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Sankofa Research and Outreach

Who We Are

Sankofa is a research and outreach team under the direction of Collette Chapman-Hilliard, associate professor of counseling psychology and mental health counseling in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services. Sankofa (translated to" go back and get") Research and Outreach (Sankofa R&O) team members engage in scholarship, practice, and service designed to promote and support psychological wellness among African descent people. Using Black psychology frameworks and a critical liberatory lens, our engagements focus on multiple aspects of psychology and counseling.

The team advocates for social justice through research, clinical practice, and service by focusing on community and ancestral strengths. Our team also emphasizes community learning and mentorship, as well as promoting team members’ development by increasing the knowledge, awareness, and skills required to become culturally humble and responsive mental health providers, researchers, educators, and community leaders.

Our team members work to promote a psychology consistent with the team’s motto, “learning from our past, building for our future.” Through conducting research, engaging with communities, and developing interventions, we integrate Black psychology, strengths-based and critical liberatory perspectives, and historical context as we seek to center the lives and lived experiences of African descent people, promoting liberation, psychological wellness, and joy.

Our Past and Our Present

Sankofa R&O began in 2017 when Collette Chapman-Hilliard, joined the faculty at the University of Georgia. She envisioned a collaborative research team focused on:

  • (1) Serving African descent populations across their intersectional lived experiences in a culturally responsive manner
  • (2) Translating theory to practice and engaging with communities through service
  • (3) Continually contributing to Black psychology.

Ecclesia Savage, Shawntell Pace, and Edmonia Doe were the first members of the team, and they laid the groundwork for many of the team’s scholarly and community engagements including our annual Black history month events and The Healing Circle.

As a collective, Sankofa R&O works on research, practice innovations, community outreach, and advocacy. Team members present at conferences, local and regional community events, and to UGA campus community members together. From collaborating on manuscripts for publication to developing sustainable service endeavors to attending dissertation defenses as a group, team members work together to uphold the team’s motto.

Meet Our Team

Tanisha Pelham, MS

  • Completed B.S. in psychology at Florida A&M Univercity in 2013
  • Completed M.S. in Community psychology at Florida A&M University in 2015
  • Began counseling psychology doctoral program in 2018
  • Sankofa member since 2019

Tanisha’s (she/her/hers) research interests focuses on the intersection of race, class, and gender specifically of African American women. Additionally, Tanisha enjoys exploring the intersections of identity, and she is committed to addressing the mental health needs of traditionally underserved communities. Tanisha’s orientation is heavily influenced by multicultural perspectives, and she has been heavily trained in CBT and Black psychology.

Currently, Tanisha is a doctoral intern for John Hopkins University Counseling Center. Her past training experiences include working with student populations, community members, and veterans across the lifespan in community health settings addressing a variety of concerns including those related to anxiety, depression, interpersonal difficulties, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and other trauma related concerns. She finds it especially fulfilling working with individuals regarding identity development, intergenerational issues, interpersonal conflict, racism (including the simultaneous experience of racism and sexism), and oppression. Tanisha is a TEDx speaker and the recipient of UGA’s Gazda Award and the APA’s Graduate Psychology Education-HRSA Grant.

Shawntell N. Pace, MEd

  • Completed B.A. in radio, television, and film at Auburn University in 2011
  • Completed M.Ed. in higher education administration at Auburn University in 2013
  • Completed M.Ed. in clinical mental health counseling at UGA in 2019
  • Began counseling psychology doctoral program in 2019
  • Sankofa member since 2018

Shawntell’s (she/her/hers) primary research interests focus on the physical and mental health impact that race-related stress and racial trauma have on individuals of African descent and individuals of Pacific Islander descent. More specifically, her scholarship examines how cultural knowledge and history can be used as a psychological tool towards liberation to prevent, mitigate, and heal both race-related stress and racial trauma. Additionally, her secondary research interests center on the development of interventions that promote critical consciousness, racial/ethnic identity development, and social justice praxis within the clinical space.

Clinically, Shawntell operates from a Black Feminist Thought framework keeping intersectionality and liberatory practices at the forefront of her work. Her clinical experiences include facilitating healing in college counseling centers, community agencies and hospitals in the Athens and Atlanta-metro area through individual, couples, and group work. Currently, she serves as the clinical coordinator for UGA’s Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation, an interdisciplinary site that serves individuals across the lifespan. Shawntell also serves as a teaching assistant and is the current chair of the UGA chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists Student Circle. Shawntell is an APA Interdisciplinary Minority Fellow and a TEDx speaker. She is the recipient of the UGA Arthur Horne Award, UGA Gazda Award, GPA’s Berman-Gard Research Award, APA Student Affiliates of Seventeen Award for Outstanding Dedication to Social Justice and Liberation in Counseling Psychology, and APA Division 29’s Student Excellence in Practice Award.

Jasiah Jay McCalla, MEd

  • Completed M.Ed. in clinical mental health counseling at UGA in 2021
  • Began counseling psychology doctoral program in 2021
  • Sankofa member since 2019

Jay (he/him/his) is passionate about researching Black mental health concerns. He has participated in research centered on the impact of stereotypes on Black women’s mental health and the unique stressors and mental health concerns of BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ members. His current research is focused on examining the key correlates of Black student matriculation and success, the use of cultural assets, and teacher trust to understand the experiences of students of African descent at HBCUs and PWIs. Additionally, Jay’s research interests include exploring the strengths and protective factors in gender expansive individuals that identify as non-binary or under the transgender umbrella.

Jay’s clinical interests include engaging in soul work with clients from diverse backgrounds with various intersecting identities. He has worked at UGA’s Counseling and Psychiatric Services and currently serves as a clinician at UGA’s Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation. He works with individuals across the lifespan experiencing social and generalized anxiety, self-esteem, depression, healing from sexual assault, ADHD concerns, coping with academic stress, harm-reduction for substance use, racial identity exploration, sexual orientation exploration, gender identity exploration, navigating interpersonal conflicts and concerns arising from intersecting identities. Jay has experience in conducting individual, couples, and group therapy as well as administering psychological evaluations.

Jatawn Tickles, MA

  • Completed B.A. in psychology at Tuskegee University in 2011
  • Completed M.A. in community counseling at Clark Atlanta University in 2016
  • Began counseling psychology doctoral program in 2020
  • Sankofa member since 2020

Jatawn’s (she/her/hers) primary research interests are focused on exploring spirituality and Black aesthetics in the lives of Black women. Specifically, her interest in spirituality examines the salience of centering spirit and spirituality in healing spaces for Black women. Using theoretical frameworks rooted in Black psychology, Jatawn has a special interest in exploring components of African worldview which highlights the importance of and the role of spirituality in the lives of people of African descent. Her secondary research interests focus on Black liberation and expression through the lens of Black aesthetics in Black women. Jatawn hopes to expand the understanding of the role of liberation and resistance regarding the way people of African descent express themselves.

Clinically, Jatawn enjoys working with Black women across the diaspora. More specifically, she has an interest in integrating spirituality in clinical intervention, reproductive concerns, and psychological evaluation and assessments. Jatawn currently serves as a clinician at The Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation and Mercy Health Center. She is also a practicum student at the Regents Center for Learning Disabilities where she provides psychological evaluations and assessments. Additionally, she serves as the counseling psychology program assistant and is a teaching assistant. Jatawn is the current president for the Counseling Psychology Student Association. She is a recipient of the UGA’s Arthur Horne Award and UGA’s Gazda Award.

Ammy Sena, MA

  • Completed M.A. in mental health counseling at Boston College
  • Began counseling psychology doctoral program in 2020
  • Sankofa member since 2021

Ammy’s (she/her/ella) research interest primarily focuses on the mental health and wellness of marginalized communities with a primary focus on Afro-Latinx and Afro-Caribbean persons throughout the lifespan, decolonized forms of wellness and healing, evaluation of mental health interventions, bilingual counseling, training, and supervision, as well as racial identity development.

Ammy is currently working on an advance practicum at the Atlanta VA serving as a clinician on the PTSD clinical team. Additionally, she is the co-clinical coordinator at La Clinica in LaK’ech where she provides bilingual counseling to uninsured Latinx community members in Athens. Ammy is also an American Psychological Association Interdisciplinary Minority Fellow and an American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education Graduate Student Fellow.

Nikolas Reid, MEd

  • Completed B.S. in psychology at Morehouse College in 2020
  • Completed a M.Ed. in clinical mental health counseling at UGA in 2022
  • Began counseling psychology doctoral program in 2022
  • Sankofa member since 2021

Nikolas’ (he/him/his) research interests are centered around the stress experience and the outcomes of those experiences among people from the African diaspora. His work is grounded by the diathesis stress model which gives context to the ways in which individuals experience stressful/traumatic events. Nik also uses Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST) to inform how people of color are impacted by outside perspectives, what stress that brings on them, and how they cope with those stressors, which can influence how they view themselves. Nik is extremely interested in working in the entertainment industry to aid Black people who suffer from unique stressors because of their career paths.

Nik currently serves as a clinician at UGA’s Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation where he provides psychotherapy to individuals, groups, couples, and minors that are in the Athens community.

Jasmine Newsome, MS

  • Completed B.S. in psychology at University of Montevallo in 2015
  • Completed M.S. in clinical mental health counseling at University of North Georgia in 2019
  • Began counseling psychology doctoral program in 2021
  • Sankofa member since 2022

Jasmine’s (she/her/hers) research interests include therapist burnout specifically in community-based mental health. Her research explores the specific needs of therapists and interventions to help mediate high burnout rates and increase retention. Her secondary research interests focus on Black experiences in academic spaces including the unique experiences of athletes regarding their mental health, destigmatizing mental health in the world of athletics, examining the benefits of positive player/coach relationships and its connection to increased sport performance.

Jasmine is currently a clinician at the Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation and UGA’s Athletic Association. She has worked with individuals across the lifespan with various presenting concerns including trauma, anxiety, depression, self-worth, and life transitions. She particularly enjoys working with children, adolescents, and young adults. Aside from clinical work, Jasmine serves as a graduate teaching assistant for the Drug and Alcohol Abuse Issues undergraduate course and serves as a graduate assistant for the Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation facilitating outreach projects for marginalized communities across campus. Jasmine is also the recipient of the UGA Black Faculty and Staff Organization’s Melanie Burden Community Arts Award.

Alisa Castilla, MS, MDiv

  • Completed B.S. in human development and family studies at Alabama A&M University in 2012
  • Completed M.S. in communicative sciences and disorders at Alabama A&M University in 2015
  • Completed MDiv at Columbia Theological Seminary in 2022
  • Began counseling psychology doctoral program in 2022
  • Sankofa member since 2022

Alisa’s (she/her/hers) research interests center on the intersection of theology and psychology regarding how to use spirituality as a psychological tool for liberation for people of African descent, particularly Black women. Her secondary research interests include developing healing modalities that incorporate the healing of all bodies from traumatic experiences. Alisa finds her home in womanist psychology and aims to center her work through a womanist lens.

Before pursuing her doctoral degree, Alisa worked for over seven years as a speech language pathologist working with families and children in Dekalb County. Her clinical interests include helping individuals navigate creating a more cohesive self as they deconstruct theology and heal from church hurt. Alisa looks forward to the opportunity to provide a sacred space for healing for individuals across the lifespan who experience chronic pain, chronic illness, and depression. She also is interested in working with caregivers of children with disabilities as well as working with African descent populations. Alisa is a graduate teaching assistant and teaches the Career and Life Planning undergraduate course. She is also a Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Scholar Fellow.

Shaquetta Success, MS, MBA

  • Completed B.A. in psychology at Hampton University in 2018
  • Completed M.S. in human performance and wellness at Barry University in 2022
  • Completed MBA at Barry University in 2022
  • Began counseling psychology doctoral program in 2022
  • Sankofa member since 2023

Shaquetta’s (she/her/hers) primary research interests are centered around the stress experience and how the outcomes of those stress experiences impact identity development amongst athletes. Additionally, Shaquetta works to examine how Black identity impacts athletes of African descent on and off the court. Post-graduation, Shaquetta plans to work in the athletic industry as a sport psychologist aiding Black and Brown athletes as they negotiate the unique stressors caused by their chosen career path and family histories.

Clinically, Shaquetta operates from a psychodynamic and optimal conceptual orientation. She believes in providing holistic care that is unique to each individual. She currently serves as a clinician at UGA’s Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation where she provides psychotherapy to individuals, groups, families, and couples in the Athens community. In the Fall, Shaquetta will be serving as a doctoral-level clinician for UGA’s Athletic Association. Additionally, Shaquetta is the campus coordinator for the Peach State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation at UGA.

Donnie Lindsey, MS

  • Completed B.S. in Emergency Medical Services at University of South Alabama in 2018
  • Completed M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at University of South Alabama in 2021
  • Began counseling psychology doctoral program in 2023
  • Sankofa member since 2023

Donnie’s (he/him/his) research interests focuses on the development of Black collegiate men, specifically experiences with mentorship. His secondary research interest includes exploring the experiences of minoritized college students, and his passion and purpose exist in educating people on the importance of mental health and wellness.

Clinically, Donnie operates from an Eclectic and Integrative orientation which centers Feminist therapy and utilizes techniques and interventions from other forms of therapy to achieve client goals. His clinical experiences include providing individual therapy in a college counseling center and providing career counseling services to college students with learning disabilities. Currently, he is a Graduate Clinician at UGA’s Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation, an interdisciplinary site that serves individuals across the lifespan. Donnie also serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Human Services Minor (ECHD 5950).

Collette Chapman-Hilliard, PhD (Sankofa Research and Outreach Director)

Collette Chapman-Hilliard (Dr. H) is an associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services at the University of Georgia. Her research focuses broadly in the area of Black psychology with an emphasis on the role cultural assets (e.g., Black history knowledge, racial, and ethnic identity) in reducing mental health and educational disparities among African descent populations. She is currently on the editorial board of the Journal of Counseling Psychology and a past editorial board member of The Counseling Psychologist. Dr. H is the recipient of multiple awards and fellowships including the the Early Career Foremothers Mentorship Award (Section I Psychology of Black Women of the Society for the Psychology of Women, Division 35 of the American Psychological Association), the UGA Faculty Senate D. Keith Osborn Award for Teaching Excellence, and the UGA Senior Teaching Fellowship.

Sankofa Alumni

  • Ecclesia Savage, post-doctoral intern at Midtown Psychotherapy
  • Brean’a Parker, assistant professor at North Carolina State University
  • Raven Cokley, visiting assistant professor at Mercer University
  • Edmonia Doe, therapist at Bloom Wellness and Therapy Center

Sankofa in the Media

Selected Publications and Professional Presentations

Selected Publications

  • Chapman-Hilliard, C., Hunter, E., Adams-Bass, V., Mbilishaka, A., Jones, B., Holmes, E., & Holman, A. C. (2020). Racial identity and historical narratives in the civic engagement of Black emerging adults . Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.
  • Chapman-Hilliard, C., Adams-Bass, V., Holman, A., and Pace, S. (2019). The difference between Black history knowledge can make: A consideration of psychological influences. In L. King (Ed.), Perspectives on the Teaching of Black History in Schools. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Selected Professional Presentations

  • Parker, B., Pace, S., Cokley, R., and Chapman-Hilliard, C. (2022). “Black Womxn’s Teaching Mentorship Narratives in Psychology and Counseling: An Autoethnographic Study”. [Symposium]. American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  • Tickles, J., Pace, S., Pelham, T., McCalla, J., Reid, N., Sena, A., and Chapman-Hilliard, C. (2022) “Black, gifted, and inappropriately trained: Providing culturally relevant therapy for the culture”. [Symposium]. American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  • Pace. S., McCalla, J., Tickles, J., Pelham, T., Reid, N., and Chapman-Hilliard, C. (2022). “Healing Together: Models of Group Therapy for African Descent University Students”. [Symposium]. Association of Black Psychology Annual Convention: In Unity, Coming Back Together Again.
  • Pelham, T., Pace, S., Tickles, N., McCalla, J., Reid, N., Chapman-Hilliard, C. (2022). “Black by Demand: A Model for Black Student Mental Health Engagement at PWI’s”. [Symposium]. Association of Black Psychology Annual Convention: In Unity, Coming Back Together Again.
  • Chapman-Hilliard, C, Pelham, T., Pace, S., Tickles, J., Sena., A., McCalla, J., Reid, N. (2022). “Because We Are: Exploring Mental Health and Wellness across the African Diaspora”. [Symposium]. 2022 Annual Winter Roundtable Conference: Collective Action & Liberation in Psychology and Education.
  • Pace, S., Pelham, T., Tickles, J., Chapman-Hilliard, C., (2021). “The Healing Circle: A Model for Centering Black Women’s Experiences in Therapy”. [Poster]. American Psychological Association Inaugural Psychology of Black Women Virtual Conference.
  • Sena, A., Tickles, J., Pelham, T., Pace, S., McCalla, J., Alford, R., Chapman-Hilliard, C. (2021) Examining the Interrelationships of Hair Experiences, Racial Identity Formation and Mental Health Amongst Women of African Descent. [Poster]. Association of Black Psychology Virtual Annual Convention: Black Forward.
  • Pelham, T., Pace, S., Tickles, J., Sena., A., McCalla, J., Alford, R., Chapman-Hilliard, C. (2021) In Joy: Using Joy to Resist Anti-Black Racism and Trauma Among African Descent Communities. [Symposium]. Association of Black Psychology Virtual Annual Convention: Black Forward.
  • Pelham, T., Pace, S., Tickles, J., McCalla, J., Alford, R., Chapman-Hilliard, C. (2021) “An Act of Political Warfare: Clinical Work with Black Womxn that Promotes Self-Care and Wellness: Showing Up As All of Me: The Importance of Acknowledging Black Womxn’s Aesthetics in Counseling”. [Symposium]. American Psychological Association Virtual Conference.
  • Pace, S., Tickles, J., Savage, E., Pelham, T., McCalla, J., Collette Chapman-Hilliard, C. (2021). “Our History, Our Liberation: Using Black History Knowledge to combat anti-Black racism​”. [Symposium] 38th Winter Roundtable Conference, Virtual.
  • Holmes, E., Pace, S. (2020). Real life: Processing racial trauma with Black women. [Symposium]. Oregon Counseling Association Virtual Conference 20/20: A Culturally Responsive Vision for Counseling During a Global Pandemic and National Uprising, Portland, OR.
  • Pelham, T., Pace, S., Savage, E., and Chapman-Hilliard, C. (2020). For us by us: A model for mental health engagement for Black students. [Symposium]. The Black Mental Health Symposium Conference, Atlanta, GA.
  • Pace, S., Pelham, T., Savage, E., Chapman-Hilliard, C. (2020) When Brown-Skinned Girls Heal: A Model for Support Groups for African American Women. [Roundtable]. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.
  • Pace, S., Savage, E., and Chapman-Hilliard, C. My Ancestors Taught Me.(2020) [Roundtable]. Counseling Psychology Conference, New Orleans, LA.
  • Chapman-Hilliard, C., Pace, S., Pelham., T., Holmes, E., Doe, E., McCalla, J. (2020) Using a Black History Knowledge Framework across Therapeutic Modalities and in Community Advocacy. [Symposium]. Counseling Psychology Conference, New Orleans, LA.
  • Chapman-Hilliard, C., Pace, S., Holmes, E. (2019). The Role of Black History Knowledge in Predicting Mental Health and Coping Responses Among Black Americans. [Poster]. Annual Association of Black Psychologists Conference, Orlando, FL.
  • Doe, E., Pace, S., Holmes, E., Chapman-Hilliard, C. (2019). Black history knowledge as a clinical intervention tool. [Poster]. Annual Association of Black Psychologists Conference, Orlando, FL.
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