicidal behaviors, and virtual reality-based bully prevention programs. Findings of her research are guiding state, national, and international efforts to prevent youth violence and promote positive school climates. She authored a 2011 White House Brief on bullying among LGBTQ youth and attended the White House Conference in 2011, and has been a consultant on the stopbullying.gov website and consultant to the National Anti-bullying Campaign, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). She has presented multiple times at the Federal Partnership to End Bullying Summit and Conference. She is a consultant to the National Institutes of Health Pathways to Prevention Initiative to address bullying and youth suicide. Dr. Espelage has appeared on many television news and talk shows, including The Today Show; CNN; CBS Evening News; The Oprah Winfrey Show, Anderson, Anderson 360 and has been quoted in the national print press, including Time Magazine, USA Today, People, Boston Globe, and the Wall Street Journal.  Her dedicated team of undergraduate and graduate students are committed to the dissemination of the research through various mechanisms.

Mary Faith Mount-Cors, Ph.D.

Dr. Mount-Cors brings more than 25 years of global and local experience in education research, program evaluation, and direct work with youth to the BRITE team, the Second Step team, and the DIAL team. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she focused on the intersection of literacy, health, and child wellbeing. She also holds a Certificate in Global Health from UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, M.A. in French from New York University, and B.A. from Davidson College. 

A former K-12 language teacher, Dr. Mount-Cors has spent much of her career rooted in North Carolina. She founded EdIntersect, LLC, a Carrboro-based consulting firm focused on primary and secondary education with governments and local partners in over 20 countries, with funding from USAID, UNICEF, World Bank, Gates Foundation, and other private foundations and NGOs. She has taught courses at UNC in quantitative and qualitative research, teaching methods, and comparative and international education, has served on school improvement teams at Chapel Hill High School, McDougle Middle School, and Carrboro Elementary, and has worked with North Carolina school districts to implement global education and dual language programs.

Throughout her career, Dr. Mount-Cors has studied, advocated for, and promoted the understanding that academic success and social-emotional wellbeing go hand in hand – for children in rural Mali and coastal Kenya as well as for students in urban and rural North Carolina schools. She brings that commitment and experience to her research at UNC. 

Sonali Senapati

Sonali Senapati is a 2024 graduate of UNC Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Neuroscience and Psychology and is currently pursuing dual Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees at UNC. She has a background in both research and direct clinical practice with children and families, experiences that sparked a deeper curiosity about the questions behind practice and strengthened her commitment to research as a tool for answering them. Her interests center on community-informed, equity-focused research that addresses real-world challenges and promotes meaningful change.

Previously, Sonali worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator in the UNC School of Medicine’s Cochlear Implant Research Lab, where she supported studies aimed at improving outcomes for individuals with hearing loss. In addition to her research experience, she has worked directly with children and families in clinical and community-based settings, supporting youth with developmental and behavioral health needs and gaining firsthand insight into factors influencing child and family well-being.

In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time with her dog, Cash.

Ashley Abawi

Hi! I’m Ashley Abawi, an alumna of the University of Alabama, where I received my Master of Public Health with a concentration in Health Education and Promotion. I recently moved to Chapel Hill from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

My work focuses on youth health education, with particular interests in consent and sexual health education, digital boundaries, healthy relationships, and mental health. Throughout my career, I have enjoyed applying public health principles through community outreach and program implementation, especially in my hometown communities. Growing up in a rural Southern community also sparked my interest in chronic disease prevention and health promotion, and I am passionate about using education, preventive care, healthy lifestyles, and screening programs to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities.

Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, walking, swimming, and trail running, along with good coffee, and romance novels!

Joi Artis

Hello! My name is Joi Artis. I am a Research Coordinator/Interventionist with the Building Resilience in Teens through Education (BRITE) trial team here at UNC Chapel Hill. I am originally from Greensboro, NC, and I recently completed a Master of Science in Research Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

I have a deep passion for research, education, and mental health. My research interests focus on non-suicidal self-injury, stress, trauma, and coping processes in adolescents and young adults. My broader research experiences include topics such as depression, animal-assisted therapy, trauma, self-injury, and mental health content on social media platforms.

Outside of my professional and academic work, I enjoy reading and spending time with loved ones.

Shiv Patel

Hi! I’m Shiv, a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I hold a B.A. in Psychology and a B.A.Ed in Human Development and Family Science, and aspire to pursue a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. I was born in Chapel Hill and grew up about 35 minutes away in Burlington, so Carolina has always held a special place in my heart, and I am excited to now serve as the Lab Coordinator for the Research Addressing Violence in Education (RAVE) Lab. My research interests are in prevention science, suicide prevention, social and emotional learning, psychological well-being, risk and protective factors, youth resilience and sense of belonging, bullying and peer victimization, and child and adolescent development. I believe in ensuring everyone’s voice is heard and I want my research to serve as the voice of those often overlooked. My enduring goal is to use empirical research findings to inform prevention and intervention efforts that support youth across a wide variety of marginalized and at-risk backgrounds, and improve developmental outcomes across the lifespan.

Outside of research, I am an avid traveler. During undergrad, I studied abroad three times, in London, Bangkok, and Singapore. London was my first international destination ever and my time there really made me fall in love with travel and sparked my desire to see the world. I have since traveled to a vast array of countries with some of my favorites, outside of studying abroad, being France, Madagascar, Egypt, Palau, and Cambodia.

Alex (Yutong) Gao

Hi! I’m Alex and I am a fifth-year Ph.D. student in Applied Developmental Science and Special Education (ADSSE) at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. I’m from China and identify as a straight cisgender woman. After graduating from college, I worked as a tutor and academic counselor in Beijing, during which I became interested in youth mental health research. In May 2022, I graduated from the Graduate School of Education at University of Pennsylvania with a master’s degree in human development and statistics and research technology. Before UNC, I had also worked as a research assistant at Beijing Normal University on social-emotional learning and gender equality education. My research interests are school violence prevention and mental health promotion, particularly through a gender transformative approach. In my free time, I enjoy cuddling my cats and watching movies.

Noreen (Yinou) Xu

Noreen (Yinuo) Xu graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Psychology and is currently a post-baccalaureate research assistant at the RAVE Lab. Her research focuses on mental health risk and protective factors, with a special interest in prevention strategies for LGBTQ+ youth and emerging adults. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing and scuba diving.

Aseess Chadha

Hi! My name is Aseess, currently working as a researcher at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. I am a research volunteer at the lab. I graduated with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Amity University, Noida in 2023, and have served as a counselor at community hospitals and mental health organizations. My research interests focus on youth mental health promotion, and I am curious about understanding how culture and community can be used as tools to promote sustainable mental health through lasting and scalable interventions. I am also interested in addressing intergenerational psychopathology transfer among marginalized groups through brief targeted interventions. I strongly believe in the potential of research to drive meaningful change and want to use it to address disparities and improve well-being on a larger scale. While I’m not working, you’d find me trying new cuisines, cooking some of them, and chatting with family and friends (or perhaps making new ones!)

Aaron Neal

Aaron Neal, PhD (he/him/his), is a Clinical Psychologist with over 10 years of experience in teaching, training, research, program development, and clinical practice. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and a master’s in neuroscience and education from Teachers College before earning his PhD in Clinical Science at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He completed his predoctoral internship with Duke Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences focusing on treating childhood trauma. Aaron takes a relational approach in his praxis as a clinician, researcher, and educator, partnering with researchers, community members, and clients as they work towards accomplishing their shared goals. His current research and clinical work focus on developing and implementing culturally responsive, scalable, digital interventions that improve the mental health and well-being of marginalized communities. When not at work, Aaron is passionate about all things local, checking out programs at his local libraries, farmers’ markets, advocacy, and artistry groups in the RDU area.

Jules Spano

Hi! I’m Juliana (Jules) Spano, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Human Development and Family Science with minors in Education and Conflict Management. My research interests center on prevention science, and I am specifically interested in suicide prevention and the promotion of protective factors that support positive mental health outcomes among youth.

Following graduation, I aspire to pursue a Ph.D. in School Psychology or Human Development and Family Science, where I hope to continue researching youth mental health and school-based suicide prevention interventions.

Outside of research, I enjoy reading, dancing, trying new restaurants, and learning how to needlepoint. Being born and raised in New York, I also enjoy exploring all that North Carolina has to offer!

Hunter Graves

Hi! My name is Hunter Graves, and I’m from Winston-Salem, NC. I am currently a senior at UNC Chapel Hill studying Psychology with a minor in Health and Society. I have had the pleasure of serving as an undergraduate research assistant in the lab, where I have enjoyed working alongside like-minded individuals on incredible projects. My research interests include suicide prevention, prevention science, and adolescent mental health. My interest in adolescent mental health connects closely with my future goals in medicine, as I hope to become a pediatrician and advocate for adolescents’ mental health and well-being. After graduation, I plan to work as a medical assistant to prepare for my future in medicine.

In my free time, I enjoy dancing with my club, Blank Canvas Dance Company, spending time with my family, cooking, and shopping.

Keira Coleman

Hi! I’m Keira, a current senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I am pursuing a B.A.Ed. in Human Development and Family Science and a B.A. in English and Comparative Literature. My research interests are prevention science, social and emotional learning, literacy, and sexual violence. After graduation, I hope to continue working in research and eventually pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. In my free time, I enjoy reading, writing, and learning to sew.