Alexander Rey Perez “Lex” is an artist, community advocate, and one of the Research Assistants with the Youth Justice Research Collaborative. Lex is avid about Justice for everyone, and specifically young people facing the Legal system. Lex has championed issues such as youth experiencing homelessness, and trans* visibility.
Brett Stoudt is part of the Facilitation Team with the Youth Justice Research Collaborative and an Associate Professor in the Psychology Doctoral Program at the City University of New York, Graduate Center where he heads the Ph.D. program in Critical Social/Personality and Environmental Psychology. He is currently the Associate Director of the Public Science Project and also a Steering Committee member of Communities United for Police Reform.
Britney Moreira is a part of the Facilitator Team with the Youth Justice Research Collaborative and a Research Associate at the Public Science Project. Britney is a PhD student in Critical Psychology at the Graduate Center CUNY and is a Ford Fellow and Mellon Humanities PublicsLab Fellow.
Cameron Bryan is a Research Assistant with the Youth Justice Research Collaborative. Recent alumni of CUNY Medgar Evers College with a Bachelor’s Science in Public Administration. His background in civic engagement, organizing at both New York Public Interest Research Group and Generation Citizen has strengthen his passion for action civics and advocacy within the state of New York.
Elma Djokovic is a Research Assistant with the Youth Justice Research Collaborative and a CUNY student at Hunter College, majoring in Sociology. Elma has worked previously with the Public Science Project supporting projects focused on young people’s experiences with policing in NYC and also Stop and Frisk, doing things such as editing short interviews, transcriptions and data analysis. She is very passionate about quantitative data in social research.
Julia Davis is part of the Facilitation Team with the Youth Justice Research Collaborative and the Director of Youth Justice & Child Welfare at the Children’s Defense Fund-NY. She works to advance policies that support communities where children and youth can grow and thrive, through City and State advocacy to reduce youth contact with the justice and child welfare systems, and support young people on their journey to adulthood.
Kadiata Kaba is a Research Assistant with the Youth Justice Research Collaborative and a recent CUNY graduate at Lehman College, where she earned a BA in Political Science and African American Studies. Her background in community and youth organizing at both Make the Road New York and Bronx Defenders has made her passionate about revolutionizing the criminal justice system.
Kate Rubin is part of the Facilitation Team with the Youth Justice Research Collaborative and the Director of Policy & Strategic Initiatives at Youth Represent. She previously worked for ten years at The Bronx Defenders, most recently as Managing Director of the Civil Action Practice and previously as their first Director of Policy & Community Development. She serves on the Steering Committee of Communities United for Police Reform, and also oversaw community legal education and Reentry Net/NY.
Kateryn Plasencia (She, Her, Hers) I am a first generation, Dominican-American, Grad Student at John Jay College. While completing my master’s in public administration, I was granted an opportunity to join the Tow Fellow Program for the 2020-2021 cohort. Through my fellowship, I intern at the Children’s Defense Fund and am part of the Youth Justice Research Collaborative. Alongside my mentors, teams, and loved ones, I strive to create change within New York’s most vulnerable communities and families. I am passionate about Youth Justice and Development, Economic Equality, and Immigration Rights.
Maya Williams is a Research Assistant with the Youth Justice Research Collaborative, a Masters of Public Administration Candidate at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a Tow Policy Advocacy Fellow for Youth Represent. Maya’s advocacy work in Bedford-Stuyvesant, her background in political science as well as her responsibility as a full-time mom of a son continues to motivate her passion for youth and social justice.
Maya Tellman is a Research Assistant with the Youth Justice Research Collaborative and a PhD student in Sociology at CUNY Graduate Center. She formerly worked for CASES in their Summer Youth Employment Program and has volunteered with Brooklyn Community Bail Fund’s Court Watch program since 2018. She hopes to expand upon her work with YJRC in her graduate studies by closely examining alternative and diversion programs for youth in New York City and their relationship to the greater carceral state.
Meryleen Mena is a part of the Facilitation Team with the Youth Justice Research Collaborative and a Mellon/ACLS Public Service Fellow and works on the Policy & Advocacy team at the Citizen’s Committee for Children of New York. Meryleen is a socio-cultural anthropologist and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Barnard College, a Doctoral degree in Cultural Anthropology, and a Graduate Certificate in Women and Gender Studies from the University of Colorado Boulder. She has conducted research with grassroots community activists in São Paulo, Brazil New York City and in Denver.
Mica Baum-Tuccillo is part of the Facilitation Team with the Youth Justice Research Collaborative and a Research Associate at the Public Science Project. Mica is a PhD student in the Critical Psychology program at the Graduate Center and a PublicsLab Fellow. Mica is an educator, scholar-activist, and licensed social worker. Mica’s research focuses on using social science and critical humanistic inquiry to collectively re-imagine and queer institutions and redistribute power.
Micaela Linder is a Research Assistant with the Youth Justice Research Collaborative and the Director of Research at the Fortune Society.
Raymond Ortega is 18 and a Research Assistant with the Youth Justice Research Collaborative. He makes music, and loves to help others. Ray has been involved in both the juvenile and adult criminal justice system, and went into foster care when he was 8 years old. Always energetic, and willing to fight for what is right, Ray wouldn’t change who he is for anyone or anything.
Tianesha Drayton is a part of the Facilitator Team with The Youth Justice Research Collaborative and a Community Advocate with Youth Represents. Tianesha is a graduate and co facilitator of the Youth Speakers Institute, which equips young adults who have been impacted by the justice system with public speaking & advocacy skills and engages them in policy reform work. Before joining Youth Represent, Tianesha was a youth fellow and organizer with the Brooklyn Community Foundation and a Program Assistant at Exalt Youth. She is currently majoring in Liberal Arts: Social Science at Medgar Evers College, and intends to continue to use her experiences & values to stir up lasting social justice change.
