Dr. Zarrett is an Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina. Her work focuses on promoting positive child and adolescent development through leveraging the resources and supports of key youth settings (e.g., schools, after school programs, families) and change agents (e.g., teachers, program staff, parents). In collaboration with strong community partnerships, this research involves identifying and addressing the needs and interests of underserved communities and families, with the goal of generating sound policy and practical applications.

Dr. Wilson is a Professor of Psychology at the University of South Carolina. Her nationally funded program of research has focused on developing innovative, theoretically-based interventions for health promotion in adolescents and their families.

Dr. Fairchild is a quantitative psychologist with an interest in methods for prevention and intervention work.

Dr. Pinto, a Professor in the College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, focuses her research interests on the development of theoretically-based exercise interventions for adults and in promoting healthy behaviors among cancer survivors with a special emphasis on exercise promotion among cancer survivors.

Dr. Sweeney is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina with an interest in community-based interventions, health disparities, and mechanisms of health behavior change.

Claire is a community social worker with a passion for public health education. Her expertise is in mindfulness and stress reduction. On the Connect Team, Claire works with everyone to ensure we have a program full of happy and healthy individuals. Claire loves gardening and her tallest sunflower to date was just over 14 feet tall!

Anqi received her PhD in Kinesiology with a minor in Educational Research Methods from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her research focuses on cognitive learning in physical education, physical activity behavior change, learners’ motivation, and health promotion. Anqi is also a professional, award-winning badminton champion who loves Bubble Tea!

Christian is an elementary school physical educator, University of South Carolina clinical model teacher, and Richland 2 induction teacher mentor who promotes increasing physical activity for all ages. Coach K loves NY pizza and will travel long distances to get the authentic stuff.

Mack graduated summa cum laude from the USC Honors College with a BS in Psychology and minors in Music and Counseling. She hopes to get her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and aims to empower marginalized youth through her research. When she is not in the lab, Mack enjoys making art (ceramics, paintings, etc.), going to local concerts, and reading poetry.

Dev is a MA Candidate, studying clinical mental health counseling. She completed her BS in Experimental Psychology with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Carolina. Her career focus is on increasing access to mental health resources and eliminating stigma associated with mental illnesses in minority communities. Dev loves coffee and her go-to order is cold brew with sweet cream!

Macie is a current senior Exercise Science major and Psychology Minor on the pre-med track at the University of South Carolina. Macie has been extremely involved in athletics her whole life and she enjoys promoting health and wellness. Macie has NEVER eaten a hamburger and has no plans to ever try one.

Nikki is a senior majoring in Public Health pursuing the pre-PA track at the University of South Carolina. Her passion lies in making a positive impact on underserved communities, a mission she actively pursues as the philanthropy chair of USC's pre-PA organization, APPAS. Outside her academic endeavors, Nikki enjoys staying active through soccer, hiking, and exercise. During her downtime, you can find her indulging in Netflix marathons, with the exception of horror movies.

Bree is currently a senior majoring in Public Health at the University of South Carolina, graduating this fall. She is on the Pre-Physician Assistant track with hopes of attending MUSC. Ultimately, her goal is to specialize in pediatrics or emergency medicine and serve underserved populations. She loves coffee, plants, and the color green!

Olivia is a Clinical-Community Psychology Ph.D. student at the University of South Carolina. She received her BA in Psychology from Hampton University, after which she taught high school math in Georgia as a Teach for America corps member and completed a research training fellowship (PREP) at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. Olivia is interested in examining promotive/protective factors that develop resilience in youth, particularly Black and Latinx youth, who have experienced adversity. She is also interested in the development and implementation of culturally relevant prevention interventions. When you don’t see her, Olivia is probably in a time warp of 90’s Black American culture, either watching A Different World or listening to Maxwell.

Peter is a 2nd year doctoral student in the Clinical-Community Psychology PhD program at the University of South Carolina. He earned his BS in Kinesiology with a concentration in Clinical Movement Science from California State University Fullerton. As an aspiring academic researcher and Clinical Psychologist, Peter is passionate about character development and resiliency factors through the lens of culturally appropriate and clinical interventions. His interests lie in promoting positive behavioral health outcomes via participation in physical activity, sports, and play in underserved communities. When Peter's not in the library he enjoys playing basketball, attending church, or eating sushi.

Ryan is a Master of Social Work Student at the University of South Carolina and holds a Graduate Certificate in Drug and Addiction studies. In 2016, he received his BA in Criminal Justice and Sociology from USC. Before returning to USC to pursue his MSW, Ryan spent several years working in the fitness industry traveling the country and assisting rural High Schools with the installation of new weight room facilities and teaching safe exercise skills. Ryan has a passion for helping others improve their own personal health and has two cats named Thumper and Ginger!

Adam is a Master of Social Work student at the University of South Carolina. They received their BS in experimental psychology from USC in 2022. Adam is involved with the measurement team and works with Claire on the comprehensive health program. They hope to learn more about student outreach and how to present information in an entertaining, easy-to-understand, and respectful manner. Adam loves to read fantasy novels and has an Australian Labradoodle named Theo.

Morgan is a 4th year doctoral student in the Clinical-Community Psychology program. She earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her MEd in Counseling and Sport Psychology from Boston University. As a developmental and clinically focused (aspiring) psychologist, Morgan is passionate about fostering health, quality of life, and positive identity development through the very important but often neglected concepts of life balance, humor and attitudes towards life, and institutional culture, particularly in achievement and performance settings. One of her proudest accomplishments is winning the departmental “comedy gold” award two years in a row. Her certificates are on display and the center of attention in her apartment.

Michelle is a postdoctoral research fellow at the REACH Institute at Arizona State University with interests including understanding dissemination and sustainability in community settings, using participatory methodology to enhance prevention programs and interventions, and studying the impact of youth participatory action research on individuals and systems.

Anthony is a PhD candidate and educational researcher, specializing in cognitive science and learning theory.

Brittany is a senior research associate with the Wandersman Center and provides evaluation, implementation, and readiness building support, with a particular focus on youth serving contexts.

Ariel is a clinical-community doctoral student who specializes in implementing innovative practices into new settings and youth empowerment initiatives.

Haylee is a Clinical-Community Psychology student whose research focuses on family-based strategies for improving adolescent health.

Charlie Jongho Moon earned his PhD in Physical Education Pedagogy from the University of South Carolina. He has over seven years of experience as a physical education and classroom teacher in public elementary schools. His scholarly interest focuses on various contexts (physical education, general education classrooms, before and after school programs, home and community environments) and systems (curriculum and pre-service/in-service teacher education programs) that align with the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) framework.

Alex is a licensed psychologist at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital in Baltimore Maryland. Alex has research interests related to mindfulness and occupational burnout.

Steve is currently completing his pre-doctoral clinical internship at the Charles George Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, NC. His research focuses on mindfulness, attention, and the intersection of mental health and physical health.

Devin Waldrop has spent his 10+ year career serving children and educators in efforts promoting whole child education and wellness. Devin is an Education Associate at the SC Department of Education, where he promotes equitable outcomes for students with disabilities. (He is also the self-proclaimed reigning Connect Lab SpikeBall champion.)

Olivia is a University of South Carolina Instructor of Dance, with expertise in ballet, choreography, and screendance. Olivia enjoys bringing her wealth of dance experience and pedagogy to the lab in the creation of dance content that is engaging and empowering to youth and adult community partners.

Carl is a clinical scientist with areas of expertise relating to neurodevelopmental disorders, health promotion, and adolescent motivation and development.