LIfTS Fellowship Program

We strive to:

  • Offer Lesley doctoral students an opportunity to deepen their knowledge regarding the impact of trauma in education and strategies for mitigating that impact and

  • Provide a venue in which participants can develop and practice research.

Interested in Learning More.

The program offers two levels of participation, Fellow or Research Associate [RA], and is open to active doctoral students in any of the three specialization areas in GSOE. Each position is for one academic year and comes with a monetary stipend, as well as the ability to take up to two LIfTS courses tuition-free for graduate credit.

In addition, Research Associates typically engage in a group research project led by one of the Fellows. Research projects are supervised by Lesley faculty and approved by the Lesley IRB, as required.

Previous Fellowship projects have been part of the roundtable, paper, or poster sessions at New England Educational Research [NEERO] or New England Psychological Association [NEPA] conferences, as well as Lesley Community of Scholars Day.

The knowledge and skills developed during the LIfTS Fellowship program have often been valuable precursors to doctoral students’ dissertation work. Information regarding the application process is disseminated as part of the doctoral residency program.

Book cover titled 'Understanding Trauma's Impact on Learning' by Susan F. Cole, with a subtitle about creating a school culture where children can grow through adversity.
A book cover titled "Resilience" with the subtitle "Cultivating emotional resilience through trauma sensitivity in schools and classrooms" and an orange underline beneath the main title.

Ph.D. Student Fellows and Research Associates 

Announcing Ph.D. student Fellows and Research Associates for the Center for Inclusive and Special Education and the Lesley Institute for Trauma Sensitivity (LIFTS): 

2025-26 Current Cohort

Prior Cohort

  • Henry Bryant| LIFTS Research Associate | Individually Designed | 2022 Cohort

    Meggin Ball | LIFTS Research Associate | Educational Leadership | 2023 Cohort

    Casey Smith | LIFTS Research Associate | Individually Designed | 2023 Cohort

    Kimberly Gower | LIFTS Research Associate | Individually Designed | 2024 Cohort

    Elisabelle (Belle) Bocal | LIFTS Research Associate | Human Development and Learning | 2023 Cohort

    Chima Ikonne | LIFTS Research Associate | Human Development and Learning | 2023 Cohort

    Carlos L Maynard | LIFTS Research Associate | Individually Designed | 2022 Cohort

    Shel Shelton | LIFTS Research Associate | Human Development and Learning | 2022 Cohort

    Lindsay Stewart | LIFTS Research Associate | Individually Designed | 2021 Cohort

    Darnell T. Williams | LIFTS Research Associate | Educational Leadership 2023 Cohort

    Karie Williams | LIFTS Research Associate | Individually Designed | 2023 Cohort

  • Henry Bryant | LIFTS Fellow | Individually Designed | 2022 Cohort

    Meggin Ball | LIFTS Research Associate | Educational Leadership | 2023 Cohort

    Elisabelle (Belle) Bocal | LIFTS Research Associate | Human Development and Learning | 2023 Cohort

    Kimberly Gower | LIFTS Research Associate | Individually Designed | 2024 Cohort

    Chima Ikonne | LIFTS Research Associate | Human Development and Learning | 2023 Cohort

    Carlos L Maynard | LIFTS Research Associate | Individually Designed | 2022 Cohort

    Shel Shelton | LIFTS Research Associate | Human Development and Learning | 2022 Cohort

    Casey Smith | LIFTS Research Associate | Individually Designed | 2023 Cohort

    Lindsay Stewart | LIFTS Research Associate | Individually Designed | 2021 Cohort

    Darnell T. Williams | LIFTS Research Associate | Educational Leadership 2023 Cohort

    Karie Williams | LIFTS Research Associate | Individually Designed | 2023 Cohort

  • Kelly Vogel | LIFTS Research Associate, Individually Designed | 2022 Cohort

    Nicholas Suchecki | LIFTS Fellow | Individually Designed | 2021 Cohort

    Ioanna Opidee | LIFTS Research Associate | Individually Designed | 2022 Cohort

    Adina Feldman | LIFTS Research Associate | Human Development and Learning | 2021 Cohort

    Chantal Ritter-Meserve | LIFTS Research Associate | Human Development and Learning | 2021 Cohort

    Andrew Perron | LIFTS Research Associate | Human Development and Learning | 2021 Cohort

    Henry Bryant | LIFTS Research Associate | Individually Designed | 2022 Cohort

    Matthew Londo | LIFTS Research Associate | Educational Leadership | 2022 Cohort

  • Sarah Kipp | LIFTS Fellow Human Development and Learning | 2019 Cohort

    Eldine Beaubrun Montauban | LIFTS Fellow Educational Leadership | 2019 Cohort

    Kelly McDermott | LIFTS Fellow Educational Leadership | 2019 Cohort

    Kelly Vogel | LIFTS Research Associate Individually Designed | 2022 Cohort

    Constance Chung | LIFTS Research Associate Individually Designed | 2021 Cohort

    Christine Fallon Selmani | LIFTS Research Associate Human Development and Learning | 2019 Cohort

    Congmin Zhao | LIFTS Research Associate Human Development and Learning | 2019 Cohort

    Natalya Rakevich | LIFTS Research Associate Educational Leadership | 2021 Cohort

    Nicholas Suchecki | LIFTS Research Associate Individually Designed | 2021 Cohort

    Amanda Arnst | LIFTS post-doc team member Educational Leadership | 2015 Cohort

  • Alicia Gray | LIFTS Fellow | Individually Designed | 2016 Cohort 

    Kenisha Coy | LIFTS Associate | Individually Designed | 2021 Cohort 

    Ashley Murray | LIFTS Associate | Human Development and Learning | 2021 Cohort 

    Betsy Lamore | LIFTS Associate | Individually Designed | 2021 Cohort 

    Ilana Page | LIFTS Associate | Educational Leadership | 2021 Cohort 

    Katelyn Delarosa | Center Fellow | Human Development and Learning | 2019 Cohort 

    Liz Stapleton | LIFTS Associate | Individually Designed | 2020 Cohort 

    Odilia Machado | Center Associate | Individually Designed | 2021 Cohort 

    Sarah Kipp | LIFTS Associate | Human Development and Learning | 2019 Cohort 

  • Leah Hough | Fellow Educational Leadership | 2019 Cohort

    Julieandra Morgan | Fellow Educational Leadership | 2014 Cohort

    Eldine Beaubrun Montauban | Research Associate Educational Leadership | 2019 Cohort

    Katelyn DelaRosa | Research Associate Human Development and Learning | 2019 Cohort

    Alicia Gray | Research Associate Individually Designed | 2016 Cohort

    Alexandra Kirby | Research Associate Individually Designed | 2018 Cohort

    Nancy Schneider | Research Associate Human Development and Learning | 2019 Cohort

    Mark St. Pierre | Research Associate Educational Leadership | 2019 Cohort

Our Impact.

  • Row of colorful Crayola crayons standing upright on a dark surface with a blurred wooden background.

    Educators' Perceptions of Equity in Schools

    Presented by: Lesley Institute for Trauma Sensitivity Research Fellows & Associates Community of Scholars March 30, 2022

    Presentation
  • A colorful presentation slide with the title 'Building Trauma-Sensitive Art Education Programs' in large yellow letters on a purple background. The slide includes an abstract illustration of three paintbrushes and a section with various handwritten notes and watercolor paint marks.

    Building Trauma-Sensitive Art Education Programs

    An interactive session that explores the relationship between trauma and art-making and provides practical information on identifying and building trauma-sensitive practices within visual arts programming. - Alicia Gray

    Video
  • Cover of School Administrator magazine, February 2019, featuring an illustration of a large black monster with open jaws and white teeth, facing a small white figure holding a red flower, against a multicolored background.

    Schools Administrator - AASA

    Compassion in the face of trauma. A school system’s backing of children who are depressed, deprived, and anxious.

    Article