Meet Our Team
The LSU Social Research & Evaluation Center team includes social workers, psychologists, geographers, political scientists, program evaluators, grant writers, policy experts, and data analysts. We are advocates and strategists. We are LSU faculty, research associates, graduate assistants and SREC affiliates. We are here to work with you.
Professional Background
Kimberly Allen, LPC-S, LMFT joined the SREC team in 2021. She was hired to help implement the School Social Work Expansion Grant (LaSSWx). She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, and has her own Private Practice. She was a School Counselor in Livingston Parish for 14 years.
Education
Kimberly has a marriage and family therapy background. She earned a MA in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and a BA in Psychology from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston.
About Kimberly
Kimberly is married and has a son. She loves spending time with her family, shopping, scrapbooking, traveling, and being outdoors.
Expertise
School Mental Health, Marriage and Family Therapy, Infertility Counseling.
Professional Background
Bret Blackmon, PhD, NCC, joined the SREC team as an associate professor of research in 2024. Prior to joining SREC, he served as an associate professor of social work at the University of Southern Mississippi. Bret has conducted research on topics such as community resilience, mental health in disaster-prone areas, delinquency, person-centered practices, and trauma-informed care. Outside of academia, his work experience has involved direct practice and leadership roles in non-profit organizations located in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennesse.
Education
In Bret’s early career, he served as a multi-systemic therapist in Tennessee where he worked closely with children involved in the justice system. He relocated to Biloxi, MS in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to assist with recovery efforts. In 2007, Bret returned to his hometown of Baton Rouge and alma mater (LSU) where he earned a master’s degree in counseling in 2009 and a PhD in social work in 2014.
About Bret
Bret and his wife, Caroline, have two children and a parti yorkie named Clyde. In his free time, Bret enjoys tennis and fishing. He has a deep love for 1980s hair metal.
Expertise
Mixed methods, resilience research, person-centered practices, and trauma-informed organizations.
Professional Background
Andrew Burns, PhD joined the SREC team in August 2022, after serving as a LSU Shreveport Sociology Instructor. His recent research focuses on connecting localized social problems to their socio-historical and contemporary global contexts. Andrew’s upcoming co-authored research addresses the complications that COVID-19 response poses upon small-town overdose and interrelated public health issues. Andrew teaches courses in Sociology and Criminology at LSU.
Education
Originally from Northern Ohio, Andrew studied Film prior to pursuing a career in Sociology. He earned his MA in Sociology at University of New Orleans, and PhD at Louisiana State University in 2022.
About Andrew
In addition to research and teaching, Andrew writes fiction blending science fiction and humor with sociological theory.
Expertise
Social Deviance and Stigma, Criminology, Social Control, Sociology of Medicine, Sociology of Knowledge, Historical Discourses.
Professional Background
Bich Do, MA, EdS, NCSP joined SREC in June 2023. She has spent the last decade working in schools and community mental health settings. She uses her expertise in school psychology, educational leadership, and special education to build stakeholder capacity and create sustainable systems through project implementation and monitoring and professional development and training. Bich’s research interests include foundational literacy instruction, neurodevelopmental disorders, adult learning theories, and school crisis prevention and intervention.
Education
Bich received her MA and Educational Specialist degree in School Psychology from Chapman University in Orange, CA. She has a BFA in Theatre from Sam Houston State University in Texas. She is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist.
About Bich
Bich enjoys spending time with her family and two dogs. She loves learning about different cultures, eating different cuisines, embroidery, and traveling.
Expertise
Accessibility in Education; Diversity and Inclusion in Schools; Special Education Assessment and Programming; Multi-tiered Systems of Support; Social-Emotional Wellness, Early Childhood Development.
Professional Background
Cecile Guin, PhD, LCSW, served as the Director of the LSU Social Research and Evaluation Center, from 1996 to 2018. She began working for LSU in 1995 as a funding consultant and Associate Professor of Research and, upon retirement, received the Emeritus Professor of Research status in the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education. Cecile developed programs and pursued funding aimed at interrupting the pathway to delinquency and crime. Additionally, she had become an expert in truancy and death penalty mitigation and was court qualified in the areas of adult criminality, development of a criminal personality, juvenile delinquency social work and cultural poverty.
Professional Background
Sarah Harrell, MSNPA, MSW, LMSW joined SREC in June 2023. She brings more than 10 years of experience in the field of social work. Through her many years of social work experience, Sarah has served in the areas of child welfare, medical social work, and juvenile services. However, for the past 8 years, she has served as a School Social Worker in East Baton Rouge Parish working in K-12 schools. Her experience includes child welfare and attendance, social skills learning, student engagement, community outreach, crisis intervention, and family engagement.
Education
Sarah earned a Master’s of Social Work (MSW) from LSU, an MS in Non-Profit Administration (MSNPA) from LSU Shreveport, and a BS in Social Work from Southern University.
About Sarah
Sarah enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She loves shopping, traveling, and all things monogrammed.
Expertise
School Social Work, Child Welfare, Community Outreach and Engagement.
Professional Background
Kristina Little, LCSW, joined the LSU Social Research and Evaluation Center as a Research Associate in April 2019. She has over 8 years of experience working in a medical setting, specifically oncology. Her previous publications are related to Alzheimer’s caregivers.
Education
Kristina earned a BS in Psychology from LSU in 2004, and a MSW from LSU in 2011.
About Kristina
Kristina enjoys reading, going on walks, spending time with her family, and rooting for the Tigers.
Expertise
Medical Social Work, Gerontology Social Work, Program Evaluation
Professional Background
Austin Matthews, MSW, LCSW has spent the last decade working in harm reduction/overdose prevention and healthcare policy promotion through national and state-wide consumer advocacy groups. Austin is focused on creating human-service systems that are evidence-based, client-focused, and results-oriented.
Education
Austin’s background is in political participation and community organizing. He has a BA in Political Communication and a MSW from LSU.
About Austin
Austin is married with two cats and two dogs. He spends a lot of time with media: books, board games, TV shows, and video games. He also has played in a local tennis league for the last 5 years. He hopes to return to fierce board game and tennis competition post-COVID.
Expertise
HIV Prevention & Clinical Engagement, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), Program Evaluation, LGBTQ+ issues, Substance Use Disorders, Ethics in Practice
Professional Background
Aimee Moles, PhD, LCSW, practiced as a perinatal social worker for 25 years as well as teaching for the School of Social Work. She has been with SREC since 2015, providing GIS mapping services and grant development and writing. She has co-authored reports and publications for SREC community development grants as well as violence prevention efforts. She is currently involved in a coastal resilience grant as well as co-authoring research publications related to environmental health and post flood coping for social work students in Louisiana and Texas.
Education
Aimee has an undergraduate degree in psychology from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, an MSW as well as a PhD in geography both from LSU.
About Aimee
Aimee is married and has three adult sons as well as several rescued pets. She likes to spend her free time cycling outdoors with her husband and friends.
Expertise
GIS mapping of social and environmental concerns, perinatal issues, healthcare policy
Professional Background
Gwen Murray, PhD, joined SREC in March 2020. A former K-12 educator and leader, Gwen brings over a decade of experience working in and alongside public schools in Louisiana. Gwen’s research interests include social emotional learning, multi-tiered systems of support, and the politics of inclusion and accessibility in education, including the application of civil rights law.
Education
Gwen has a social science background. She holds a BA from Smith College. Gwen earned her MA and PhD (2017) at Tulane University.
About Gwen
Gwen has a son, two spoiled cats, and is an enthusiast of yoga, the natural world, and tattoos. She is a Seattle native, and happy to chat about music, flannel, and coffee.
Expertise
Mixed Methods Research, Qualitative Methods, Education Policy & Research
Professional Background
Judith Rhodes, PhD, LMSW, is the current Director of the LSU Social Research and Evaluation Center. She uses her expertise in social work and education for program design, implementation, evaluation, and grant writing. Her work investigates the school-to-justice pathway through research in school social work, school-based interventions, and educational attainment youth placed at risk. She has lead US Department of Education funded interventions with particular emphasis on cross-sector collaboration.
Education
After growing up as a displaced southerner in the Midwest, Judith returned earned an Arts & Sciences bachelor’s degree at LSU. After home educating her two children, she returned to LSU and completed a MSW in 2007 and a PhD in Social work in 2011. Judith now serves as an Associate Professor of Research at SREC with a focus on improving the lives of children, their families, and communities.
About Judith
Judith is married to her best friend Danny. They enjoy traveling and love to garden, cook, and fly fish. In their 3rd decade of marriage, they dance Argentine Tango.
Expertise
School social work, the school-justice pathway, dropout prevention, intervention research
Professional Background
Maddie Robison, PhD, has been with SREC since May 2017, after working in the LSU Graduate School for more than eight years. Her current job responsibilities include the overall management of SREC, assisting faculty and research associates in developing or pursuing independent evaluations, consulting services, and TA contracts with various community partners. Maddie is also actively participating in the organization of sponsored project proposals – grants and contracts.
Education
Maddie has an international relations/political science background. She has earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Bucharest, in Romania, an MA in Political Science from Indiana State University, and a PhD in Political Science from LSU in Baton Rouge.
About Maddie
Maddie is married and has two daughters and two geriatric dogs. In her free time, Maddie enjoys watching sports on TV, reading biographies of historical characters, and spending time with her girls outdoors.
Expertise
Strategic Thinking, Planning, Meeting Facilitation, Project Management, Business Development, Personnel Management.
Professional Background
Sam Robison, PhD, has been with SREC since 2011. He is a program evaluator, quantitative researcher, and grant writer focusing on programs in the social, educational, health, and criminal justice settings. Dr. Robison’s research interests include intervention research, school and community prevention and early intervention, the life pathways of at-risk children, the political psychology of decision-makers, and conflict studies.
Education
Sam received a PhD in political science with a concentration in international relations from LSU in 2010. He also received a MA in political science from LSU in 2005, and a BS degree in psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2002.
About Sam
Sam is married and has two daughters and two dogs. He is a lifelong (and long-suffering) Saints fan. In his free time, Sam enjoys spending time with his daughters outdoors, running, and biking.
Expertise
Program Evaluation, Quantitative Research Analysis, Database Manipulation, Project Management, Implementation.
Professional Background
Colleen Sinclair, PhD, joined SREC in 2022. Prior to coming to LSU, she was a professor of Psychology at Mississippi State University where she also directed the Social Relations Collaborative at the Social Science Research Center. Colleen has worked on a number of projects, primarily focused on antisocial behavior and intergroup conflict, funded by the Department of Defense or National Institute of Justice. Some of her work is featured in blogs on The Conversation and on TedEd.
Education
Colleen has a PhD in Social Psychology with minors in Quantitative methods, Interpersonal Relationships research, and Law from the University of Minnesota. Her BA is in Psychology, Women’s Studies, and English from the University of Colorado. She also continues to take advanced training in qualitative and quantitative methods where available.
About Colleen
Colleen in married and has two children, two Australian Shepherds, and a Checkered Giant rabbit (but one day hopes to have a Flemish Giant rabbit). Once upon a time, she had hobbies like writing, mask-making, photography, and travel, and hopes to rediscover them.
Expertise
Interpersonal & Intergroup Relations, Anti-social behavior, Misinformation, & Methods.
Professional Background
Stacey Terrio joined SREC in May 2021, focusing on data management and app development in the SREC data Hub. She is a member of the data security committee. Her past experiences include grant management in disaster recovery and child welfare.
Education
Stacey has earned an MA in Political Science and a BS in Accounting from LSU in Baton Rouge.
About Stacey
Stacey enjoys spending time with her wife and daughter. She also loves swimming, video games, and travelling.
Expertise
Data Analysis, Survey Design, and Grant Management.
Professional Background
Jada Thomas-Smith, MPA, MSW, LMSW, has been with SREC since 2006. She applies the practical knowledge gained in the field to evaluate intervention programs. Jada enjoys working with at-risk children and families in the areas of juvenile justice, parental engagement, and school attendance. For many years, Jada served as program coordinator for Truancy Assessment and Service Center (TASC), a statewide truancy initiative, and principal investigator for a statewide parent education program.
Education
Jada earned a BS in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Child, Family and Social Services from Nicholls State University and an MSW and MPA from LSU.
About Jada
Jada is a passionate Saints fan and in her free time, she likes to keep up with current events.
Expertise
Program Design, Program Management, Technical Assistance, Community Engagement, Child and Family Policies Analysis, Communications.
.Professional Background
Ashley Tillison joined SREC in December 2022. Prior to coming to LSU, she was an Epidemiologist at the Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Behavioral Health where she provided technical assistance to nine youth substance use prevention community coalitions through the Louisiana Partnerships for Success II grant. Ashley’s research interests include infectious disease health behavior prevention, health behavior policy, and program evaluation.
Education
Ashley has a natural science and social science background. She earned a BS in Biology from Xavier University of Louisiana, and a MSPH in Tropical Medicine from Tulane University, both in New Orleans.
About Ashley
In her free time, Ashley enjoys gardening and traveling.
Expertise
Data Analysis, Prevention Science, HIV & Substance Use Prevention.
Professional Background
Elizabeth Winchester, PhD, has been working as a Research Associate with SREC since 2001. She helped develop, implement and evaluate the Truancy Assessment and Service Centers for the state of Louisiana. Currently, she is part of the SREC team working on programs aimed at reducing group related violence in Baton Rouge, especially gun violence. Elizabeth is currently involved in a program evaluation and technical assistance project with Louisiana Children’s Trust Fund.
Education
Elizabeth has a family science/family policy background. She has received all her degrees (BS, MS, and PhD) from LSU.
About Elizabeth
In her free time Elizabeth loves reading and spoiling her Goldendoodle Gus.
Expertise
Database Manipulation, Data Analysis, Program Implementation, Strategic Partnerships, Planning, Family Policy.