MAAX: Who We Are

PROJECT DIRECTOR
Nadia L. Ward, M.Ed., Ph.D. is the Director of Urban Education & Prevention Research at The Consultation Center and Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. Her extensive work in the area of academic achievement for African American and Latino youth has spanned 12 years and has included training and consultation to universities, public school systems and private organizations, curriculum development, program development, implementation, and evaluation. Dr. Ward has worked extensively with high-risk as well as high achieving urban youth and their families in a variety of capacities. She has designed and evaluated academic enrichment and competence enhancing substance abuse and violence prevention programs in school and community settings.

BASSICK HIGH SCHOOL DEDICATED STAFF

Academic Advisor: Paul Herman, B.A received his degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management and Marketing from Sacred Heart University, in Fairfield, CT in May of 2004. After graduating Paul received a full-time position working for Direct Buy, the largest private buying club in the country. As a sales/marketing director at Direct Buy, Paul quickly earned prestigious awards such as top sales director and rookie of the year. His success there was a great stepping stone in his life, and that same energy and passion to grow also carried over to the work he put into his community activities. Paul has always been an active advisor/role model in his local community to younger students. Helping students of all ages, genders, and races understand the value of an education has always been an active part of his life. He still works closely with the Service Learning Program at Sacred Heart University. As an active member he helps facilitate retreats for high school students, and also “Read-Alouds” at the local elementary schools. Paul has experience working in the past with various youth groups, clubs, high schools and also elementary schools. In the near future Paul plans on going back to school to obtain his masters degree in Business. His main goal is to encourage the youth of today to stay active and to always remember that an education today is priceless. Paul served as the Academic Advisor at Roosevelt school in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years and also serves as the Advisor at Columbus Middle School in 2009-10.

Academic Advisor: Giovannii T. Ruffin, B.A., is a recent graduate from the University of New Haven where she received her degree in Political Science with a minor in Criminal Justice. She is currently a student at Quinnipiac University School of Law where she is pursuing her Juris Doctorate. Throughout her undergraduate career, Giovannii worked with youth in various academically driven programs throughout the city of New Haven. Giovannii has volunteered as a tutor at the Wexler-Grant Elementary School and a mentor for "Polished Pearls," a program for young girls held at the Dixwell Community Center. She has also worked extensively on a program with her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, at the Children's Museum brailling books. Giovannii has volunteered in New Haven Mayor John DeStefano's office where she researched the achievement gap in the state of Connecticut. She is truly passionate about working with students and closing the achievement gap. After receiving her law degree, Giovannii aspires to work towards alleviating injustices through her legal practice. Giovannii served as the Academic Advisor at school in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years.

Academic Advisor: Crystal Velez, B.S. graduated in 2008 from Boston College with a B.S. degree in Biochemistry. As an undergraduate, Crystal participated in Bird Street Mentoring Program which connected urban youth of Boston with a college student mentor. Since graduating, Crystal has worked in the Waterbury School District as substitute teacher. She worked as Long Term Substitute in West Side Middle School in 2009 as a 7^th grade science teacher. Most recently, she worked as a building substitute which allowed her to work with students in a variety of subject areas as well as in specialized classroom settings designed to serve students with specific behavioral challenges. Crystal is currently pursuing her teaching certification in secondary chemistry and hopes to teach in an urban school district. Chrystal served as the Academic Advisor at both Curiale and Johnson Middle Schools in 2009-10.

Cluster Liaison: Alisha Smith, B.S., is a graduate of Charter Oak State College with a degree in Child and Youth Development. Currently, she is working on her M.S. degree in Instructional Design and Technology. Alisha is the Bassick Cluster Liaison for the Yale-Bridgeport GEAR UP Partnership and has worked collaboratively with the Bridgeport public schools for the last eight years. Alisha served as Program Director for the YMCA/Ralphola Taylor Center in Bridgeport, Ct. and the Greater Hartford YMCA Metro office and was responsible for implementing after school programs for youth ages 13-18. Alisha is passionate about seeing young people succeed and believes that all children deserve a “high quality” education. Alisha is a graduate of the Americorps Program and the Bridgeport Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) and works closely with parents in the Yale-Bridgeport GEAR UP project. She enjoys singing, attending Broadway plays, and being a mom to her wonderful, vivacious 3-year-old daughter Jayla.

< back to top

CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL DEDICATED STAFF

Academic Advisor: Barbara Bonostro-Moscova, B.A. graduated from Brooklyn College (CUNY) with a B.A. degree in Sociology and a minor in Children’s Studies. During her schooling, she interned at an after school program as a counselor. After graduation, she worked as a Preschool and Kindergarten Teacher at Saint Jerome School in Brooklyn, NY for two years, where she also planned various after school activities, including community service events, talent shows, and graduation ceremonies. She has also worked as a Preschool Teacher at Kindercare, where she broadened the curriculum to include basic writing and reading and as a Teacher’s Assistant in the Trumbull Early Childhood Center, providing one-on-one assistance to special need children. Barbara’s passion is to help children develop their sense of worth, and to create awareness of the many opportunities to help them fulfill their potential. Barbara served as the Academic Advisor at John Winthrop school in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years and at Park City Magnet in 2009-10.

Academic Advisor: Charlotte Elise Collins, M.A. received her B.A in Religion and African American Studies from Oberlin College in May, 2008 and M.A in Religious Ethics from Yale University in May, 2010. As an undergraduate, Charlotte was the director of the Oberlin College Mentors program, a student run initiative designed to foster positive relationships between Oberlin College students and local Oberlin City youth. Charlotte also served as a Student Teacher in Langston Middle School and Oberlin High School, teaching in the areas of math, science, and vocal performance. Charlotte’s passion rests in working with youth, empowering and inspiring young people to reach their full potential. Charlotte served as the Academic Advisor at Wilbur Cross school in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years.

Academic Advisor: Melissa Dunham, B.S., graduated from Virginia State University (VSU) with a B.S. degree in Psychology which makes her the first and only one to graduate from college out of her family. During her studies, she volunteered with Petersburg Probation & Parole and worked at a residential home assisting adults with mental illness. While away at school Melissa join a dynamic organization on campus called “The Betterment of Brothers & Sisters” (BBS) which focuses on giving back to the community, tutoring elementary & middle school students and being a mentor to freshmen at the university. In addition to her work as a GEAR UP Academic Advisor, she works as a milieu counselor at Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital where she facilitates groups, processes with students and make sure that the unit is safe at all times. Melissa is currently working toward her goal of becoming a Probation Officer. Melissa served as an Academic Advisor at Blackham Middle School in 2009-10.

Academic Advisor: Karissa Stach, B.A. graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2008 with a degree in Communication Sciences and a minor in Business Administration. While she attended the University she held the position of Student Building Manager at the Student Union. She gained experience working with many groups and clubs offered to students, which included various Cultural centers in the building and visitors to the campus. She had an internship with an on-campus organization, Community Outreach that encouraged and organized students to go out and volunteer their services to the surrounding communities. Most recently, following in the footsteps of many of her family members, she was a substitute for Bridgeport Public Schools and an after school tutor at Multicultural Magnet School. She has gained valuable understanding and practice of the classroom environment. She has also gotten the chance to interact with many different grades and ages, as well as diverse populations. She plans to help change her community and the young minds that surround her through being a positive role model in developing students’ outlook on the future. Karissa served as the Academic Advisor at Waltersville and Barnum schools in the 2008-09 school year. In 2009-10 she served as the Advisor at Multicultural Magnet and High Horizons Magnet schools.

Cluster Liaison: Eddie Quiles, B.S., is a graduate of the University of Bridgeport where he received his degree in Human Services as well as Criminal Justice program certification. He joined the Urban Education & Policy Research at The Consultation Center in 2009, under the YALE GEAR UP Partnership program as a Cluster Liaison for the Central High School cluster of schools. Over the past 10 years he has provided youth development, career counseling, and academic intervention opportunities among others to youth and families in the city of Bridgeport and surrounding areas as well as the Bridgeport School District. His proficiencies extend to the areas of program development, implementation, and administration.

< back to top

HARDING HIGH SCHOOL DEDICATED STAFF

Academic Advisor: Nana Ampadu, B.A., graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A in Biology. During her undergraduate experience she worked at Manye Academy in Ghana as a volunteer teacher and mentor. Before departing from this experience, she collaborated with the Rotaract Club in Ghana to get 600 books donated to the school’s library. She also arranged for College students to speak with and inspire the students to continue their educational endeavors. This volunteer experience inspired and led her to collaborate with other Dartmouth students and alumni to form the non-profit organization called World Partners in Education. The organization sends volunteers abroad to its partner schools and funds the schools’ infrastructure and programmatic improvements through local fundraisers. These also raise awareness about global educational issues that are pertinent everywhere. During Nana's time at Dartmouth she was involved in several other volunteer and work experiences including a trip to New Orleans for reconstruction work -post Hurricane Katrina - serving as an executive member of the Afro-American society, and serving as a math and biology tutor. She believes in the empowerment of education and that our dreams will just be intangible goals without education. After all, very few people can say they taught themselves to be doctors, writers, artists, or even teachers. Nana served as an Academic Advisor at Thomas Hooker and Jettie Tisdale schools in 2009-10.

Academic Advisor: Silvia Delamar, B.A. is a law student at Quinnipiac University School of Law. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Kaplan University in Florida. Most recently, she worked as the Assistant to the Vice President at Spelman College, a historically black college for women. Silvia serves on the Board of Directors for Project ReNeWal, an intervention and prevention domestic violence center and also works as a legal intern in the Child Protective Services Division of the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Connecticut. A former U.S. Congressional nominee in the state of Georgia, Silvia is a community leader, youth advocate and mentor, dedicated to the self-empowerment of youth. She is most proud of her work as a founding member of Matters of the Heart Conferences, a subsidiary of In Depth, Inc. Based on Proverbs 4:23, Matters of the Heart conferences are explicitly for teenagers, grades 9-12 and recent high school graduates, designed to address issues of personal responsibility and accountability, enjoying living life God’s way, financial literacy, healthy relationships, risky behavior, and other issues that are especially important to millennial youth. She is married to Richard Delamar and together, they have two children, Jordan and Mia. Silvia served as the Academic Advisor at Luis Muñoz Marin school in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years.

Academic Advisor: Shavonne Whittaker George, B.A. is a graduate of Southern CT State University with a degree in History with a heavy concentration in secondary education. Shavonnne is also a candidate for her Masters of Science Degree from the University of Bridgeport in Secondary Education and Social Sciences. Her experience in the Bridgeport School system is an extensive, from working as a long term substitute at Central High School, Dunbar and Bryant, to managing a pilot program for the well-established tutoring company Huntington Learning Center at Longfellow and Curiale Schools. Shavonne also worked as a Community Outreach Coordinator with the Girl Scouts in an effort to bring Scouting into the urban schools in Bridgeport. She is also an avid reader and a music fanatic. Shavonne served as the Advisor at both Barnum and Waltersville Schools in 2009-10.

Cluster Liaison: Kai M. Perry, B.A., has acquired over seven years of experience in the fields of youth development, urban education, and social service. She has worked in both nonprofit and academic sectors. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Hampton University and is currently completing her thesis for an M.A. in Psychology from Southern Connecticut State University. At present, she serves as Cluster Liaison for the Yale-Bridgeport GEAR UP Partnership in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. In this role, she coordinates educational and enrichment programming for a cohort of approximately 500 students and their families. She establishes and maintains relationships with community partners, school administrators, students, and parents by working collaboratively with local organizations and school planning teams, facilitating parent workshops, and coordinating social-emotional enrichment activities for students. Ms. Perry plans to pursue a doctorate degree in Community Psychology in the near future.

< back to top

GEAR UP PROGRAM STAFF

Research Assistant: Jose Aviles, B.A., is a research assistant at The Consultation Center. He received his B.A. in psychology from Bard College. His interests are in multiculturalism, intergroup relations, and communications research and theory.

Post-Doctoral Fellow: Tamora Callands, Ph.D.., is a Post doctoral Fellow in the Division of Prevention and Community Research, Department of Psychiatry, at Yale University School of Medicine. Tamora is completing her doctoral studies in Clinical Psychology at Purdue University in Lafayette, IN. Her research interests focus on understanding the link between context and risk-taking behavior. Specifically, her Master’s thesis examined beliefs about romantic relationships and predictors of sexual risk-taking behavior among African American adolescent girls. Tamora also has experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating school-based interventions with children ranging from Pre K - 12 as she has served as an assistant Mental Health Consultant to Head Start in Indiana and as Mental Health Assessment Assistant to a GEAR-UP project in Indianapolis, Indiana. As a Predoctoral Fellow, Tamora is currently working on two projects under the mentorship of Dr. Nadia Ward and Terry Freeman, LCSW, MAT, implementing school-based interventions within New Haven Public Schools. On the first project, Tamora serves as the lead trainer in the MAAX programs weekly supervision session with program facilitators. On the second project, Tamora is the lead facilitator for two groups at a local high school, one focuses on building healthy relationship and decreasing sexual risk-taking behavior, while the other one focuses on substance abuse prevention and promoting positive decision-making skills. Tamora’s career goals are to develop a school-based culturally sensitive prevention program that encourages safer-sex practices, positive self-esteem, and cultural awareness among ethnic minority youth.

Evaluation Coordinator: Lance Linke, Ph.D., is an Associate Research Scientist in the Division of Prevention and Community Research, Department of Psychiatry, at Yale University School of Medicine is oversees the program evaluation efforts of the UEP Area. He is a developmental and educational psychologist who is interested in social and emotional development. Dr. Linke’s experience with educational evaluation started over a decade ago working with the design of graduate school student data bases. His academic interest in psychology initiated an intention to better understand how people in various cultures perceive and interpret the world, and how these perceptions and interpretations influence behavior. Accordingly, Dr. Linke pursued studies in Educational Psychology to explore the influence of culture on learning. His interest in developmental psychology has centered on cognitive and emotional information processing as these relate to decision making. Dr. Linke has worked in undergraduate and K-12 settings, acting as a program director for research and evaluation of student performance and behavior. His employment experience also includes working with federal and private grants to improve local education intervention delivery. Lance has worked internationally with departments and ministries of health and education to create interdisciplinary, collaborative frameworks that focus on the importance of psychological development in formal education environments. He continues to evaluate student development, and the many variables that influence this, with respect to academic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal domains.

Program Coordinator: Barb Nangle, M.A., is the Program Coordinator for The MAAX, as well as for Urban Education, Prevention and Policy Research at The Consultation Center. She has worked for the past nine years on programs that support urban youth. Barb holds a master's degree in sociology from the University of Connecticut. She is dedicated to working toward dismantling of the structures of inequality in our society.

Post-Doctoral Fellow: Jacqueline C. Pflieger, Ph.D., is a NIDA Postdoctoral Fellow in the Division of Prevention and Community Research, Department of Psychiatry, at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Pflieger completed her doctoral studies in Family and Human Development at Arizona State University. Her research interests focus on understanding how relationships with parents and peers in adolescence influence romantic relationship quality and risk for interpersonal violence in young adulthood. Dr. Pflieger is completing her postdoctoral training under the mentorship of Drs. Christian Connell and Nadia Ward. Her research with Dr. Connell utilizes person-centered statistical approaches with large national data sets to investigate the etiology and health-related outcomes associated with adolescents’ substance use and engagement in risky sexual behaviors. Her work with Dr. Connell also incorporates qualitative methods to evaluate the effectiveness of an incentive-based program aimed at preventing tobacco use among high school students. Dr. Pflieger is engaged in more applied research with Dr. Ward, aimed at developing and implementing a school-based intervention to educate early adolescents on healthy dating relationships. She also assists Dr. Ward in evaluating school-based educational initiatives with urban youth, such as the GEAR UP and MAAX programs. Dr. Pflieger’s long-term career goal is to create a universally-adopted healthy relationships curriculum for middle and high school settings.

Associate Research Scientist: Michael J. Strambler, Ph.D., is an Associate Research Scientist at Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. He earned his doctoral degree in Clinical and Community Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Strambler’s research interests concern understanding and addressing achievement disparities, especially among ethnic minority and at-risk youth. He has a particular interest in how social environments and the dynamics that occur within them play a role in academic underperformance and how this problem can be addressed by school interventions and school reform efforts. His experience in applied research, program evaluation, and program design in these areas has spanned from elementary school to high school. Dr. Strambler's research has been published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, Child Development, and American Psychologist, as well as The Handbook of Race, Racism and the Developing Child.

< back to top