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Here are some of the key highlights from our research endeavors during the past year:

Open Doors Academy (ODA)

Our evaluation work with (ODA), a local agency that provides out-of-school time programming dedicated to students at underperforming schools in northern Ohio, is ongoing. The annual evaluation report for the 2023-2024 program year was completed last Fall and was our fifth annual evaluation of this program to date. We will be busy working on the 2024-2025 report this summer. Also completed in the past year were two additional studies examining ODA’s impact on school districts. All three impact studies completed to date have shown that ODA scholars have significantly better school-day attendance than students who are not enrolled in ODA. We look forward to continuing to examine the benefits of this program in the coming year.

Advisory groups and consultation

We support various community child-focused groups that enhance family and child well-being. This support is provided through general child development knowledge, research, and project evaluation by Drs. Minnes and Dimitropoulos.  This past year, we actively participated with Invest in Children, Family Space, and Groundwork Ohio. Through our involvement in advisory boards and evaluation committees, we continue to gain valuable knowledge about Cleveland's and Ohio’s efforts to support our children's well-being. 

Undergraduate Student Research Opportunities

Welter-Muzic Continuing Research

Now in its second year, the Welter-Muzic Continuing Research Fellowship has expanded opportunities for students by offering sophomores and juniors up to $1,500 in funding to continue their research experience and participate in professional conferences. This fellowship is designed to help students deepen their skills, collaborate with interdisciplinary teams focused on child and adolescent studies, and engage in professional development. Fellows also prepare presentations and academic papers, strengthening their ability to communicate research findings and contribute meaningfully to the broader academic community.

Welter-Muzic Continuing Research Fellow 2024-25:

Marc-Joelitza Montgomery, a former Schubert Research Fellow (2024-25), continued her research by studying the experiences of minority caregivers of autistic children under the guidance of her mentor, Schubert Associate Rita Obeid. 

Learn more about the continuing fellowship and

Schubert Research Fellows

Now in its fifth year, the Schubert Research Fellows program continues to provide undergraduate students with meaningful, paid research experiences and mentorship through placements with Schubert Associates. Fellows engage in hands-on activities such as data collection, coding, and literature reviews, while building professional skills and academic connections. With additional support from the Expanding Horizons Initiative (EHI) of the College of Arts and Sciences, we were able to expand the number of Fellows this year from three to five recipients, thereby broadening access to research opportunities. We were also able to provide peer mentoring and small stipends for mentors to use. As the EHI grant comes to a close, we are evaluating feedback from research fellows and mentors. We are focused on securing long-term funding to sustain this impactful program as a permanent part of the Schubert Center’s core offerings, ensuring continued support for both students and faculty mentors.   

Mariangel Arrieta (upper left), a sophomore majoring in Political Science and Sociology, worked with Angela Ciccia, Ph.D., on her current research, aiming to determine whether participation in formal return-to-school programs leads to improved long-term academic, health, and social outcomes for K-12 students who have experienced traumatic brain injuries. 

Rafaela Oliveira (upper right), a junior majoring in Neuroscience, worked with Katerina Ntourou, Ph.D., on her current research, examining differences in parental overprotectiveness, temperament, and anxiety between parents of children who stutter and parents of children who do not stutter. Additionally, for the group of children who stutter, they examined the relationship between these parental measures and overt (e.g., stuttering severity) and covert (e.g., impact of stuttering on them) features of stuttering.

Michelle Orioho (center), a senior majoring in Psychology, Nutritional Biochemistry, and Metabolism, worked with Laura Voith, Ph.D., on her current research, which identifies systemic childhood and adolescent protective factors that promote positive outcomes or guard against negative outcomes in efforts to prevent intimate partner violence.

Valery Romero (bottom right), a junior majoring in Cognitive Science, collaborated with Rita Obeid, Ph.D., on her current research, which aims to explore and understand the unique experiences of caregivers from underrepresented backgrounds who care for individuals with autism.  This research builds upon previous work with a Schubert Fellow from the last academic year. 

Roman Valine (bottom left) a junior majoring in Anthropology and Psychology, worked with Cara Byrne, Ph.D., on her current research, a co-authored book on health communication for children and developing initiatives focused on Cleveland-area nonprofits that support children and literacy, such as the Cleveland Kids' Book Bank, the Literacy Cooperative, Cleveland Public Library, and Family Connections/SPARK. A new project exploring picture books where marginalized identities are implicitly normalized, rather than being identified with discrimination, has been initiated. 

SchubertCenter@Intersections

Intersections: SOURCE Symposium and Poster Session, held three times a year, showcases the diverse and innovative research and creative projects of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø undergraduates, celebrating their achievements alongside supportive faculty mentors. SchubertCenter@Intersections awards a separate cash prize for child-focused research.

Fall 2024

First Place:  Nara Lee - Neuroscience -  Effect of Buffered Anesthetic on Physiological Reactions during Dental Injection in Young Children under Deep Sedation

Second Place:  Gloria Liu - Sociology -  Disparities in Choline Nutrition in Preterm Infants

Third Place (Tie):  Mariangel  Arrieta - Neuroscience - Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Return-To-School Transition Post-Traumatic Brain Injury in Adolescents

Third Place (Tie):  Eliana Tandy - Psychology - The role of social support in moderating the relationship between peer pressure and psychotic-like symptoms in racial and ethnic minority adolescents

Honorable Mention:  Sharon Fung - Psychology - Assessing College Success Skills in Incoming College Students from Underrepresented Backgrounds: A Qualitative Study

Spring 2025

First Place:  Lakshmi Venkat - Neuroscience - Exploring Microglial Engulfment of Interneurons in Cerebellar White Matter During Neurodevelopment and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

Second Place:  Leon Allen - Mechanical Engineering - Tabletop Mechanical Tester for Secondary Education

Third Place (Tie):  Nikhila Juluri - Neuroscience - A Comparative Analysis Of Sepsis In Neonatal And Pediatric Intensive Care Units

Third Place (Tie):  Jade Dohner - Nutritional Biochemistry & Metabolism - Diabetes Inspired Culinary Education (DICE): An Innovative Approach to Type 1 Diabetes Management Through Culinary Medicine

Learn more about all of our student research opportunities.

Graduate Student Research Opportunities

Schubert Research and Presentation (RAP) Grant

This year, the Schubert Center launched a new Research and Presentation (RAP) grant mechanism to support graduate students engaged in child- and youth-focused research. This grant is funded by the Cora Unger Brisky Endowment Fund and is designed to advance the Center’s mission by fostering academic inquiry that bridges research, practice, and policy. The RAP grant provides funding for graduate students to deepen their child-focused research, engage with community partners, and share their work through academic or public forums. By supporting graduate-level scholars, the Schubert Center continues to invest in the next generation of leaders committed to improving the well-being of children and adolescents. 

Recipients 2025-2026

Learn more about all of our student research opportunities.