The Community Practice Lab celebrates its graduates, new team members, and other milestones from the 2025-2026 school year!
CPL Graduates
Sayoko Kawabata has graduated with a PhD in occupational science. Sayoko has supported the CPL since its founding in 2021 as the CPL’s first ever community engaged fellow. In her dissertation, “A community engaged ethnography of play in Fairview–A historically Black and multicultural neighborhood in Hillsborough, North Carolina,” Sayoko collaborated with Fairview community members to explore play as an occupation among youth in the community.
Stephanie Kaczynski has graduated with a PhD in communication. Stephanie has supported CPL communications since January 2023. Her dissertation, “George Floyd Square: Resistance, Forced Migration, and Policing,” engages the South Minneapolis community’s response to George Floyd’s murder within local histories of resisting forced (im)mobility and police racism. Stephanie will begin a tenure-track assistant professor of communication position at Texas Lutheran University in fall 2026.
Kristina Smith has graduated with a dual Juris Doctor and Master of Social Work. Kristina has long supported the Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition, ensuring smooth operations, maintaining member engagement, and advancing coalition priorities all in an effort to create more affordable housing in Orange County, NC. Kristina will be heading to Washington, D.C. later this year to complete a two-year civil rights fellowship with Relman Colfax, a leader in fair housing litigation.
Sierra Flynn-Nesbeth has graduated with a BA in political science and Latin American studies (concentration in history) with a minor in data science. Sierra has supported HOPE NC’s collective impact work since 2024. After graduation, Sierra will be working in local government with Americorps, and she plans to pursue a career in civil rights and disability law.
New CPL Team Members
Dr. Khalilah Johnson, associate professor in the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, has joined the CPL as a lead. Dr. Johnson’s work centers on health equity, disability justice, anti-racism, and improving community supports for marginalized people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and she supports emerging research and program development partnerships with HOPE NC and other community partners. She also earned tenure and promotion this year to associate professor.
Mackenzie Christensen has joined the CPL as a fellow. Mackenzie is pursuing an MPH in Health Behavior at the Gillings School of Global Public Health and is interested in supporting the development of social support networks for older adults in rural communities. Mackenzie supports the Marian Cheek Jackson Center’s eldercare initiatives and will be supporting the development of the new Orange County Master Aging Plan for 2027-2032.
Mia Nesbeth has joined the CPL as a community practice intern. Mia is a senior pursuing her BA in exercise sports science and human development and family sciences, with a minor in health and society. Mia will be stepping into her sister Sierra’s former role with HOPE NC, where she will be working directly with the community at HOPE NC’s new Weavers Grove community, set to open this summer! The Weavers Grove neighborhood is an inclusive, mixed-income community designed to support independent living and inclusion for older adults and adults with IDD.
Additional Accomplishments
Dr. Ryan Lavalley was promoted to associate professor in the Department of Health Sciences along the School of Medicine’s Community Service promotion track. He is grateful for the School and Department’s valuing of community engaged work and for offering faculty the opportunity to move through promotion in this way.
Dr. Lauren Selingo was accepted into the Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholar Program for the 2025-2027 cycle. The program’s community-engaged curriculum and stipend will support Lauren’s community-engaged research around substance use among older adults and caregivers in Orange County.
We’re so excited to grow the CPL team and celebrate our team members’ successes.