Community Research Group Members

Gabriella Cawley, Graduate Student

Gabriella Cawley is a doctoral student in Psychology at Georgetown University. She is pursuing a concentration in Human Development and Public Policy and is concurrently enrolled in the McCourt School's Master of Public Policy program. Prior to her graduate studies, she earned a BS in Human Development with Distinction from Cornell University. Her research interests lie at the intersection of psychology and the law, including such topics as risk taking in adolescence, developmentally appropriate practices in juvenile justice, and community-based justice initiatives.

Grace Hickman, Lab Manager

Grace Hickman is the lab manager for the Community Research Group at Georgetown University. Before her post-baccalaureate role, she graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University. She is particularly interested in topics where safety and autonomy must be balanced, like violence risk assessment, protection orders, and civil commitment, as well as work with incarcerated sexual and gender minorities. Grace hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology in the fall of 2025.

Sydney Abele, Thesis Student

Sydney is a senior studying government and psychology with a minor in Spanish. She is from New Jersey right outside of Philadelphia and is planning to go to law school and introduce more psychological knowledge into the justice system.

Lindsay Jenkins, Research Assistant

Lindsay is a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences majoring in classics and minoring in psychology and cognitive science. She is passionate about social advocacy and supporting women throughout the legal system. Outside of the CRG, she volunteers at the Women's Center in Tyson's, VA where she helps provide domestic violence and family law resources to the community. Lindsay hopes to attend law school and continue supporting women in family, immigration, and health law.

BeKah Powell, research assistant

Bekah is a junior studying Psychology and Sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is from Montana and hopes to pursue an education and career in forensic psychology. She is interested more specifically in studying the criminalization of mental illness – specifically substance use disorders – and the effects of the justice/prison systems on treatment, recovery, and relapse.

Mara Lewis, research Assistant

Mara is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences intending to study Psychology and minor in Education, Inquiry, and Justice. She is currently involved in the Protective Orders Project and is interested in exploring how implicit bias impacts individuals’ experiences within various legal structures. One day, she hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and provide mental health care and support to groups that are often overlooked.

Zoe Wen, research assistant

Zoe Wen is a third-year student at Georgetown University studying government, psychology, and statistics. She is interested in the intersection of law, advocacy, and policy and how to achieve equitable and sustainable change through an interdisciplinary approach that recognizes systemic inequities and individual-level factors. She is passionate about learning from and collaborating with impacted communities and individuals to improve existing institutions and build equitable solutions from the ground up. 

Leah Cundiff, research assistant

Leah Cundiff is majoring in Cultural Anthropology in the College. She joined the Community Research Group as a Research Assistant in the Spring 2024 semester because she has always had a strong interest in law and gender issues. This semester Leah is an AWES fellow and is in the CALL program.