Lab Members

VANDERBILT MEMBERS

Luis A. Leyva (he/him), PRISM Lab Director

Peabody Programs:

Ph.D. program in Learning, Teaching & Diversity

Master’s program in Learning, Diversity & Urban Studies and Learning & Design

Undergraduate and master’s programs in Elementary & Early Childhood Education

Dr. Leyva is a research faculty member in the Department of Teaching & Learning at Vanderbilt. His research explores how historically marginalized students at intersections of race, gender, and sexuality construct their identities while navigating instructional and student support contexts in undergraduate STEM education. Prior to joining the Peabody faculty, Dr. Leyva earned a Ph.D. in mathematics education with a concentration in Women’s & Gender Studies from Rutgers University. Dr. Leyva was certified as a K-12 mathematics teacher in New Jersey. He holds over six years of professional experience in higher education initiatives, including living-learning communities and summer bridge programs, designed to increase STEM retention and success among historically marginalized groups.

Enrique Abreu-Ramos (he/him), Undergraduate Research Assistant (2020-Present)

Peabody Program: Undergraduate major in Cognitive Sciences

Enrique Abreu-Ramos is member of the Vanderbilt Class of 2023, majoring in Cognitive Studies with a minor in Spanish. He is originally from New York City, with both of his parents are from the Dominican Republic. At Vanderbilt, Enrique is a Posse Scholar and involved in Ultimate Frisbee and the Vandy SMASH Club. He is also a member of the Project C.U.R.E., a non-profit organization committed to equitable access to healthcare and medical supplies/equipment. Enrique is currently considering career pathways in medicine/health counseling and psychiatry.

Elsie Kindall (she/her), Graduate Research Assistant (2022-Present)

Peabody Program: Masters in Public Policy

Growing up in a predominantly low-income Black and Brown neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas, Elsie’s experiences have made her dedicated to ensuring the spaces she occupies are safe for people of all identities. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Educational Studies from Colgate University. During her undergraduate experience, she was heavily involved in Queer Sex Education work. She has experience working in advocacy for both, Equality Texas (an LGBTQ advocacy organization) and Communities Foundation of Texas (a Higher Education advocacy organization). Elsie is interested in work that contributes to making schools more equitable for students of intersectional identities.

Nicollette D. Mitchell (she/her), Doctoral Research Assistant (2021-Present)

Peabody Program: Ph.D. in Learning, Teaching & Diversity (Justice, Diversity & Education concentration)

Nicollette holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geology and Africana studies from Oberlin College and a Masters of Science in Geosciences from the University of Arizona. Following her passion for global and institutional climate change, she has worked in STEM Education and Equity and Inclusion Education for the last five years. She is passionate about the factors that influence the retention and persistence of Black and Brown students, faculty, and staff in higher education. Nicollette enjoys spending her free time exploring local parks and trails with her husband Jahlil and son Jett.

Taylor McNeill (they/them), Doctoral Research Assistant (2019-Present)

Peabody Program: Ph.D. in Learning, Teaching & Diversity (Mathematics & Science Education concentration)

Taylor’s research interests are focused on centering the experiences of students from marginalized populations in post-secondary mathematics education and STEM classrooms to inform more inclusive pedagogy.  Prior to arriving at Vanderbilt, Taylor received a Ph.D. in mathematics from Rice University.  Taylor has taught in a variety of contexts at the elementary, secondary, and undergraduate levels. However, their teaching experiences have been primarily oriented towards supporting high-achieving and STEM career-aspiring math students. Witnessing inequities amplified by commonplace classroom interactions has fueled Taylor’s interest in contributing to research that disrupts the white, patriarchal standards of advanced mathematics.

Rocío Posada-Castañeda (she/her), Graduate Research Assistant (2022-Present)

Vanderbilt Program: Master’s in Public Health (Global Health track)

Rocío holds a Bachelor of Arts in Health Studies and Latino Studies with a minor in Anthropology from the University of Richmond. Prior to joining Vanderbilt, Rocío worked on delivering health equity programs in Nashville and Latin America. She is most passionate about working at the intersection of public health and social innovation to improve the quality of life for immigrant and refugee populations. In her free time, Rocío enjoys exploring Nashville’s parks, attending cultural events, and planning her next trip.

Shalini Thinakaran (she/her), Undergraduate Research Assistant (2022-Present)

Vanderbilt Program: Biological Sciences & Latin American Studies

Shalini is a sophomore at Vanderbilt University studying Biology and Latin American Studies. She is interested in the factors that make marginalized students feel capable in higher education and aspects that lead to retention in STEM. Additionally, she is involved in several organizations on campus, like the Multicultural Leadership Council and Minority Women in STEM. For fun, Shalini helps database plants at Vanderbilt’s Latin American Garden.

EXTERNAL MEMBERS:

Alexandria Cervantes (she/her), Member since 2018

External Program Affiliation: Masters’s in Curriculum & Instruction (Mathematics, Science & Engineering Education) at University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign

Alexandria joined the PRISM lab during an immersive summer research experience as a McNair Scholar at California State University-Monterey Bay. During this time, Alexandria worked on a research project focused on Latinx students’ identity constructions in undergraduate mathematics and a review of research on equity issues in developmental mathematics.

 

Brittany L. Marshall (she/her), Member since 2019

External Program Affiliation: Ph.D. in Learning, Cognition, Instruction, and Development (Mathematics Education); Certifications in Africana Studies and Women’s & Gender Studies at Rutgers University

Brittany is interested in the mathematics identities and belonging(ness) of African American girls and women, as well as, the teachers who help build their confidence and guide them to pursue STEM majors and careers. Prior to Rutgers, Brittany spent nine years teaching 4th-12th grade mathematics classes and served as the math department head/instructional coach in Chicago Public (and charter) Schools. She holds a bachelor of architectural studies from the University of Illinois and a master of architecture from North Carolina State University.

Megumi Asada (they/them), Member since 2021

External Program Affiliation: Ph.D. in Learning, Cognition, Instruction, and Development (Mathematics Education);

Megumi’s research interests lie at the intersection of mathematics education and prison abolition. They are interested in exploring how the broader systems that undergird the prison industrial complex produce inequities in undergraduate math education. As an undergraduate, Megumi was heavily involved with their college’s Association for Women in Mathematics chapter and had been invested in efforts to improve classroom climate and equity in undergraduate mathematics. Megumi has an MPhil in Criminology from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with Honors from Williams College. 

ALUMNI:

Zander Alley (he/him), Undergraduate Research Assistant (2018-2020)

Peabody Program: Human & Organizational Development (Community Leadership & Development track)

PRISM Projects: Latinx in College Mathematics, Queer Students of Color in STEM

PRISM Research Publication: Black queer students’ counter-stories of invisibility in undergraduate STEM as a white, cisheteropatriarchal space (Journal article in the American Educational Research Journal, 2022)

Current Role: Middle school mathematics teacher in Nashville area

B R. Balmer (they/them), Graduate Research Assistant (2019-2022)

Peabody Program: Master’s in Community Development & Action (HOD)

PRISM Projects: Intersectionality as a Methodological Tool, Queer Students of Color in STEM

PRISM Research Presentation: A review of equity-oriented research for a proposed framework of equitable practices in undergraduate mathematics (Annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, 2021)

Current Role: Applying for graduate studies in library studies programs

Lorely Chávez (she/her), Graduate Research Assistant (2021-2022)

Vanderbilt Programs: Master’s in Public Health (School of Medicine), Master’s in Latin American Studies (Graduate School)

PRISM Projects: Latinx in College Mathematics, Queer Students of Color in STEM

PRISM Research Publication: Faculty and student perceptions of instructional servingness in gateway mathematics courses at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (Conference proceeding for the 44th Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 2022)

Current Role: Defending master’s thesis in fall 2022

Oscar Guzmán (he/him), Graduate Research Assistant (2019-2020)

Peabody Program: Master’s in Human Development Counseling with specialization in School Counseling (HOD)

PRISM Projects: COURAGE in Undergraduate Mathematics, Queer Students of Color in STEM

PRISM Research Publication: “It seems like they purposefully try to make as many kids drop”: An analysis of logics and mechanisms of racial-gendered inequality in introductory mathematics instruction (Journal article in The Journal of Higher Education)

Current Role: Professional school counselor in Chicago area

 

Aneva Jefferson (she/her), Graduate Research Assistant (2020-2022)

Peabody Program: Master’s in Community Development & Action (HOD)

PRISM Projects: Intersectionality as a Methodological Tool, Queer Students of Color in STEM

PRISM Research Presentation: Characterizing agency among gender-expansive Black and Latin* students with queer sexual identities in undergraduate STEM (Annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, 2022)

Current Role: Grants/programming assistant in community health

 

Elizabeth King (she/her), Graduate Research Assistant (2019-2021)

Peabody Program: Master’s in Child Studies (Psychology & Human Development) with focuses on poverty and intervention and Latino & Latina studies through the Vanderbilt Graduate School

PRISM Project: Queer Students of Color in STEM

PRISM Research Publication: Black queer students’ counter-stories of invisibility in undergraduate STEM as a white, cisheteropatriarchal space (Journal article in the American Educational Research Journal, 2022)

Current Role: Ph.D. student in Human Development & Family Science at University of Georgia

 

Janaya Little (she/her), Graduate Research Assistant (2021)

Peabody Program: M.Ed. in Learning, Diversity & Urban Studies

PRISM Project: Queer Students of Color in STEM

Current Role: Health equity project manager in the New York City area

 

 

 

 

Michael Parker (he/him), Graduate Research Assistant (2021)

Vanderbilt Program: Master of Science in Finance (Owen Graduate School of Management)

PRISM Project: Queer Students of Color in STEM

Current Role: Investment analyst for a capital firm

 

 

 

 

Niccolo Roditti (he/they), Graduate Research Assistant (2020-2021)

Peabody Program: M.Ed. in Community Development & Action (HOD)

PRISM Project: Queer Students of Color in STEM

PRISM Research Presentation: Characterizing agency among gender-expansive Black and Latin* students with queer sexual identities in undergraduate STEM (Annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, 2022)

Current Role: Graduating from master’s program at Peabody