This section of our website will spotlight alumni from the department.

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

Xiaofang Wang , PhD
Family Science, 2009

Xiaofang Wang, Family Science PhD graduate, is originally from China. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in School Education and Psychology from Anhui Normal University and her Master’s degree in Education and Parenting from Beijing Normal University. She had prior work experience as a project leader and editor in an educational software & distance education company in Beijing, China, teaching intern at a secondary teacher’s school and Beijing Normal University, teaching and administrative assistantship at the Department of Family Science. Her research interest includes Asian American and immigrant families, child development, parenting, program design and evaluation, mental health, acculturation, policy analysis and advocacy, distance education. She was awarded “Best Student Paper” by the NCFR Education and Enrichment Section for her paper presentation titled “Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Program: Immigrant Chinese Families in D.C.”, and the Ethel L. Parker International Fellowship by American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences for her current dissertation research on maternal language acculturation, maternal education, parenting involvement, social support as predictors of academic achievement and social competence of Asian American children. Upon graduating with her doctoral degree, Xiaofang is seeking to work for an organization focusing on education, child development, parenting, and mental health research and program designing and evaluation, especially for immigrant and minority population in the U.S. and developing countries. When she is not studying and doing research, she enjoyed reading, listening music, traveling, walking along the lake or sea, swimming, photographing, cooking, dancing (ballroom, swing, square), movies, spending time with friends, chatting with family members back in China.

 

Wakina Scott , PhD
Family Science, 2009

Wakina Scott, a graduate of the Family Science doctorate program, earned a Masters in Public Health from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in biology from St. Joseph's University. While obtaining her Master's degree, Wakina developed a needs assessment for intervention programs on substance use and abuse for African American men at a medical clinic in Prince George's County, MD. Some career highlights include conducting HIV research at the MayaTech Corporation, and serving as a health policy analyst for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where she evaluated regulations for the Maryland Medicaid Waiver for Older Adults program. Wakina joined the Family Science department at UMCP because of her strong interest in learning more about the family and gaining the research and program development skills needed to address family issues, particularly within the African American community. Her specific interests are in the areas of family policy, child obesity, and poverty. Outside of school and research, Wakina enjoys spending time with her husband and son, and traveling.

 

Karin E. Malm , M.S.
Marriage and Family Therapy, 1992

Since graduating with her Masters from UMCP, Karin Malm has gained extensive experience researching child abuse and neglect, foster and kinship care, adoption, and fathers in the child welfare system. She is currently working with Child Trends as a Senior Research scientist. Most recently, Karin was the project manager for the Multi-Site Evaluation of Foster Youth Programs (the Chafee Evaluation), a Congressionally-mandated random assignment evaluation of independent living programs. In this capacity she managed and monitored a multi-million dollar budget and directed the process study component of the study. Ms. Malm recently completed work on a study examining the child neglect and self care. This exploratory study examined how local child welfare agencies respond when they receive reports of children who are taking care of themselves, including how they determine whether unsupervised children are victims of child neglect. Through qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, the study illuminates the choices that child welfare agencies make every day in handling child neglect referrals. She was the principal investigator and author on two publications titled, What About the Dads? Child Welfare Agencies’ Efforts to Identify, Locate and Involve Nonresident Fathers and More About the Dads: Exploring Associations Between Nonresident Father Involvement and Child Welfare Case Outcomes.

 

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

Ann Scheiner, a 2008 graduate of our Master's program, 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. Upon graduating, Ann underwent training to become a CFT supervisor. She is interested in working with individuals, couples, and families with a variety of issues. In her spare time, 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 earned her Bachelor's in Psychology from St. Mary's College in Southern Maryland and her Masters in Couple and Family Therapy from UMCP. 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 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, accepted a position as a Research Instructor in the Department of Oncology at Georgetown University School of Medicine. She is 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 graduate of the Family Science doctoral program, 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. Ashley's dissertation was 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. While at UMPC, Ashley taught FMSC 332 (Children in Families), she supervised student therapists in the CFT program, and she maintained a private practice in Columbia, MD where she provided therapy to individuals, couples, and families struggling with eating disorders (www.ashleysouthard.com). Since graduating, Ashley moved back to Arizona, where her future plans include opening 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 accepted an Assistant Professor position in the Department of Family Studies and Community Development at Towson University. He joined the 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 lives in California where she is pursuing her career in marriage and family therapy, while spending more time with loved ones. After a busy 2 years in the graduate 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 with her doctorate degree in Family Science. She completed a research project on child care subsidies that was funded through a dissertation grant from the National Child Care Bureau. She is also provided 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 began 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 returned to her hometown, Pittsburgh, PA, after finishing her degree at UMCP, where she 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. Marta has taught graduate classes at Virginia Tech in Falls Church, and also has revised the 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, spent 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 began a family therapist position at Kensington Wheaton Youth Services (where he joined his former FMSC classmates, Sarah Bong Agboli and Liz Davenport Pollock). Mark consistently looks 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 pursued 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's 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. He has worked 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 in 2001.  After graduation, she became licensed as a Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist (LCMFT) in both Maryland and Georgia. She moved to Atlanta to pursue 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 has worked on a study about body image and disordered eating in African American women. Karia has worked 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 graduated from the Marriage and Family Therapy program within the Department of Family Science in 2004. He has worked 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 sought to use her degrees 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 coordinated two women's leadership conferences, the second of which was co-sponsored by the Department of Family Science and held at the University of Maryland. Corina planned to pursue further education in Family Science and law, and hopes 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.