Oluwatobi (Tobi) Mogbojuri
Oluwatobi (Tobi) Mogbojuri is a doctoral student in the HDFS program and a Graduate Dean Fellow. Tobi earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the University of Ibadan Nigeria and was a Master of Public Health (MPH) student at Western Illinois University. He has played some key roles and made substantial contributions in donor-funded research by the World Health Organization (WHO), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Department for International Development (DFID), among others. Tobi has led multiple health and education activities and his research has been used to inform national policies that have direct implications on the well-being outcomes of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. Tobi is working under the auspices of Dr. Bridget Walsh to strategically refine his research agenda, given their shared interests in family life education, at-risk populations, and well-being as an outcome.
Fabio Cristallini La Volpe
Fabio graduated with a bachelor’s in Secondary Education from the University of Puerto Rico. He worked on the beautiful island as a high school teacher, prior to becoming interested in early childhood education. He lived in Madrid for two years, where he worked as an English teacher with both children and adult students. From Spain, Fabio moved to Vancouver, Canada, to pursue his AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) diploma at the Montessori Training Centre of British Columbia. He moved to the Bay Area, California, in 2016, and worked as a Montessori teacher until 2022. Fabio is currently pursuing a Ph.D in Human Development and Family Science at the University of Nevada, Reno. He joined Dr. Walsh and her research team in their efforts in the area of Home Visiting and Family Involvement and Engagement. Fabio was born in Venice, Italy, and grew up in the gulf of Naples. He can still understand some Venetian, and can speak, read and sing in Neapolitan. He is fluent in English, Italian and Spanish, and enjoys cooking, stargazing, storytelling, yoga, hiking and biking. He is also interested in statistics and psychology. 
Antoinette Cavanaugh
Antoinette Cavanaugh is a Native Nevadan, born in Owyhee, Nevada and is a member of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. She graduated from Boise State University with her B.A. and from the University of Nevada, Reno with her M.A. in Educational Administration and Higher Education. Antoinette is now pursuing her Ph.D. in HDFS. She comes to this program with an extensive background in teaching and K-12 leadership after working in the public school district for several years. Antoinette is also a recipient of the 2023 – 2024 Graduate Dean’s Fellowship. |
Maria Reyes-Vargas is a doctoral student in HDFS working with Dr. Walsh. Maria completed her M.S. degree in HDFS from UNR in 2021 and her undergraduate degree from UNR in 2015 with a BS in HDFS and a minor in Psychology. Maria shares: "Ever since my first job in high school, I have oriented my work to be with students and families. In my 10-plus years of experience, I have worked with pregnant women, children ages 0-17, and parents. My true passion lies in working with families of young children. A few months after graduation, I became a home visitor for UNR-Early Head Start. Being a home visitor has helped me grow as a professional and person. As a home visitor, I bring parenting education and support to families expecting or having children younger than age 3. Through this home visiting work, I have had the privilege to be part of the first home visiting program in Nevada to offer home visiting services to incarcerated pregnant women. Working with women at the Washoe County Jail has been a tremendous learning experience. I discovered that there is much more to learn than simply providing home visits. With that curiosity and support from colleagues and professors, I have turned my jail home visiting experience into the research focus for my thesis. I believe research will provide insight into how we can continue strengthening families in our community. I am excited to see what path home visiting within the jail takes me and how my research will impact that experience."
Emmanuel Addai
Emmanuel K. Addai is pursuing the M.S. HDFS degree. He grew up in Ghana and attended Valley View University, where he obtained his MBA and BBA in Human Resource Management. He served as Principal Administrative Assistant and Adjunct Lecturer at Valley View University, Ghana. He is an extensively experienced administrator and lecturer noted for authored and co-authored innovative research works. Currently, Emmanuel works under the guidance of Professor Bridget A. Walsh, who is interested in research related to first-generation and historically marginalized graduate students and their families. Emmanuel says: "Being a first-generation student has driven my interest in gaining more knowledge in this area of research." Emmanuel's skill set includes a diverse publication record and considerable teaching experience. |
