Emotions, Equity, & Education Lab

Dr. Colleen O’Neal

Colleen R. O'Neal is lab director of the Emotions, Equity, and Education Lab and assistant professor of School Psychology in the College of Education at the University of Maryland, College Park (Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education).

Her primary research goals are to identify resilience processes among refugee, immigrant, and ethnic minority students with a focus on emotions and stress, and how to turn resilience processes into preventive interventions. She conducts research asking: (1) HOW stress impacts ethnic minority student mental health and academic functioning, (2) WHAT socioemotional learning (e.g., emotion engagement), motivation (e.g., grit), emotion regulation and relationship-based protective factors prevent the negative impact of stress on academic functioning, (3) WHO benefits from supports in the face of stress, and (4) HOW to promote socioemotional and systemic change via preventive interventions, with one of the goals being to facilitate emotionally supportive and culturally responsive schools.

​Dr. O'Neal earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University in 2000 with NIMH predoctoral fellowship support studying emotions among minority youth facing community violence. She then completed an NIMH postdoctorate in Mental Health Statistics at NYU focused on multilevel, longitudinal analyses of change and psychometrics. She received her B.A. in Psychology at Cornell University and a master's degree in Child and Family Studies at Auburn University. Her work has been published in venues such as School Psychology International, School Psychology Quarterly, Child Development, Journal of Child Psychiatry and Psychology, and Development and Psychopathology. She recently completed minority stress and emotions research supported by a Brain and Behavior Foundation Young Investigator Award, a Fulbright Scholar Award, and a Fulbright New Leaders Group Award.

Hayley Weinberg

Hayley Weinberg is a post-internship-year doctoral student in the school psychology program. Her research interests include the relationship between language abilities and emotion regulation skills in elementary school students. Hayley received a B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from the University of Rochester and an M.A. in Psychology from Boston University.

Sarah Zimmerman

Sarah Zimmerman (she/her) is a fourth-year doctoral student in the School Psychology program at UMD. She’s from St. Louis, Missouri and earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology from Duke University. Her research interests surround culturally responsive interventions, risk and resilience, social-emotional learning, and the family-school relationship. In her free time, Sarah loves swing dancing, reading fantasy novels, listening to live music, and ice sledding.

Daniel Satterthwaite

Daniel Satterthwaite (he/him/his) is a fourth-year doctoral student in the School Psychology program. A former middle school ELA teacher, Daniel holds a B.A. in Psychology from Morehouse College and a M.Ed in Education with a concentration in Social Foundations from the University of Virginia, where he spent time researching the sociopolitical development of Black boys. These experiences helped Daniel situate his interests in exploring Black boys’ and Black male teachers’ access points to mental health as a result of their socialization in schools as well as school wide prevention in support of them. Within this, he is particularly interested in (1) the emotional development of Black boys; (2) school socialization and support of Black boys;  as well as (3) examining school based mental health structures as sites of trauma and suffering while reimagining them as possible sites for healing. As he journeys through this program, he aspires to make this work live in health equity, policy work, school interventions and consultation. In his free time, he loves to explore music (collecting vinyls (and taking listening recommendations)), hanging out with friends, finding new hobbies, and going to music festivals! 

Camila Rubiera

Camila Rubiera (she/they) is a third-year doctoral student in the School Psychology program at the University of Maryland. Her research interests involve working with immigrant, multilingual, and Latine youth. They are interested in school protective and preventive models in these populations, as well as finding culturally responsive interventions. Camila received a B.S in Psychology with a minor in Disabilities in Society from the University of Florida. In their free time, Camila enjoys crocheting, reading, and hanging out with family and friends. 

Caterina Patriarca

Caterina Patriarca (she/her) is a second-year doctoral student in the School Psychology program at UMD. She is from Buenos Aires, Argentina and lived many years in Miami, Florida. Caterina earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and Psychology from the University of Florida. Her research interests include mental and academic outcomes of immigrant students, and school-based interventions for children with emotional, learning, and behavioral difficulties. In her free time, Caterina enjoys reading, travelling, spending time with her dog, and hanging out with her family, especially her baby niece. 

Meena Sundrum 

Meena Sundrum (she/her) is a first-year doctoral student in the School Psychology program at UMD. She grew up in Maryland and then moved to Pittsburgh, where she earned her B.S. in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University. Meena is excited to be returning to her home state for graduate school! Her research interests include trauma and discrimination in youth development, mental health equity for minoritized students, and school-based interventions that foster resilience and belonging. In her free time, Meena enjoys reading, pottery, baking, and spending time in nature