Roger Glass Fellowship in Implementation Science
Millena Yohannes graduated from Cornell University in 2022 with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Health Inequity. During her undergraduate studies, she worked as a research assistant on various sociological and psychological projects, such as tracking commonalities across sexual harassment complaints reported to Title IX offices; child development through play; purpose and identity; and community development. She gained exposure to translational research through her work as an RA in the Purpose and Identity Processes lab, working under Drs. Kaylin Ratner and Anthony Burrow to explore the effect of self driven learning on the psychosocial resources of adolescents, as well as exploring how translational research and engaged scholarship can enrich research for participants. Just as foundational to her time at Cornell was Millena’s community engagement experiences. Across all four years and even after graduation, Millena worked closely as a mentor, teacher, board member, and director for youth dance education and literacy program Ballet & Books. She also served as an ambassador for the Einhorn Center of Community Engagement at Cornell, where she worked to communicate tenets of community-engaged learning, the importance of deliberative critical reflection, understanding place and privilege, and mutual learning to the student body.
Millena served as an ACCESS Fellow in Implementation Science. Her research goals at Marcus focused on the sustainability and adaptation of early autism interventions and their implementation into community systems, particularly regarding cultural differences. Her research examined early intervention use within Babies Can’t Wait, Georgia’s birth-to-three program. She investigated factors that may have predicted child skill gain after receiving intervention, such as provider fidelity, barriers to treatment participation, and therapeutic alliance. Upon completing the fellowship, Millena planned to pursue an MD/MPH, remaining committed to community engagement, working with and for marginalized youth, and improving public health from the community level.
Millena served as an ACCESS Fellow in Implementation Science. Her research goals at Marcus focused on the sustainability and adaptation of early autism interventions and their implementation into community systems, particularly regarding cultural differences. Her research examined early intervention use within Babies Can’t Wait, Georgia’s birth-to-three program. She investigated factors that may have predicted child skill gain after receiving intervention, such as provider fidelity, barriers to treatment participation, and therapeutic alliance. Upon completing the fellowship, Millena planned to pursue an MD/MPH, remaining committed to community engagement, working with and for marginalized youth, and improving public health from the community level.
David Satcher Fellowship in Community Engagement
Cynthia Belfleur, a Miami, Florida native, graduated with high honors from Spelman College in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a mental health concentration. Her time at Spelman was spent heavily in the community as a Corella and Bertram Bonner Scholar and Ford First Gen Scholar, working in health and education systems and interning at the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy. She was a research assistant for various labs with varied interests, such as mindfulness and PTSD, and metacognition in flip chemistry classrooms. Cynthia also attended the Danish Institute for Study Abroad, located in Copenhagen, Denmark, to study positive psychology and mental health. After Spelman College, Cynthia worked as an inclusive ELA teacher at a Title I charter middle school in Memphis, TN, through Teach for America.
Cynthia served as the inaugural David Satcher Community Engagement Fellow at the Marcus Autism Center. Her research at Marcus explored retrospective caregiver experiences of those whose infants had participated in the Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) studies. By interrogating caregiver experiences, she aimed to understand and improve the Center’s relationships with families as they continued to seek care. Concurrently, Cynthia was a research fellow at Morehouse School of Medicine, working on Project GRIT under the Grady Trauma Project. The project focused on capacity building, emphasizing resilience in African American women experiencing PTSD. Cynthia also participated in the Georgia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (GaLEND) program at the Georgia State Center for Leadership in Disability. This interdisciplinary training program emphasized providing coordinated, culturally competent, and family-centered care to children and their families. After completing her time as the Community Engagement Fellow, Cynthia planned to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical-community psychology, building on her passion for community engagement, education, policy, and mental health outcomes for marginalized communities.
Cynthia served as the inaugural David Satcher Community Engagement Fellow at the Marcus Autism Center. Her research at Marcus explored retrospective caregiver experiences of those whose infants had participated in the Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) studies. By interrogating caregiver experiences, she aimed to understand and improve the Center’s relationships with families as they continued to seek care. Concurrently, Cynthia was a research fellow at Morehouse School of Medicine, working on Project GRIT under the Grady Trauma Project. The project focused on capacity building, emphasizing resilience in African American women experiencing PTSD. Cynthia also participated in the Georgia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (GaLEND) program at the Georgia State Center for Leadership in Disability. This interdisciplinary training program emphasized providing coordinated, culturally competent, and family-centered care to children and their families. After completing her time as the Community Engagement Fellow, Cynthia planned to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical-community psychology, building on her passion for community engagement, education, policy, and mental health outcomes for marginalized communities.