This section of our website will spotlight alumni from the department. Selected alumni will be featured for several months, and then their stories will be placed in an archive that can be reviewed online at any time.

Contact Us if you would like to appear or suggest someone for the alumni spotlight.

Ann Scheiner, M.S.
Marriage and Family Therapy, 2008

Ann Scheiner, a second year Master's student, earned her Bachelor's degree in Women's History from the University of Michigan and her JD from George Washington University. Prior to beginning the MFT program, Ann advocated for legislation related to disability rights, handicapped citizens, and health planning. She also worked as a Communications Coordinator for the Parent Encouragement Program (PEP), which is focused on parent education. Ann is interested in working with individuals, couples, and families with a variety of issues, and she hopes to continue practicing therapy after graduation. When not in class or seeing clients, Ann enjoys art, graphic design, knitting, theater and film, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Katelyn Opel, M.S.
Marriage and Family Therapy, 2008

Katelyn Opel, a second year Master's student, earned her Bachelor's in Psychology from St. Mary's College in Southern Maryland. Prior to beginning graduate school, Katelyn worked as a research assistant for an early literacy program, a teacher's assistant for Psych 100, and she also interned at Barstow Acres Children's Center. Her current clinical interests primarily focus on working with premarital couples.

 

 

Cheng Shuang Ji, Ph.D.
Family Science, 2008

Dr. Cheng Shuang Ji, a 2007 graduate of the Family Science Ph.D. program, has accepted a position as a Research Instructor in the Department of Oncology at Georgetown University School of Medicine. She will be working with her mentor, Dr. Wenchi-Liang, on a NIH-funded project to promote communication between physicians and Chinese patients about colorectal cancer prevention. Dr. Ji has also worked with the District of Columbia Public Schools to increase Asian immigrant parents' contact with their children's schools. Her article, "Parental Involvement in Children's Education: An Exploratory Study of Urban Chinese Immigrant Families" (co-authored by Dr. Sally Koblinsky), was recently accepted for publication in the journal, Urban Education.

 

Ashley Southard, Ph.D.
Family Science, 2008

Ashley Southard, a fourth year Family Science doctoral student, is a native of Phoenix, Arizona. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Arizona State University and her Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from UMCP. Currently, she is working on her dissertation, which is a qualitative study exploring the roles of family environment and race/ethnic culture on women's experiences of bulimia. She hopes to use the findings to develop more culturally sensitive family therapy treatments for eating disorders. Additionally, Ashley is a doctoral instructor for FMSC 332 (Children in Families), she supervises student therapists in the MFT program, and she maintains a private practice in Columbia, MD where she provides therapy to individuals, couples, and families struggling with eating disorders (www.ashleysouthard.com). After graduation, Ashley plans to open a family therapy research clinic for families with a member who has an eating disorder, in which data is collected from clients throughout the process of therapy, so as to evaluate which factors are most helpful in their recovery. She also hopes to continue teaching, perhaps as an Adjunct Professor at a community college. In her spare time, Ashley, who has been married for 3 years, enjoys road trips with her husband throughout the mid-Atlantic region, gardening in her backyard, and reading fiction novels.

 

Andrew Quach, Ph.D.
Family Science, 2008

Andrew Quach graduated with his Ph.D. in Family Science and has accepted an Assistant Professor position in the Department of Family Studies and Community Development at Towson University. He will be joining Towson University's faculty in August 2008.

 

 

Janey Cunningham, M.S.
Marriage and Family Therapy, 2007

Janey Cunningham, originally from Canada, graduated with her M.S. in May 2007 and is now on the road to California to pursue her career in marriage and family therapy while spending more time with loved ones. After a busy 2 years in the gradaute program, Janey hopes to find more personal time for mountain biking and piano lessons. While her new life is very exciting and fulfilling, she misses her Maryland friends and all of the good times had on the east coast.

 

Nikki Forry , Ph.D.
Family Science, 2007

Nikki Forry has remained very busy with her research since graduating this Spring. She is in the final stages of a research project on child care subsidies that was funded through a dissertation grant from the national Child Care Bureau. She is also providing analytical support for Dr. Sandy Hofferth's fatherhood project which examines how father involvement and paternal child support payments are related to adolescents' perceptions of the quality of the father-child relationship. In October 2007, Nikki will begin working as a Research Scientist in the Early Childhood Development Division of Child Trends, a non-profit research firm in Washington, DC.   Nikki's research interests include child care subsidies, fatherhood, and cultural competence. When she is not conducting research, Nikki enjoys spending time with her husband and cat, traveling, and catching up on much-needed sleep.

 

Marta McClintock-Comeaux , Ph.D.
Family Science, 2007

Marta McClintock-Comeaux is returning to her hometown, Pittsburgh, PA where she has accepted a tenure-track faculty position as Director of the Women’s Studies Department in the Justice, Law, and Society Department at California University of Pennsylvania. During the past year, Marta has been teaching graduate classes at Virginia Tech in Falls Church, and also revising family life education curricula for Alexandria City Schools.  Her true “family studies” loves are her two boys, Carter and Tyler, her husband, Patrick, and her extended families.

 

Mark Treimel , M.S.
Marriage and Family Therapy, 2006

Mark Treimel, who earned his Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2006, recently returned from a year abroad in Mexico City with his wife. While there, he increased his skills in Spanish and learned about the culture, while also catching up on some reading. Since returning to the DC metro area, Mark has begun a family therapist position at Kensington Wheaton Youth Services (where he joins his former FMSC classmates, Sarah Bong Agboli and Liz Davenport Pollock). Mark  is looking forward to providing therapy to a diverse client base, and particularly Latino youth.

 

 

 

 

Takeia Bradley , M.S.
Family Science, 2002

As a graduate student, Takeia conducted research on the relationship between certain maternal factors and the social skills development of preschool-age children living in violence-plagued communities. After earning her master's degree in Family Science, Takeia began working as the Director of Social Services in a multi-service nonprofit organization with a focus on education, youth development, and human services. Within three years, Takeia was promoted to Deputy Executive Director of the organization. She later returned to the University of Maryland as the Assistant Director of Pre-College Programs in Undergraduate Studies. After amassing several years of program development and management experience in the education arena, Takeia joined the Maryland Higher Education Commission's Office of Grants in March 2007.

 

Lindsey Short , M.S.
Marriage and Family Therapy, 2006

Lindsey Short is currently pursuing her license to practice Marriage and Family Therapy in the state of New York. She is employed at the Society for the Protection and Care of Children (SPCC) in Rochester, where she works in the Family Violence program. She helps survivors of domestic violence and their children develop skills, mostly around expressing emotion, so that the cycle of family violence can be broken with the next generation. She also facilitates a women's group on family violence and a children's group for kids ages 5-7. Lindsey is excited to bring the practice of Marriage and Family Therapy to a setting which has previously been dominated by social workers, and she continues to encourage her undergraduate supervisees to consider MFT as a career track.

 

Deborah Riley, M.S.
Marriage and Family Therapy/Family Science

Debbie Riley, who holds a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, is the executive director of the Center for Adoption Support and Education (CASE) in Burtonsville, MD. She is the co-founder of Operation Runaway and has focused on issues of adolescent mental health as a licensed therapist for nearly 25 years. Debbie recently published Beneath the Mask: Understanding Adopted Teens, an informative look at the issues faced by adopted teens and their families, with John Meeks, MD. Debbie is currently enrolled in graduate coursework, and her agency has supervised many Family Science interns interested in working in adoption support and education.

 

 

Orville "Orv" Grimes
M.S., Marriage and Family Therapy, 2002
Orv chose to return to graduate school for a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy after earning his doctorate in economics and working with the World Bank. Orv opted for this second degree to enhance his career skills in delivery of family services. Currently, he is working at the Arlington Free Clinic through a grant he helped to obtain from the Campbell Hoffman Foundation, and he is also working as a family counselor at the Northern Virginia Family Service Agency. In 2004, he received the Outstanding Employee Award for his work on immigrant advocacy, his interpersonal warmth and generosity, and his excellent clinical and diagnostic skills in marriage and family therapy.

 

Karia Kelch-Oliver
M.S., Marriage and Family Therapy, 2001
Karia earned her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.  After graduation, she became licensed as a Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist (LCMFT) in both Maryland and Georgia. She is now living in Atlanta and pursuing a PhD in Counseling Psychology, with a concentration in Child and Family Therapy at Georgia State University. Her research interests include race and gender issues, racial identity development, and biracial identity, and she is currently doing a study on body image and disordered eating in African American women. Karia works as a counselor at Georgia State’s Counseling Center and also finds time to be a Parenting Education Group Leader for a Montessori school in Atlanta.

Robin Kelley
Ph.D., Family Science and Health Education, 2002
Robin graduated with a Ph.D. in Family Science and Health Education, the forerunner to the Family Science doctoral program. Robin is now serving as the Associate Director of the Behavioral and Social Science Volunteer Program of the American Psychological Association. She has marketed the volunteer program through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's federal initiative known as the Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions Program, and is also coordinating external relations with CDC subcontractors at the Academy for Educational Development. Robin is a trustee on the board of the Consumer Health Foundation and a volunteer at the William A. Wendt Center for Loss and Healing. She is also the founder of a health education program that serves a local church and its low-income community in Washington, D.C.

 

Jonnel Hector
M.S., Marriage and Family Therapy, 2004
Jonnel recently graduated from the Marriage and Family Therapy program. He is currently working as a family therapist at the Frost Center in Rockville helping children and adolescents who have emotional and learning disabilities. Jonnel's family history is rooted in the Guyanan culture, helping him to appreciate the diversity of his clientele, while allowing him to serve as a role model for children of all backgrounds.

 

Corina Putt
B.S., Family Science, 2004
Corina earned undergraduate degrees in both Family Science and Criminal Justice. Corina completed her required Undergraduate Internship at a law firm, and wishes to use her degree to aid children in poverty or victims of domestic violence. Corina was elected the Program Vice President for the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Maryland in June, 2004. In this role, she has coordinated two women's leadership conferences, the most recent of which was co-sponsored by the Department of Family Science and held at the University of Maryland. Corina plans to pursue further education in Family Science and law school, and would like to work for a non-profit organization or as a victim’s rights attorney. 

 

 

Shannon Thompson
B.S., Family Science, 2004
Shannon was the first member of his family to earn an undergraduate degree, making it feel like graduation day for his mother, grandmother, and other relatives, as well. As an undergraduate, Shannon volunteered to work with Family Science faculty on various research and community outreach projects, and he was named a Ronald E. McNair Scholar. After graduation, Shannon obtained a job working for the government, and he is currently pursuing a graduate degree at Howard University.

 

Crystal Tyler
Ph.D., Family Science, 2004
Crystal came to the Family Science master's and doctoral programs from Richmond, Virginia. As a graduate research assistant, she worked with Dr. Bonnie Braun on a multi-state study, Rural Families Speak, in which she spent three years interviewing rural, low-income mothers living in various counties throughout the state of Maryland. Through this experience, Crystal learned about the mission of Cooperative Extension and rural family strengths. Crystal also worked closely with Drs. Randolph and Koblinsky on two federal research grants examining the impact of community violence on Head Start children. Crystal's dissertation examined the role of social support and church attendance in moderating risk factors. After earning her Ph.D., Crystal returned to Richmond where she accepted a position with the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service.

 

Distinguished Family Science AlumnA

Dr. Christine Warnke
M.S., Family Science, 1975
Dr. Warnke, Government Affairs Advisor in the Washington, D.C. office of Hogan & Hartson, L.L.P., is the 2005 recipient of University of Maryland’s Outstanding Alumnus Award in the School of Public Health. A member of her firm’s Legislative Group, she represents national and multinational corporations, trade associations, and coalitions on legislative and regulatory matters before Congress, the White House, and various Executive Branch agencies. Dr. Warnke has served on the staff of U.S. Senator Howard W. Cannon of Nevada and Senate Majority Leader Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia. She is a former Assistant Director of Governmental Affairs for the American Textile Manufacturers Institute, and brought recognition to the Institute as an environmental leader.

A native Washingtonian, Dr. Warnke has written about Washington’s immigrant population and co-authored The Urban Odyssey published by the Smithsonian Institution. She is a member of the boards of numerous cultural, health, and arts organizations, and is founding President of the Hellenic American Women’s Council. She spearheaded the D.C. Commission for Women in the late 1990s and currently chairs the commission. A former member of the District of Columbia Human Rights Commission, she was appointed by President Clinton to the President’s Advisory Committee of the Arts of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1999. Dr. Warnke received her Master of Science degree in Family Science (formerly Family and Community Development) in 1975, and her doctoral degree in American Studies in 1993 from the University of Maryland, College Park.