Ida Ghaemmaghamfarahani is a first-year PhD student specializing in Adulthood, Aging, and Gerontology under Dr. Keith Bellizzi’s mentorship. Originally from Tehran, Iran, Ida began her academic journey with an engineering degree from the University of Tehran. However, her deep interest in mental health and human behavior led her to pursue a master’s in clinical psychology. There, she explored how stressful life events affect psychological well-being in older adults, focusing on the roles of social isolation and emotion regulation. During her graduate studies, Ida joined the Iranian Research Center on Aging, where she researched cognitive aging and psychometrics, developing skills in assessment and measurement tools for older populations. She also gained clinical experience through a 3-month psycho-oncology observership in the palliative care unit at Firoozgar Hospital, a teaching hospital in Tehran, where she learned about the psychological needs of individuals facing advanced-stage cancer, and a 6-month clinical internship working with individuals with disabilities. These experiences broadened her understanding of therapeutic practices for diverse needs. After completing her master’s, Ida worked as a research assistant at the Tehran Institute of Psychiatry, collaborating with the WHO Collaborating Center for Mental Health in Iran on national suicide prevention projects.

Since moving to the U.S. in 2020, Ida has continued her research journey, working with Protect International Risk and Safety Services Inc. and at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, where she now contributes to NIH-funded projects on dementia and caregiving. At UConn, Ida is interested in exploring how chronic illnesses and aging-related challenges affect quality of life in older adults, with a focus on finding insights to support healthy aging and well-being.

Outside of her academic work, Ida enjoys walking her dog, spending time with her husband, and watching documentaries that delve into human behavior and the mind.

Sumin Kim is a first-year PhD student working with Dr. Annamaria Csizmadia, specializing in Diversity and Culture. Originally from Seoul, Korea, Sumin lived in the Netherlands, Dubai, and Germany before moving to the United States. Her diverse international experiences have significantly shaped her research interests in multicultural identities and the psychological complexities faced by children navigating multiple cultures. Sumin earned her bachelor’s from Sungkyunkwan University in Korea, with a double major in Psychology and Child Psychology & Education, focusing on child development. She then pursued a master’s degree in Child Development and Family Studies at Yonsei University, where she integrated youth development with an understanding of societal influences on developmental trajectories. During her master’s program, Sumin led counseling sessions at a regional children’s center, focusing on racial-ethnic socialization to help multiracial youth adapt to Korean society. In her master’s thesis she explored the psychological challenges faced by Korean multicultural youth returning after living abroad, emphasizing the critical role of social support in navigating cultural identity issues. After completing her master’s, Sumin worked as a researcher at Seoul National University’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Lab, contributing to projects on minority children with neurodevelopmental disorders. She later worked as a psychotherapist, helping multicultural children develop social and academic skills to adjust to mainstream society, which gave her firsthand experience of how multiculturalism impacts psychological well-being.

At UConn, Sumin’s research focuses on how cultural factors, such as ethnic-racial identity and racial socialization, shape the developmental trajectories and socialization processes of multicultural youth. Her work delves into understanding acculturation experiences of immigrant populations, with particular emphasis on identifying the protective factors and strengths that support multicultural youth through these transitions. Through her research, she aims to lay the foundation for interventions that address inequity and discrimination, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment for multicultural youth.

Outside of her academic work, Sumin enjoys swimming, skiing, traveling, and taking photos. As this is her first time living in the United States, she is excited to explore the area and experience the local culture. Embracing this new chapter, she hopes to broaden her personal and cultural horizons during her time in the U.S.

Graduate student Vanessa Esquivel received the 2024 Professional Development Grant for Emerging Scholars Studying Poverty and Economic Mobility among Latino Populations from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families. The 2024 Professional Development Grant ($2,750) aims to support the professional, academic, and scholarly development of doctoral students pursuing research that focuses on poverty and economic mobility among Latino communities.

Lily Gorman is a first-year PhD student in the HDFS program. She specializes in Adulthood, Aging, and Gerontology and hopes to research familial caregiving and end-of-life decisions under advisor Dr. Laura Donorfio.

Although Lily grew up in Massachusetts, she was raised as a UConn fan since her parents and extended family are from Connecticut. She graduated from Salve Regina University in 2020 with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience and Spanish. She had a range of undergraduate research interests including autism, death in the family, and the effects of a childhood belief in Santa Claus. Due to her personal experiences, she was inspired to shift her focus to elderly populations and spent over 3 years working at the Boston Center for Memory on 25+ Alzheimer’s Disease clinical research trials.

Her current research interests include the dynamics between multiple caregivers in a family, ways to improve discussions about death and end-of-life choices, and how different personal factors influence caregiving experiences, such as gender, age, culture, etc.

Lily spends her free time reading, playing chess, and going to the beach whenever she can. She is a washed-up collegiate tennis player who now prefers to stay active via exercise classes and long walks.