Youth Advisory Board
The Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab’s Youth Advisory Board (YAB) informs the development of our STEM & Digital Wellbeing Workshops. As former workshop attendees or co-facilitators, YAB members provide feedback on developments to the week-long summer program and collaborate with researchers and other peers while engaging in personal development opportunities (graphic design skills, networking, public speaking, near-peer mentorship). The board includes middle school, high school, and college-aged youth. The YAB is funded by a Technology and Adolescent Mental Wellness grant through the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Dr. Linda Charmaraman is Director of the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab and seeks to amplify youth voices in the co-creation of our summer digital wellbeing workshops. One of her goals is to use the power of data to inform inclusive programming for those underrepresented in the design of social technologies. She is a Thai American, first-generation scholar with a daughter who is in 4th grade (and who does not have a phone yet).
Gabriella is a member of the Youth Advisory Board and was a previous participant of the STEM & Digital Wellbeing Workshop. She is 14 years old and lives in Massachusetts. Gabriella likes to play volleyball and she likes to draw.
Zaina is a member of the Youth Advisory Board. She is 14 turning 15, and she lives in Massachusetts. She goes to Norwood High School. She has been a participant of the STEM & Digital Wellbeing Summer Workshop since its inception. She is excited for this program because she is hoping to learn new things and meet new people. In Zaina’s spare time she loves to paint and bake.
Dr. Catherine Delcourt is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction Lab and Media Arts and Sciences (MAS) program at Wellesley College.
Catherine co-leads the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab activities pertaining to STEM & Digital Wellbeing Workshop and developing apps for healthy social media use in middle school. Her research interests focus on how people relate to each other through social technologies and the social implications of our increasing dependence on the internet.
Kamilah is an Educational Consultant whose work lies at the nexus of social and emotional learning, social justice, and wellbeing. In this changing educational landscape, Kamilah is particularly interested in exploring how social technologies can be utilized to both support educational pursuits and strengthen the social and emotional wellness of all children. She is a mom of four children, who are at varying stages of social tech use and interest.
Sidrah is a master’s student in the Developmental Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She received her bachelor’s in Psychology from Stony Brook University and served as a Project Assistant at Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development prior to graduate school. Sidrah’s research interests include adolescent social media use and how it impacts their wellbeing and development.
Alyssa is the Project Coordinator for the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab. In this capacity, Alyssa serves as the liaison for YAB members, overseeing board recruitment, administration, and related tasks. She is excited to work with Board members to help shape the development of the STEM & Digital Wellbeing Workshop. In her free time, Alyssa enjoys adventuring with her family and spending time at her sewing machine.
Connie studies Media Arts and Sciences at Wellesley College, and she’s a research intern at the YMW lab. She is excited to join the Youth Advisory Board and help improve adolescents’ mental wellbeing through technology. In her free time, Connie loves playing sports and she's part of the Wellesley Ultimate Frisbee team, the Whiptails.
Mercedes is a senior student at British International School of Boston. Mercedes has been with the YMW lab as a summer digital wellbeing workshop assistant since 2020. As a future scientist and researcher with a passion for Biology and Environmental Sustainability, Mercedes has presented on Climate Change at her TEDx Conference and hosts the Climate Change Podcast “Our Time is Now”.
Joanna is a 12-year-old girl that goes to Coakley Middle School and lives in Massachusetts. She does Cross Country and is interested in piano, guitar, drawing, and painting. She is also a Youth Ambassador for the Impact Norwood Coalition. She is a former participant of the Wellesley Summer STEM & Digital Wellbeing Workshop. Joanna is excited to be a part of the Youth Advisory Board because she wants to enhance the workshop experience for future applicants.
Egypt is a member of the Youth Advisory Board. She is a 13-year-old female from Charlotte, NC, and attends Southwest Charlotte STEM Academy. Egypt is excited about being a part of the Youth Advisory Board because she has connections to the lab as a STEM & Digital Wellbeing Workshop participant. In her spare time, Egypt is a member of the volleyball team.
Born and raised in Colorado, Jules is now a senior at Wellesley College majoring in sociology with a minor in economics. This year, they are a Class of ’67 Intern in the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab. They hope to pursue a career in education after graduation. As a member of the YAB, they are looking forward to learning from other youth and improving social and emotional learning outcomes for middle schoolers!
Teresa is a senior at Wellesley College from Shanghai, China, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Japanese. She has been involved in the YMW lab since her first year and is really excited to be part of the Youth Advisory Board because she wants to work with and learn from younger people and truly wants to make a meaningful difference in the lives of youth. Teresa also loves singing and acting and is a member of the Wellesley College Choir, Chamber Singers, and Shakespeare Society.
