Dr. Mei-ki (Maggie) Chan
Mei-ki (Maggie) Chan is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to this role, she served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Utah State University from 2023 to 2025. She earned her Ph.D. in Combined Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2023. Dr. Chan completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Hawai‘i Psychology Internship Consortium and is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. She was selected as Early Career Scholar by the Society of the Study of School Psychology (SSSP) in 2023 and the recipient of the APA Division 16 Outstanding Dissertation Award (2023) and the SSSP Early Career Research Award (2024). She is serving as the Editorial Fellow of School Psychology Review and on the editorial boards of School Psychology and Family Process.
Dr. Chan’s research focuses on advancing equity in education by studying practices, systems, and school contexts that support culturally diverse students. Her work centers on two primary areas: school-based mental health screening and intergroup interactions in K–12 educational settings. In the area of school-based mental health, she critically investigates the applications of existing social-emotional and behavioral (SEB) screeners, particularly their effectiveness in identifying the strengths and needs of students from minoritized backgrounds. She also focuses on synthesizing research to enhance the translation of school-based mental health science into equitable practice, system, and policy. Her second line of inquiry explores how individual, interpersonal, and structural factors shape positive intergroup relationships in schools, with the goal of promoting inclusive and welcoming learning environments for all students. Grounded in interdisciplinary frameworks and diverse methodologies, Dr. Chan’s scholarship informs the implementation of universal and targeted supports that advance educational equity and disrupt systemic inequities in society.
Emmy Ruff
Emmy is a doctoral student in the School Psychology PhD program with an advanced quantitative certificate at Utah State University. She earned her bachelor's degrees in Criminology and Psychology from the University of Mobile and became a licensed behavior therapist. She earned her master's degree in Experimental Psychology with an emphasis in Brain and Behavioral Sciences from the University of South Alabama, where she researched brain development and how we measure externalizing behaviors in children. Her research focuses on how we identify and measure externalizing behaviors and Autism Spectrum Disorder in young children. She specifically hopes her research helps teachers and parents identify maladaptive behaviors and signs of autism to promote early intervention and optimal outcomes for youth. After completing her doctorate, she hopes to continue her research while providing integrative autism assessments.
Yufu Wang
Yufu Wang is a School Psychology doctoral student in the Psychology Department at Utah State University. Yufu completed an undergraduate degree in education at University College London and a master’s degree in educational psychology at the University of Virginia. Prior to USU, she worked as a preschool teacher in a bilingual language immersion school. Her research focuses on the essential factors within both school and family environments that contribute to the thriving of youth, especially for marginalized or culturally diverse communities. Yufu aims to foster positive psychosocial development of youth.
Margaret (Maggie) Brown
Margaret (Maggie) Brown is an undergraduate student in the College of Education and Human Services at Utah State University. She is currently in her final two semesters of school and will graduate with a major in Psychology and a double minor in Music and Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy. Maggie has been an involved member of her university through her participation in CEHS Council, the Government Relations Council, and contributing to campaigns in student elections. To feed her passion in Psychology, she has worked with Dr. Maggie Chan and her graduate student Emmy Ruff on a few of their projects. She also recently began a Psychology and Social Work position at the Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection, facilitating the volunteer trainings and coordination to help people through the challenges of inter-cultural communication. In the future, Maggie hopes to complete a PhD in Psychology, with a special research emphasis on the Psyche of individuals with Differences of Sex Development (intersex). Maggie aims to help better the mental health of these individuals and their families by understanding the impact of their condition on their day to day lives, and how it can be de-stigmatized through changing educational curriculums, increasing awareness, and providing validation for this group of people.