Youth Advisory Board

The Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab’s Youth Advisory Board (YAB) informs the development of our STEM & Digital Wellbeing Workshops. As former workshop attendees or co-facilitators, YAB members provide feedback on developments to the week-long summer program and collaborate with researchers and other peers while engaging in personal development opportunities (graphic design skills, networking, public speaking, near-peer mentorship). The board includes middle school, high school, and college-aged youth. The YAB is funded by a Technology and Adolescent Mental Wellness grant through the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Linda Charmaraman, Ph.D.

Dr. Linda Charmaraman is Director of the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab and seeks to amplify youth voices in the co-creation of our summer digital wellbeing workshops. One of her goals is to use the power of data to inform inclusive programming for those underrepresented in the design of social technologies. She is a Thai American, first-generation scholar with a daughter who is in 4th grade (and who does not have a phone yet).

Catherine Delcourt. M.S., Ph.D.

Dr. Catherine Delcourt is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction Lab and Media Arts and Sciences (MAS) program at Wellesley College.

Catherine co-leads the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab activities pertaining to STEM & Digital Wellbeing Workshop and developing apps for healthy social media use in middle school. Her research interests focus on how people relate to each other through social technologies and the social implications of our increasing dependence on the internet.

Alyssa Gramajo

Alyssa is the Project Coordinator for the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab. In this capacity, Alyssa serves as the liaison for YAB members, overseeing board recruitment, administration, and related tasks. She is excited to work with Board members to help shape the development of the STEM & Digital Wellbeing Workshop. In her free time, Alyssa enjoys adventuring with her family and spending time at her sewing machine.

Youth Board Members

Samantha Lema

Samantha is 12 years old and is from Queens, New York. She is a member of the Youth Advisory Board and a prior participant of the STEM & Digital Wellbeing Workshop. Samantha enjoys swimming, playing the piano, and dog-sitting. She is excited to partake in the Youth Advisory Board with the hope of strengthening her leadership and collaborative skills to improve future workshops.

Annabelle Wu

Annabelle is a 12 year old girl in 6th grade. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts but grew up in New York. She has many hobbies including painting, drawing, violin playing, practicing nail art, and makeup.

Amara Ndegwa

Amara is a 14 year old that lives in Massachusetts and goes to Coakley Middle School. She was born in Kenya in Africa and moved to the U.S. at the age of 7. Amara is excited to participate in the Youth Advisory Board and to improve the summer workshop for future members. She loves art, baking, drawing, and road trips.

Counselors

Sancha Gonzalez

Sancha Gonzalez is currently a junior at Wellesley College studying Political Science with an interest in American Politics and American Studies. She is passionate about the intersection of policy and protest, and how their relationship impacts minority populations.

Zoë Kronberg

Zoë studies Chemistry and Africana Studies at Wellesley College, and she’s a Research Assistant at the YMW lab. She is excited to join the Youth Advisory Board to help teens contribute to online spaces through activism and prototyping while also learning how to navigate online spaces safely. In her free time, Zoë enjoys cooking for friends, riding horses, and giving back to her community through community service. Zoë is the treasurer of the Wellesley College Black Arts Collective where she enjoys taking pictures of life on campus, and a first-year liaison for the Wellesley Blue Angels Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship Club. She is a member of MAPS (Minority Association of Premedical Students) and hopes to become a pediatrician.

Luna Do

Luna (she/they) studies Media Arts and Sciences and Education at Wellesley College, and she’s a research assistant at the YMW lab. She is excited to connect and engage with youth to develop next summer's Digital Wellbeing Workshops! In her free time, Luna enjoys spinning props such as staffs and hoops, and playing the occasional video game, and hanging out at Wellesley's Glass Garage (where she also works at!) making things like clay sculptures and beaded crafts.