Soyeon Ahn, Ph.D.
Professor and Program Director in Research, Measurement, and Evaluation program
Vice Dean, School of Education and Human Development
Associate Dean for Research, School of Education and Human Development
Interim Associate Dean, University of Miami Graduate School
Dr. Soyeon Ahn is a productive and innovative methodologist and scholar focused on translating methodologically rigorous research into practice. Her work encompasses the four dimensions of scholarship: 1. the development of statistical and computational methods for the scholarship of discovery 2. interdisciplinary research in various disciplines, including social sciences, education, and medicine for the scholarship of integration 3. evidence-based research using meta-analysis and systematic review for the scholarship of application 4. and knowledge dissemination for the scholarship of teaching.
To date, many of her research projects have led to publications in highly recognized journals in research methodology and statistics. Also, the trans disciplinary nature of her research has led to many successful interdisciplinary research projects and publications.
Maite Mena, Psych. D.
Research Assistant Professor in Educational and Psychological Studies; Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Maite Mena is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Research Assistant Professor. She has extensive experience in working with minority populations experiencing health disparities and in implementing programs and evaluating their outcomes. Specifically, Dr. Mena has collaborated in developing and testing a culturally informed family therapy for minority populations (CIFFTA) focusing on families affected by substance abuse and co-occurring psychiatric disorders, and families affected by cultural issues. Her research interests include vulnerable populations, primarily Hispanic youth and their families in the areas of mental health disorders, substance abuse disorders, HIV and sexually risky behaviors, gender differences, and cultural stressors. Dr. Mena works collaboratively with a community organization which focuses on reducing health disparities in the Hispanic community. As a result of her work in the community, Dr. Mena received an award for Excellence in Partnership from the community organization in 2013.
Sangmi Kim
Sr. Research Associate
Sangmi Kim is a senior research associate in the Department of Educational and Psychological Studies at the University of Miami School of Education and Human Development. Her research focuses on the intersection of emotion, mental health and well-being, and technology, employing multi- and mixed-methods approaches.
Rishav Sapahia
Graduate Student Researcher and Engineer
Rishav is an AI Engineer with over four years of experience in interdisciplinary research and development. Their previous work spans healthcare, where they have contributed to diagnosing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease using ophthalmic imaging modalities. Additionally, they have analyzed hyper-spectral data from remote sensing satellites and developed AI models for sign language recognition. Rishav believes in the power of technology to drive positive change and is committed to building innovative solutions for the greater good.
Jorge Valdes
Graduate Student Researcher
Jorge Valdes is a Graduate Student Researcher pursuing a Master of Science in Data Science with a concentration in Educational Measurement and Statistics at the University of Miami. Their research focuses on improving methodologies in psychology through data science, addressing reproducibility challenges with cutting edge machine learning and statistical analysis. They previously earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Florida International University, where they contributed to projects on school readiness and behavioral outcomes for minority children with ADHD and autism. Bilingual in English and Spanish, they have collaborated on multicultural interdisciplinary teams, co-authored peer-reviewed publications, and aims to bridge psychology and data science to enhance research reliability and impact.
Kristal Alexis Otero
Graduate Student Researcher
Kristal is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Clinical Program Manager for the University of Miami CIFFTA Family Strengthening Programs, providing outpatient family-based treatment to adolescents and their families within the context of marriage and family systems for over 7 years. She has also been a trainer for the Culturally Informed Family-Based Treatment for Adolescents (CIFFTA) evidence-based treatment model for over 4 years, helping clinicians in their professional development as they navigate individual and family therapy for youth within the context of the CIFFTA therapy model.
Pramiti Dubey
Undergraduate Student Researcher
Pramiti Dubey, a first-year student at the University of Miami, is pursuing a degree in Data Analytics and Intelligence for Social Impact with a minor in Business Technology. Passionate about ethical AI, she is dedicated to advancing the development of AI agents to enhance societal functions and identify areas for continued growth.
Jean Dorta
Undergraduate Student Researcher
Jean Dorta is a first-year Data Science and Artificial Intelligence student at the University of Miami. He is passionate about sports data science and its business applications.
Rachel Young
Undergraduate Student Researcher
Rachel Young is a first-year student studying Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Miami. She is passionate about interdisciplinary applications for AI, as well as using math and statistics to solve humanitarian problem.
