Graduate Students
Madeline Brown, MPH
Project Coordinator
​
Madeline is a Ph.D. student in the public health program at Purdue University with research interests around the intersection of gerontology, health policies, and healthcare systems. Madeline completed her MPH at the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI.
Rachel Tonne, RVT
Project Coordinator
​
Rachel is a Ph.D student in Public Health at Purdue University. She previously graduated from Purdue with her bachelor's degree in Veterinary Nursing and practiced as a Registered Veterinary Technician in Indiana before returning to go to graduate school. Her research interests include antimicrobial resistance, One Health, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Fatimah Lawal, MPH
Project Coordinator
​
Fatimah is a Ph.D. student in Public Health at Purdue University. Her research centers on understanding and eliminating barriers to high-quality reproductive health care among marginalized and minoritized populations, with a specific focus on access to contraception.
Karen Beck, MS
Project Coordinator
​
​Karen is a Ph.D. student in Public Health at Purdue University with research interests focused on understanding and addressing the physical and mental health needs of first-generation college students, underserved populations, and contingently employed workers. She previously earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Academic Psychology and Business at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and her Master of Arts degree in Psychology at California State University, Long Beach. Karen has most recently been employed in public service working for non-profit social service organizations and has extensively taught undergraduate psychology courses (e.g., abnormal psych, research methods, lifespan development) at various community colleges which serve first-generation college students.
Ying Zhang, PhD
Project Coordinator
​
Ying earned his first Ph.D. in education from Beijing Normal University and is currently pursuing a second doctoral degree in the public health program at Purdue University. In addition to his research interests in school leadership and teacher well-being, he is also curious about the factors contributing to health disparities and ways to promote health among minority and underserved populations. In the future, Ying aims to integrate knowledge from both fields to develop high-quality health and sex education programs in schools.
Undergraduate Students
Samuel J. Gray
Research Assistant
​
Sam Gray is a student at Purdue University pursuing a triple bachelor’s degree in Psychological Sciences, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Sociology. His primary research interests involve critical cultural study and the influence of virtual communication mechanisms on social and psychological behavior, with a particular interest in the LGBTQ+ community.
Ella Francis
Research Assistant
​
Ella Francis is a student at Purdue University studying Biomedical Health Sciences with a Pre-Medicine concentration. Her research interests include global health, healthcare challenges in underserved communities, and sexual health resources and accessibility.
Elizabeth Donnelly
Research Assistant
​
Elizabeth Donnelly is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Public Health with a concentration in Behavioral Social Sciences, and a minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Purdue University. Her research interests include women's health, sexual healthcare and education, and disparities in healthcare related to race, gender identity, and ability.
August Trepanier
Research Assistant
​
August Trepanier (they/them) is a senior at Purdue University pursuing a double major in cultural Anthropology and American Studies, with a concentration in race and ethnic studies. They are minoring in Spanish, Critical Disability Studies, and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. They are also the founder, past president, and current activism committee chair of the Disabled Student Union at Purdue. They are interested in researching the intersections between disability and other identities, as well as the personal experiences of disabled and multiply marginalized people, as it relates to marginalization, accessibility, and healthcare.
Project Staff
Fehintolu Odelowo
Research Assistant
​
Fehintolu Odelowo is a recent Purdue graduate. She studied Psychological Sciences with a Pre-Medicine concentration. Her research interests include women's health, psychological behavior and healthcare challenges and accessibility within the African community.
Brendan Bowns, MPH
Research Assistant
​
Brendan Bowns is an alum of Purdue University's Master of Public Health program. His primary research interests involve LGBTQIA+ healthcare disparities, improving access to PrEP in underserved communities, and implementing effective interventions to promote safer sex.
Lab Alumni
Joseph Currin, PhD
Project Coordinator (2014-2018)
​
Assistant Professor, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership
US Air Force Academy
​
Broadly speaking, Dr. Currin researches sexuality, sexual partner seeking and the use of technology, and barriers to health care for rural LGBT individuals. He recently is focusing on the use of mobile technology for communicating sexual desires to one’s romantic partner and the impact that engaging in sexting can have on one’s relationship. At the Academy, he looks forward to pursuing research into the barriers for seeking mental and medical care for cadets and other members of the military.
​
André R. Durham
Project Coordinator (2016-2018)
​
Visiting Research Scholar, University of Stavanger, Norway
Ph.D. Candidate, Oklahoma State University
​
André is a Ph.D. candidate in the educational leadership and policy studies in higher education program here at OSU. His research focuses on the intersection of sexual orientation identity development and spiritual identity development in men and the methods university faculty and staff utilize to support their students through the development process. He is currently conducting a research project in parallel with his dissertation work in Stavanger, Norway.
​
Andrew O'Neil, MPH
Project Coordinator (2019-2021)
​
Ph.D. Student: Public and Community Health
Medical College of Wisconsin
​
Andrew O'Neil is a Ph.D. student whose research interests include sexual minority sexual health, particularly in rural locales, and consent communication among sexual minority men. He uses qualitative grounded theory and salient belief elicitation methodology in his work as well as various quantitative methods.
​
Campbell Ernst, MAT, MPH
Project Coordinator (2020-2021)
​
Disease Intervention Specialist
Oklahoma State Department of Health
​
Campbell is a former Master of Public Health student with research interests related to water quality and access to water, food access and safety, infectious disease, nutrition, exercise and injury prevention, climate change, and disparities populations face on various public health issues.
​
​
Mollie Stowe, MS
Project Coordinator (2018-2021)
​
Mollie Stowe is a former doctoral student in Counseling Psychology (OSU). Her research interests include: sexual health among minorities and survivors of complex and/or sexual trauma; personality traits, attachment styles, and anger expression in romantic relationships; cyberstalking and psychopathic symptomatology; complex trauma and emotional intelligence; and use of technology in counseling.
Déjà N. Clement
Project Coordinator (2019-2021)
​
Déjà N. Clement is a Clinical Health Psychology Doctoral Student (OSU) whose research interests include examining the impact of race-related stressors on risk and resilience factors for internalizing disorders, health outcomes, and suicide. She also aims to examine intersecting identities as they relate to mental health and wellness of Black individuals.
Hunter Meyers, DO, MPH
Project Coordinator (2019-2021)
​
Hunter Meyers is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Master of Public Health (DO/MPH; OSU) graduate with research interests related to rural healthcare, under served populations, education, and preventive medicine.
Caleb Alexander
Project Coordinator (2020-2021)
​
Caleb Alexander is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO; OSU) student with research interests related to improving access to care and addressing the healthcare inequities of urban and rural underserved populations.
Kyle DeBoy, DO, MPH
Project Coordinator (2019-2022)
​
Kyle DeBoy is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Master of Public Health (DO/MPH) graduate with research interests related to health inequities, access to affirming care, and global health.
​
Marlo Basil-Camino
Project Coordinator (2022-2023)
​
Marlo is a former Master of Computer and Information Technology (Purdue) student with research interests in LGBTQ+ studies, including how members of the LGBTQ+ community use Internet platforms to formulate identity. They aim to broaden their research interests, including studying sexual and gender health care accessibility.
Colby Reed, MPH
Project Coordinator (2021-2023)
​
Colby is a former Master of Public Health (OSU) student with research interests related to LGBTQ+ sexual health and healthcare inequities for underserved populations in rural and urban settings. Colby is interested in the influence of global health experience to address the inequalities of rural workforce distribution in healthcare.