Meet the Team

Administration

Melissa M. Pearrow, PhD

Executive Director, BIRCh Center

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A smiling white woman with short salt-and-pepper hair and black reading glasses on top of her head
Sara Whitcomb, PhD

Co-Director of BIRCh Center; Associate Director of Research and Evaluation, Boston Children’s Hospital Neighborhood Partnerships

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A smiling white woman with wavy blonde hair and wearing a black dress stands with her arms folded in front of a gray background
Kathryn Doherty Kurtz, PhD, NCSP

Project Director, BIRCh Center

Kathryn Kurtz
Kathryn Kurtz
Brynn Cooper, LICSW

South Shore, Cape & Islands TA Center Director, BIRCh Center

Brynn Cooper
Brynn Cooper
Bethany Nichols, CAGS, NCSP

Western Massachusetts TA Center Director, BIRCh Center

Nichols
Nichols
Ashley Niggl-Aguiar, MEd, EdS

Central Massachusetts TA Center Director, BIRCh Center

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A white woman with wavy dark blonde hair and wearing a dark blue shirt smiles
Christopher Overtree, PhD

Director of Advancement, BIRCh Center; Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow, College of Education, UMass Amherst

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A white man with a shaved head and facial hair smiles while sitting in front of a tree

Student Researchers

Ritushree Bagepalli

BIRCh Center Research Assistant

School psychology doctoral student, UMass Boston

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A smiling Indian woman with dark hair past her shoulders stands in front of a white brick wall painted with colorful graffiti
Audra Dankwardt

BIRCh Center Research Assistant

School psychology doctoral student, UMass Boston

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A white woman with dark brown, should-length hair and wearing a navy cable knit sweater smiles
Hannah Fung

BIRCh Center Research Assistant

School psychology doctoral student, UMass Boston

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A woman with long, straight dark hair smiles while standing in front of a red brick wall with some greenery on it
Julia Kausel

BIRCh Center Research Assistant

School psychology doctoral student, UMass Boston

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A white with a long blonde braid over one shoulder smiles while wearing a blue-striped shirt
Diana Laenen

BIRCh Center Research Assistant, School psychology doctoral student, UMass Boston

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A white woman with dark hair and hoop earrings smiles broadly
Jacqueline Osborn

BIRCh Center Research Assistant, School psychology doctoral student, UMass Boston

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A brunette woman with sunglasses on top of her head smiles while standing in front of a bush of pink hydrangeas
Paige Pannozzo

BIRCh Center Research Assistant, School psychology doctoral student, UMass Amherst

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A white woman with straight brown hair and wearing glasses and a beige sweater smiles in front of an autumn tree
Minelia Rodriguez

BIRCh Center Research Assistant

School psychology doctoral student, UMass Boston

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A smiling Latina woman with curly dark hair to her shoulders and wearing a black top
Kristina Ruggeri

BIRCh Center Research Assistant, School psychology doctoral student, UMass Boston

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A smiling white woman with long brown hair and red fingernails sits at a wooden table in front of a white background
Rachel Stobbe

BIRCh Center Research Assistant

School psychology doctoral student, UMass Boston

Rachel Stobbe
Rachel Stobbe
Julie Tanguay

BIRCh Center Research Assistant

School psychology doctoral student, UMass Amherst

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A white woman with short brown hair and wearing a black shirt and light brown sweater smiles

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the following individuals who have provided tremendous input to the development of the BIRCh Center:

  • Whitney Walker
  • Talia Berkman
  • Kelsey Gordon
  • Alec Hall
  • Cleary McKenzie
  • Amanda Priest
  • Kerstin Schnopp
  • Bryce Scottron
  • Myriam Stiven

Stay In Touch with BIRCh

Stay up to date with the latest research, training, and implementation news from the BIRCh Center by subscribing to our newsletter.

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How Can We Help?

For more information about the BIRCh Center, or to find out how the School-Based Behavioral Health Technical Assistance (SBBH TA) Center can help your school or district, please contact @email.