About Us

The New York State Youth Justice Institute strives to build and strengthen the capacity of localities around New York State to adopt evidence-informed youth justice practices. We do so by disseminating information, assisting with implementation and assessing efficacy in existing youth justice programs, and by conducting cutting-edge research to advance the science and practice of evidence-based initiatives.

We aim to become the premier resource for evidence-based policy and practice nationally and beyond. To that end, we:

• Serve as an information hub for stakeholders;
• Cultivate and support practitioners’ commitment to evidence-based practices;
• Develop a prolific and ever-growing network of research expertise;
• Foster and sustain synergy among stakeholders;
• Leverage current public investment to attract external funding that will enable the Institute to grow.

• School of Criminal Justice, University at Albany
• New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services
• New York State Office of Children and Family Services

Giza Lopes, PhD 
Executive Director
518-442-5598
[email protected] 

Dr. Giza Lopes is the Executive Director of the New York State Youth Justice Institute. 

Giza's scholarly work has investigated, among other topics, the collateral consequences of youth contact with criminal justice system as it relates to employment, education, and interpersonal relationships. Her research into these and other criminal justice issues has appeared in top-ranked academic journals, such as Justice Quarterly and Crime and Delinquency, as well as in multiple edited volumes, encyclopedias, and media outlets. She has also published a book, Dying with Dignity: A Legal Approach to Assisted Death, which traces the origins of the debate surrounding the legalization of "assisted suicide" in the United States and Europe. 

Prior to joining the Institute, Giza was a Senior Research Associate at the NYS Office of Indigent Legal Services, where she oversaw the implementation of data infrastructure in Public Defender programs statewide and supported localities by providing training and technical assistance related to that implementation. 

She received her PhD and MA from the School of Criminal Justice, the State University of New York at Albany.

Michele Ellis
Director of Finance and Grants
[email protected] 

Michele Ellis is the Director of Grants and Finance at the New York State Youth Justice Institute. As the Director of Grants and Finance, Michele oversees and administers the Institute’s accounting, budgetary, audit, personnel, and grants programs; and oversees office operations.

Before joining the Institute, Michele was the Administrative Director of the Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Center. She has over 20 years of experience in Grant management. Michele received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from SUNY Plattsburgh and her associate degree in accounting from SUNY Cobleskill.

Sean Brown
Director of Training and Technical Assistance
518-442-5385
[email protected] 

Sean Brown is the Director of Training and Technical Assistance at the New York State Youth Justice Institute. With over 30 years of progressive experience, Sean leverages his extensive expertise to foster equity, support, and safety for youth, particularly those who are under-resourced or from resilient communities. His proven ability to manage large-scale programs and collaborate across various sectors underscores his leadership and dedication to achieving positive social outcomes. Sean excels in positive youth development, family engagement, education, workforce development, and program governance.

Sean brings a wealth of experience in collaborating with local, county, state, and federal agencies, including community-based organizations, local education agencies, higher education, and postsecondary institutions. Before joining the Institute, Sean successfully administered multi-million-dollar grants and provided technical assistance, fiscal management, and program evaluation for the New York State Education Department. As the Associate in Intercultural Relations for the Office of Family and Community Engagement Services, he effectively managed programs such as the My Brother’s Keeper Challenge Grant, the Extended School Day School Violence Prevention Program, and the Liberty Partnerships Program.

Sean holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology from Southern Vermont College in Bennington, VT, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Management from the Sage Graduate School.

Kathy Graubart
Administrative Assistant
518-442-5596
[email protected] 

Kathy Graubart is the NYS Youth Justice’s Administrative Assistant. Kathy assists our team in all administrative projects as well as event organizing. She works closely with the Director of Grants and Finance, making sure the YJI’s fiscal and logistical needs are met timely and efficiently.

Before joining the Institute, Kathy was the Administrative Assistant in the Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Center at the School of Criminal Justice. She has also worked in other State agencies including the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services and the NYS Department of Civil Service.

Amy Secor
Senior Technical Assistance and Training Specialist
518-442-5602
[email protected] 

Amy Secor is a Senior Technical Assistance and Training Specialist at the New York State Youth Justice Institute. Amy has over 23 years of professional experience in human services, including 18 years of experience in the field of probation in both Alaska and New York State.  As a probation supervisor, she spearheaded several innovative projects that incorporated restorative justice principles, evidence-based practices, trauma-informed approaches, and team-building to foster strength-based, youth- and community-driven systems change.  

She is passionate about science-backed initiatives that not only prevent system involvement but also enhance desistance for youth and young adults involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems.  Amy received her Bachelor of Science degree from Utica College of Syracuse University.

La-Meik Taylor
Senior Technical Assistance and Training Specialist
[email protected] 

La-Meik Taylor is a Senior Technical Assistance and Training Specialist at the Youth Justice Institute. In this role, he supports the development of the Institute's Technical assistance plan by creating and delivering training curricula, technical assistance materials, and other actionable resources. Prior to joining the YJI, La-Meik worked in various youth justice-related roles, including restorative justice peer support, mentoring, Alternatives to Violence, Kingian nonviolence, among others. His practice expertise is further strengthened by his lived experience as a systems-impacted person. La-Meik received his BA  in Social Studies from Bard College through the Bard Prison Initiative and is currently enrolled in Bard's MBA in Sustainability program.

Nicole Collazo
Youth Empowerment Specialist
[email protected] 

Originally from Harlem, NY, Nicole Collazo landed in the capital region to pursue a degree in Criminal Justice at Russell Sage College. Since obtaining her bachelor's degree, Nicole has been a part of multiple nonprofit organizations whose mission revolve around youth, their purpose, and their wellbeing—especially youth of color. Nicole Believes in amplifying the places she walks in, providing a space for others to be honest and vulnerable, and passing her wisdom on to the leaders of tomorrow. She will continue to center those values in her new role as YJI’s Youth Empowerment Specialist. 

Alysha May (née Gagnon), PhD
Project Manager
518-442-5643
[email protected] 

Alysha May (she/her/hers) is the Project Manager for the NYS Youth Justice Institute. She has been involved in several research projects, including literature reviews about electronic monitoring, youth with sexual behavior problems, and process evaluations of prevention/intervention programs with the Institute. Her dissertation focused on the impacts of school-police partnerships, including their efficacy and collateral consequences. Her broader research interests include program evaluation, longitudinal research, and the intersection of child welfare and juvenile justice systems. She received her PhD and MA in Criminal Justice at the School of Criminal Justice at UAlbany and her BA in Criminal Justice at Iona University. 

Meera Bhat, PhD
Research Associate
[email protected] 

Meera Bhat (she/her) PhD is a graduate of the School of Social Welfare at University at Albany, SUNY. She is interested in working on issues at the intersection of political and economic justice and learning from and supporting stakeholder-led initiatives. Her work has focused on issues of poverty, microfinance, entrepreneurship, and youth and women's reproductive health and participation. She received her MA in Social Entrepreneurship and BA in Social Work and Rural Development from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), India.  She has also served as a UNFPA Special Youth Fellow for the Asia-Pacific region. 

Subhajit Pal
YJI Graduate Research Assistant
[email protected] 

Subhajit Pal (he/him) is a PhD candidate at the Department of Anthropology at the University at Albany, SUNY. He received his MA in Global Studies from Ambedkar University Delhi and BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from Calcutta University, India. Subhajit’s research interests include infrastructures of tourism and its narratives. He primarily utilizes qualitative methods, and his recent work is around the political consequences of tourism narratives.

David Howard King
Assistant Director of Communications
[email protected] 

David Howard King is the Assistant Communications Director for the New York State Youth Justice Institute. King spent over 15 years as a journalist reporting on criminal justice reform, youth justice, government corruption & transparency, housing, and the arts. King has written for The Daily Beast, The Times Union, Shelterforce, Popular Science, Decibel, Revolver, and the Manhattan-based Gotham Gazette, where he served as State Government Editor for 8 years.  

In 2012, he served as the New York State reporter for The State Integrity Investigation, a partnership between the Center for Public Integrity, Global Integrity, and Public Radio International that analyzed each state’s risk for corruption. In 2016, King founded The Alt Weekly and later The Collaborative Magazine with the backing of Proctor’s Theatre.  

Before joining the Institute, King served as Director of Communications and Chief Public Information Officer for the Offices of the New York State Inspector General.

King received his BA in English from the State University of New York at Albany. 

Toni Cela, PhD
Research Associate

[email protected]

Dr. Toni Cela is a Research Associate at the New York State Youth Justice Institute. An anthropologist with more than two decades of professional experience as an educator, advocate, administrator, and researcher. Her research is underpinned by concerns about human insecurity, particularly the social, political, and economic structures that render certain populations vulnerable to poverty, violence, institutionalization, and poor health in the U.S. and abroad. She has managed medium- and large-scale studies including the first national Violence Against Children Study (VACS) in Haiti (funded by the CDC), a clinical trial focused on immigrant youth in Miami-Dade County Juvenile Services Department diversion programs (funded by NIH), and a 12-country study of South-South Migration for Development and Equality (funded by the UK Research and Innovation).

She has an extensive publication record in peer-reviewed journals and has presented research findings at the United Nations (in the US and Geneva), the OECD (France), and at various universities across the Americas, Europe, and Africa. She holds a doctorate from Columbia University and has received numerous fellowships and awards, including the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH/NIDA) post-doctoral fellowship, and the US Fulbright Scholar Award, among others.

James Reyling
POYSE Coordinator
[email protected]

James Reyling is a Support and Empowerment Specialist at the New York State Youth Justice Institute. James has over 20 years of professional experience in criminal justice. He has a strong knowledge of juvenile justice and related policies and practices, along with proven experience mentoring and supporting young people. Before joining the Institute, James was employed as a Youth Counselor at the Office of Children and Family Services.
James holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY Old Westbury and a master’s degree in social work from SUNY Albany.

Carla Corina
Senior Data Literacy and Evaluation Specialist
[email protected]

Carla Corina is a Senior Data Literacy and Evaluation Specialist at the New York State Youth Justice Institute. In this role Carla helps support youth justice-related state agencies and local partners through evaluation processes such as identifying metrics of youth success, equity, and prevention; providing guidance on data collection and analysis efforts; and helping to improve data literacy and best practices that support informed decision-making in the service of youth and families. Carla is a dedicated education researcher with more than 20 years of experience directing evaluation projects to help foster high-quality programming for youth, and to empower program stakeholders to use data for program improvement and sustainability. Prior to joining the Institute, she was a Research Associate for the New York State Education Department’s Office of Access, Equity, and Community Engagement Services. She received her MS in Educational Psychology and Methodology from UAlbany.

Marzieh Dehghan-Chaleshtori, PhD
Instructional Support Associate
[email protected]

Marzieh is an Instructional Support Associate at the Youth Justice Institute. She supports the New York State Outreach Certificate Program by managing digital learning environments, providing technical troubleshooting, and coordinating training.
Marzieh’s work focuses on organizing course content, ensuring accessibility, and integrating evidence-based instructional design practices. Before joining YJI, Marzieh worked with several departments at the University at Albany, including the School of Education, the Honors College, and International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), while completing her Ph.D.
Her research informs her learner-centered approach to digital instruction and workforce development. She is passionate about advancing the Youth Justice Institute’s mission to strengthen professional development and continuing education for youth-serving professionals across New York State.
Marzieh holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Research, and an M.S. in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology (CDIT) from the University at Albany, SUNY.

Jeanine Hanna, PhD
Senior Research Associate
[email protected]

Jeanine Hanna, Senior Research Associate at the New York State Youth Justice Institute, has 17 years of experience in behavioral health research and program evaluation. She has designed and managed cross-site evaluations aimed at advancing access to services, measuring outcomes, and assessing the sustainability of substance use and mental health initiatives, as well as programs serving individuals experiencing homelessness, pregnant and parenting individuals, and justice-involved individuals. She is skilled at providing evaluation-related technical assistance to enhance data-driven decision-making and translating research findings into accessible products for diverse audiences.

Before joining the Institute, Jeanine was a Senior Researcher at a research and technical assistance firm, where she served as Deputy Director of a national evaluation of a rural opioid response initiative and led the development of an evidence-based reentry guide to improve post-incarceration support for individuals living with mental health and/or substance use disorders.

She received her Ph.D. and bachelor’s degree in sociology from the State University of New York at Albany and Loyola University Maryland, respectively.

Ariluz Quiñones
POYSE Coordinator
[email protected]

Ariluz Quiñones (they/them) is a passionate educator from Westchester, New York. They began their career in youth work at Rutgers-Newark as the National Program Coordinator for the BOLD Women’s Leadership Network and continued that work as the Director of Racial Justice and Youth Programming at YWCA of White Plains & Central Westchester. In 2021, Ariluz became a Program Manager at Sadie Nash Leadership Project and continued to craft their skills as a facilitator and curriculum builder. They have taught racial equity courses and youth empowerment programs across Westchester, New York City, and Newark, New Jersey. Currently, they serve as a POYSE (Positive Opportunities for Youth through Empowerment & Support)  Coordinator for the New York State Youth Justice Institute and are the Peer Youth Specialist for the Bronx PRISM Coalition at the Neighborhood Association for Inter-Cultural Affairs. Ariluz holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Smith College, is an alum of the Powherful Foundation, and the Institute for Nonprofit Practice’s Community Fellows Program. Ariluz is immensely invested in creating a better world for all youth to thrive. 

Interested in joining the YJI Team as a Scholar in our internship program? Please fill out this Google Form and send your Resume and Writing Sample to [email protected]. If you have any questions, please review our FAQs or email us at [email protected].

Yookyeong Park
PhD Student
Division of Educational Psychology and Methodology

Rafia Rahman                                                                                            
PhD Student
Department of Anthropology

Jee Won Ryu                                                                                                 
PhD Student 
School of Criminal Justice

Sanaa Woodley
BA Student
Department of Political Science/Department of Sociology

Nya Pemberton
BA Student
Department of Psychology

Lex Halpin
BA Student
Department of Sociology

Kiera O'Brien
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Isabelle Lopez
BA Student
Department of Sociology/Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Alexis McQuade
BA Student
Department of Sociology/School of Criminal Justice

Alexis Schnyer
BA Student
Department of Psychology/School of Criminal Justice

Allegra Walker
BA Student
Department of English/Department of Africana, Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies

Amanda Scarlata
BA Student
Department of Psychology/School of Criminal Justice

Anabelle Lopez
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice/Department of Psychology

Anna Grosse
BA Student
Art/Creative Writing

Ashley Hall
MA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Briana Williams
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Brianna Caetano
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Caitlin Nolan
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Casey Pav
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Christoph Cervantes
BA Student
Department of Sociology/Departments of Mathematics & Psychology

Connor Reohr
MA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Emily Wilson
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Erin Gardner
PhD Student
School of Social Welfare

Gianna Fiorello 
MA Graduate
School of Criminal Justice

Gracie Badlia
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice/Department of Psychology

Holly Yauchler
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice/Department of Psychology

Jacob Nielson
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Jee Won Ryu
BA/MA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Jenny Mudd
MA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Jillian Cassidy
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice/Department of Philosophy

Josh Baldwin
BA Graduate
Department of Political Science

Justine Dicio 
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Justis Manchur
MA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Kalpita Dapkekar
MS Student
Data Science

Kyla Zybczynski 
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice/Department of Psychology

Lara Thomas
BA/MA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Lauren Russell
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice/Department of Psychology

Lisa Mendoza
MBA Student
Massry School of Business

Meghna Tetambe
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Mei-Ella Vickers
MA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Michaela Webb
MA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Mohammed Ibrahim
MS Student
Urban and Regional Planning

Morgan Magierski
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice/Department of Psychology

Morgan Thomas
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice/Department of Sociology

Nicholas Gonzalez
MA Graduate
Department of Political Science

Nick O'Rourke
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Nyasha Biggs
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Paul White
BA/MA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Roz Sasa
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Samahria Alpern
Urban Studies
Brown University

Sara Regensburger
MA Student
Department of Anthropology

Sasha Boroda
BA/MA Graduate
School of Criminal Justice

Shaniah Roseborough
BA/MA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Shelby Peck
BA Graduate
Southern Methodist University

Sierra Siedsma
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice/Department of Psychology

Sofia Bank
BA Student
School of Criminal Justice/College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity

Sri Nikhil Surapaneni
MS Student
Data Science

Sujaya Balachandran
MA Student
School of Criminal Justice

Sydney Bryans
BA Student
Department of Psychology

Taylor Oathout
MA Student 
School of Criminal Justice

Tierney Nash
MPA Student
Public Administration

Zhuoning Wu
MA Student
School of Criminal Justice/Department of Psychology

Interested in joining the YJI Team as a Scholar in our internship program? Please fill out this Form and send your Resume and Writing Sample to [email protected]. If you have any questions, please review our FAQ or email us at [email protected].