IncLab Team
Oliver Yimeng Xu is a third-year doctoral student in counseling psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. As a member of Inclab, he researches the epistemological assumptions foundational to whiteness and racial hierarchies and how they structure psychological research methods. His doctoral research focuses on Asian American mental health, specifically the unique challenges that second-generation Asian Americans face in relation to model minority imperatives. Oliver also currently serves as the Chair of the Asian American Psychological Association Division on Students. He previously worked as a biochemical researcher at Columbia University Medical Center and sought to enter a career in engineering before discovering his passion in psychology.
Outside of school, Oliver is a semi-professional ballroom dancer and a community leader in the post-collegiate ballroom dance scene in New York City.
Educational Background
Masters of Arts, Psychology in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2022
Masters of Science, Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University, 2019
Bachelors of Science, Biomedical Sciences and Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, 2015
Oliver Yimeng Xu is a third-year doctoral student in counseling psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. As a member of Inclab, he researches the epistemological assumptions foundational to whiteness and racial hierarchies and how they structure psychological research methods. His doctoral research focuses on Asian American mental health, specifically the unique challenges that second-generation Asian Americans face in relation to model minority imperatives. Oliver also currently serves as the Chair of the Asian American Psychological Association Division on Students. He previously worked as a biochemical researcher at Columbia University Medical Center and sought to enter a career in engineering before discovering his passion in psychology.
Outside of school, Oliver is a semi-professional ballroom dancer and a community leader in the post-collegiate ballroom dance scene in New York City.
Educational Background
Masters of Arts, Psychology in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2022
Masters of Science, Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University, 2019
Bachelors of Science, Biomedical Sciences and Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, 2015
Cindy Asencio Arroyo is a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Prior to pursuing her doctoral studies, she worked as a full-time bilingual mental health counselor in a community mental health care clinic in Brooklyn, NY. As a team member of IncLab: Critical Counseling Psychology Research for Social Inclusion, she researches the presence and impact of whiteness, as a sociopolitical force, in psychological research and practice. Cindy’s additional research interests include critical analysis of counseling practices, intersections of political thought and psychotherapy, advocacy and empowerment strategies for counselors and clients, and the impact of political, social, and economic forces in the counseling space.
Cindy is an avid non-fiction reader, hiker, tea connoisseur, Letterboxd member, and dessert enthusiast.
Educational Background
Masters of Education (Ed.M.), Mental Health Counseling w. Bilingual Latiné/x Mental Health Concentration, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2023
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology, Swarthmore College, 2020
Cindy Asencio Arroyo is a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Prior to pursuing her doctoral studies, she worked as a full-time bilingual mental health counselor in a community mental health care clinic in Brooklyn, NY. As a team member of IncLab: Critical Counseling Psychology Research for Social Inclusion, she researches the presence and impact of whiteness, as a sociopolitical force, in psychological research and practice. Cindy’s additional research interests include critical analysis of counseling practices, intersections of political thought and psychotherapy, advocacy and empowerment strategies for counselors and clients, and the impact of political, social, and economic forces in the counseling space.
Cindy is an avid non-fiction reader, hiker, tea connoisseur, Letterboxd member, and dessert enthusiast.
Educational Background
Masters of Education (Ed.M.), Mental Health Counseling w. Bilingual Latiné/x Mental Health Concentration, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2023
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology, Swarthmore College, 2020
Brooke Gordon is a second-year master's student in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Forensics at Teachers College, Columbia University. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, in December 2020. Following graduation, Brooke gained clinical experience as a registered behavior technician, delivering ABA therapy to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She also worked as a case manager for adults with substance use disorders.
Brooke's research interests focus on improving culturally competent mental health care and refining psychological testing and assessments for Black individuals. She is interested in addressing underdiagnosed psychiatric disorders in minority populations, their connection to criminal justice involvement, and destigmatizing help-seeking behaviors in the Black community. Brooke is dedicated to reducing racial disparities and promoting cultural competence in mental health services. In addition to her academic work, Brooke is passionate about feminist theory and activism, serving as the Program/Marketing Coordinator for Teachers College's Feminist Circle.
In her free time, Brooke enjoys cooking, baking, exploring the city, and doing nail art.
Educational Background
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, 2020
Brooke Gordon is a second-year master's student in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Forensics at Teachers College, Columbia University. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, in December 2020. Following graduation, Brooke gained clinical experience as a registered behavior technician, delivering ABA therapy to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She also worked as a case manager for adults with substance use disorders.
Brooke's research interests focus on improving culturally competent mental health care and refining psychological testing and assessments for Black individuals. She is interested in addressing underdiagnosed psychiatric disorders in minority populations, their connection to criminal justice involvement, and destigmatizing help-seeking behaviors in the Black community. Brooke is dedicated to reducing racial disparities and promoting cultural competence in mental health services. In addition to her academic work, Brooke is passionate about feminist theory and activism, serving as the Program/Marketing Coordinator for Teachers College's Feminist Circle.
In her free time, Brooke enjoys cooking, baking, exploring the city, and doing nail art.
Educational Background
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, 2020
Zein Ibrahim is a current Psychology Masters student at Teachers College, Columbia University studying Mental Health Counseling. She completed her undergraduate degree at the American University in Cairo with a B.A. in Psychology. Currently, she has a position as a Research Coordinator at the Principles of Responsible Management Education, an initiative of the United Nations. She is also an Advanced Clinical Resident at the Soho Center for Mental Health Counseling. Her research interests involve decolonial psychology praxis; trauma, resilience, and healing justice in mental health; critical race theory; and resistance to settler colonialism.
In her free time, she enjoys trying new foods, photography, and directing.
Educational Background
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology, American University in Cairo, Egypt
Zein Ibrahim is a current Psychology Masters student at Teachers College, Columbia University studying Mental Health Counseling. She completed her undergraduate degree at the American University in Cairo with a B.A. in Psychology. Currently, she has a position as a Research Coordinator at the Principles of Responsible Management Education, an initiative of the United Nations. She is also an Advanced Clinical Resident at the Soho Center for Mental Health Counseling. Her research interests involve decolonial psychology praxis; trauma, resilience, and healing justice in mental health; critical race theory; and resistance to settler colonialism.
In her free time, she enjoys trying new foods, photography, and directing.
Educational Background
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology, American University in Cairo, Egypt
Shiyi (Suzy) Ji is a second-year candidate in the Counseling and Clinical Psychology M.Ed. program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Born and raised in Qidong, a small town in Eastern China, she spent her high school years in the Bay Area and later earned her B.S. in Applied Psychology from NYU in 2023.
Suzy’s research interests focus on the well-being and social justice of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals, examining how cultural, racial, and systemic oppression, as well as gender ideologies, impact them. Her clinical experience includes working at a hospital in a low-income community and a private practice serving diverse populations, equipping her with a deep understanding of equity, trauma, resilience, and cross-cultural issues.
In her free time, Suzy enjoys cooking, mixology, and outdoor adventures.
Educational Background
Bachelor of Science (BS), Applied Psychology, New York University, 2023
Shiyi (Suzy) Ji is a second-year candidate in the Counseling and Clinical Psychology M.Ed. program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Born and raised in Qidong, a small town in Eastern China, she spent her high school years in the Bay Area and later earned her B.S. in Applied Psychology from NYU in 2023.
Suzy’s research interests focus on the well-being and social justice of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals, examining how cultural, racial, and systemic oppression, as well as gender ideologies, impact them. Her clinical experience includes working at a hospital in a low-income community and a private practice serving diverse populations, equipping her with a deep understanding of equity, trauma, resilience, and cross-cultural issues.
In her free time, Suzy enjoys cooking, mixology, and outdoor adventures.
Educational Background
Bachelor of Science (BS), Applied Psychology, New York University, 2023
Joya Lahoud is pursuing her Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling at Columbia University, Teachers College, where she currently serves as her program's First-Year Representative. She graduated from the University of Miami last spring with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in American Sign Language and Deaf Culture. She loves languages and speaks English, Arabic, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Her research interests include the effects of psychosis on minority populations, the impact of technology on mental health, and couples counseling studies. During undergrad, she served as a research assistant in three different labs, where she studied the correlation between anxiety, hoarding, and OCD, worked with couples counseling in studying improvement tactics for LGBTQ+ and military couples, and conducted phone screenings in English and Spanish to assess eligibility for the IMPACT and Life Steps for PrEP program. Her goals after graduation are to become a licensed MHC, open her practice, and earn her Ph.D.
Joya Lahoud loves to bake, and her favorite thing to make is birthday cakes for her friends and family!
Educational Background
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology with a minor in American Sign Language and Deaf Culture, University of Miami, 2024
Joya Lahoud is pursuing her Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling at Columbia University, Teachers College, where she currently serves as her program's First-Year Representative. She graduated from the University of Miami last spring with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in American Sign Language and Deaf Culture. She loves languages and speaks English, Arabic, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Her research interests include the effects of psychosis on minority populations, the impact of technology on mental health, and couples counseling studies. During undergrad, she served as a research assistant in three different labs, where she studied the correlation between anxiety, hoarding, and OCD, worked with couples counseling in studying improvement tactics for LGBTQ+ and military couples, and conducted phone screenings in English and Spanish to assess eligibility for the IMPACT and Life Steps for PrEP program. Her goals after graduation are to become a licensed MHC, open her practice, and earn her Ph.D.
Joya Lahoud loves to bake, and her favorite thing to make is birthday cakes for her friends and family!
Educational Background
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology with a minor in American Sign Language and Deaf Culture, University of Miami, 2024
Erin is currently a second-year M.A. student in the Clinical Psychology program at Teachers College. Erin received their B.A. in Psychology from Boston University in 2022. Erin’s research interests include the treatment of serious mental illness in correctional populations, alternatives to incarceration, and the ways in which systemic factors such as racism influence collective perceptions of mental illness.
Outside of school, Erin enjoys cooking and trying new restaurants around the city. Erin is an avid birder and loves birdwatching in Central Park/St. Nicholas Park!
Educational Background
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology, Boston University, 2022
Erin is currently a second-year M.A. student in the Clinical Psychology program at Teachers College. Erin received their B.A. in Psychology from Boston University in 2022. Erin’s research interests include the treatment of serious mental illness in correctional populations, alternatives to incarceration, and the ways in which systemic factors such as racism influence collective perceptions of mental illness.
Outside of school, Erin enjoys cooking and trying new restaurants around the city. Erin is an avid birder and loves birdwatching in Central Park/St. Nicholas Park!
Educational Background
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology, Boston University, 2022
Kacey Short received her Bachelor’s in Women’s & Gender Studies and Human Sexuality Studies from San Francisco State University and a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is a second-year Masters student in Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia. Her research interest is understanding emotions and decision-making, specifically around self-injurious behaviors (SIB) in women and other gender minorities.
When she’s not in class or working on papers, she and her spouse watch their hairless cat and German Shepherd chase each other.
Educational Background
Master of Arts (MA), Public Administration, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, 2022
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Women’s & Gender Studies and Human Sexuality Studies, San Francisco State University
Kacey Short received her Bachelor’s in Women’s & Gender Studies and Human Sexuality Studies from San Francisco State University and a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is a second-year Masters student in Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia. Her research interest is understanding emotions and decision-making, specifically around self-injurious behaviors (SIB) in women and other gender minorities.
When she’s not in class or working on papers, she and her spouse watch their hairless cat and German Shepherd chase each other.
Educational Background
Master of Arts (MA), Public Administration, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, 2022
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Women’s & Gender Studies and Human Sexuality Studies, San Francisco State University