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Dr. Ryan Lavalley is the founder and primary lead of the Community Practice Lab. He has worked as a community occupational therapist since 2014, providing and developing programming most often related to aging, dementia, and housing across Orange County, NC. Ryan has and continues to work in partnership with multiple collaborators across Orange County and North Carolina to further community-rooted initiatives. Ryan is the current coordinator of the , which connects academic aging-related resources and initiatives across Carolina Institutions. Additionally, Ryan teaches the Community-Level Occupational Therapy course in the Masters of Occupational Therapy Program at 黑料网-CH through which he has guided student partnerships with multiple local organizations to develop programming and strategic actions steps to support community health and participation. Ryan co-hosts an with . Ryan is originally from West Virginia and earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH focusing on occupational therapy, social justice, and peace studies.

Dr. Lauren Selingo is a CPL Lead and assistant professor in the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Lauren has worked across clinical and academic settings as an occupational therapist and course instructor, particularly in behavioral/mental health settings and with older adults in skilled nursing facilities. Specifically, Lauren has supported adults as they navigate queer identity, mental health, and changes in substance use patterns throughout life. Lauren also has expertise in participatory action research and community-based participatory research.

Kevin Giff is a community engagement professional with experience developing and implementing housing, aging, and community development programs. Kevin supports the CPL鈥檚 community engagement team, including working with HOPE NC and Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. Kevin also partners with the 黑料网 Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention鈥檚 Food, Fitness and Opportunity Research Collaborative (黑料网 FFORC), working with communities to advance their goals of creating safer, healthier, and more active places to live. Originally from Winston-Salem, NC, Kevin holds a Master’s in City and Regional Planning from 黑料网-Chapel Hill and has previously worked with Habitat as well as the Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition and Orange County Home Preservation Coalition.

Ty Chapman is a PharmD candidate at 黑料网-Chapel Hill, with a focus on reproductive and neurodiverse health. Ty also explores the fusion of art and medicine, termed pharmaco-poetics. Graced with a BSPS degree from Ohio State University and a minor in AAAS, Ty’s fervor for history and Black cultural studies permeates every endeavor. Ty collaborates with the Marian Cheek Jackson Center to promote holistic community well-being and to engage in multigenerational outreach in the Northside community. Prior to stepping into this role, Ty conducted genealogical research and partnered with the David Nickens Heritage Center, weaving together the threads of personal heritage, history, and art.

Leiha Edmonds is a PhD candidate in the Department of Geography and Environment and Community Practice Lab Community Engagement Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She holds a Master of Urban Planning and Policy from University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research focuses on geographies of urban aging with attention to caregiving, age-friendly policies, and housing stability. In the CPL, Leiha supports the coordination, research, and evaluation of the Orange County Home Preservation Coalition and the Orange County Master Aging Plan. Before coming to 黑料网, she was a research associate at Urban Institute, where she led multi-method and community-engaged research focused on social and economic inequality in U.S. cities. Leiha has also worked as a community development planner for the City of Evanston, Illinois, and as a low-wage worker organizer in Chicago and East St. Louis, Illinois.

Stephanie is a PhD candidate in the Department of Communication at 黑料网-Chapel Hill, where she draws on performance studies and cultural studies to research community-based resistance to police violence and racism. She helps the Community Practice Lab tell compelling stories about community partnerships to work toward systemic justice and more equitable and humane communities. Stephanie holds an MA in Communication and Media from DePaul University. She has previously worked in professional communications with a variety of organizations, ranging from health care and social service nonprofits to higher education and the private sector.

Sayoko Kawabata is an occupational therapist and PhD candidate in the Division of Occupational Science at 黑料网-Chapel Hill. As a community engagement fellow in the Community Practice Lab, she has worked on projects in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County and Fairview Community Watch in Hillsborough, N.C. Through her work in Fairview, Sayoko developed her dissertation in collaboration with Fairview residents. The study focuses on play for children and youth in the community. It explores factors that influence play and asks how play contributes to community cohesion.

Seth is a PhD student in the Division of Occupational Science at 黑料网-Chapel Hill, under the mentorship of Dr. Ryan Lavalley. He holds a Master of Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California. His research focuses on the activities and processes of community-rooted strategic action, with attention to the everyday relationships implicated in structural and social change. In the CPL, Seth assists in cultivating community partnerships within the classroom as a teaching assistant in the masters level Community Practice Course.

Landon Dudley is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In his role as a CPL Intern, Landon supports the Orange County Home Preservation Coalition (OCHPC) and Master Aging Plan (MAP) in data learning and collaboration. Landon hopes that his work with the Community Practice Lab can support the county in expanding affordable and safe housing and help community members age well together.

Sierra Flynn-Nesbeth is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill pursuing her BA in political science and Latin American studies (concentration in history) with a minor in data science. In her role as a Community Practice Intern, Sierra identifies local and regional nonprofits to support and grow HOPE NC’s collective impact work by reviewing popular and academic literature. Using her interest in public policy and service, she researches the challenges faced by older people and people with lived experience of disabilities and best practices and strategies for successfully integrating inclusive housing and community for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and/or older adults.

Megan Ramsey is currently pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in occupational therapy at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill. In her role as a CPL Intern, Megan supports the Orange County Home Preservation Coalition through database management and organization. Within community-based outreach, she is interested in exploring how social and economic discrimination influences access to affordable, quality housing.

Kristina Smith is a dual degree MSW/JD student at 黑料网-Chapel Hill. Kristina previously spent three years working at the Community Empowerment Fund (CEF), often supporting individuals experiencing housing instability. Kristina coordinates the Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition (OCAHC), where she has the chance to remain connected to affordable housing advocacy as well as expand her understanding of affordable housing development. Professionally, Kristina hopes to continue working alongside people experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness, as she believes affordable, equitable housing is crucial to every person鈥檚 ability to survive and thrive.

Dr. Jenny Womack has worked since the 1990s to integrate occupation and the frameworks of occupational therapy within community contexts. Through her work as a resident services coordinator in affordable senior housing, a community-based OT with a county Department on Aging, a folklorist focused on community oral history, and an aging-in-community specialist, she has explored and expanded the boundaries of community-based practice. She was recognized in 2012 as a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association for ‘engaged occupational therapy to enhance community participation.’ She serves as a general consultant and supporter of the Community Practice Lab.