Our Team

Dr. Ryan Lavalley is the founder and primary lead of the Community Practice Lab and an associate professor in the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has worked as a community occupational therapist since 2014, providing and developing programming most often related to aging in community, dementia capable communities, and affordable housing. Ryan has and continues to work in partnership with multiple collaborators across Orange County and North Carolina to further community-rooted initiatives. Ryan is the current coordinator of the Carolina Aging Network, which connects academic aging-related resources and initiatives across Carolina Institutions. Additionally, Ryan teaches the Community-Level Occupational Therapy course in the Masters of Occupational Therapy Program at UNC-CH through which he has guided student partnerships with multiple local organizations to develop programming and strategic actions steps to support community health and participation. Ryan co-hosts an occupational therapy podcast with Dr. Khalilah Johnson. Ryan is originally from West Virginia and earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH focusing on occupational therapy, social justice, and peace studies.

Dr. Lauren Selingo is a CPL Lead and assistant professor in the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Lauren initiated and co-facilitates FOCUS-OAC, a community-engaged initiative that explores the complex intersections of aging, caregiving, and substance use in Orange County, NC. Lauren has worked across clinical and academic settings as an occupational therapist and course instructor, particularly in behavioral/mental health settings and with older adults in skilled nursing facilities. Specifically, Lauren has supported adults as they navigate queer identity, mental health, and changes in substance use patterns throughout life. Lauren also has expertise in participatory action research and community-based participatory research.

Dr. Khalilah Johnson is a CPL Lead and associate professor in the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Johnson’s work centers on health equity, disability justice, anti-racism, and improving community supports for marginalized people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Dr. Johnson’s research blends critical qualitative methods with advocacy, advancing racial equity in healthcare, education, and occupational therapy while shaping more inclusive systems through scholarship, teaching, and public engagement. She supports emerging research and program development partnerships with HOPE NC and other community partners. 

Kevin Giff is a community engagement professional with experience developing and implementing housing, aging, and community development programs. Kevin supports the CPL’s community engagement team, including working with HOPE NC and Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. Kevin also partners with the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention’s Food, Fitness and Opportunity Research Collaborative (UNC FFORC), working with communities to advance their goals of creating safer, healthier, and more active places to live. Originally from Winston-Salem, NC, Kevin holds a Master of City and Regional Planning degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and has previously worked with Habitat as well as the Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition and Orange County Home Preservation Coalition.

Mackenzie Christensen is pursuing an MPH in health behavior at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill. Ultimately, she is interested in supporting the development of social support networks for older adults in rural communities. With the Community Practice Lab, Mackenzie supports the Marian Cheek Jackson Center’s eldercare initiatives. She is also supporting the development of the new Orange County Master Aging Plan for 2027-2032.

Seth Mitchell is a PhD candidate in the Division of Occupational Science at UNC-Chapel Hill, under the mentorship of Dr. Ryan Lavalley. He holds a Master of Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California. His research focuses on the activities and processes of community-rooted strategic action, with attention to the everyday relationships implicated in structural and social change. In the CPL, Seth assists in cultivating community partnerships within the classroom as a teaching assistant in the Division of OT/OS’ masters-level community practice course.

Jordan Baum is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she previously earned her Bachelor’s in human development and family science. Jordan has worked with the community in various ways, and is passionate for providing mental health resources and social-emotional growth to underserved populations.

Arshi Bhartia Ranjan is a sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill, intending to double major in data science and philosophy with a minor in entrepreneurship. Arshi supports the Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition and the CPL’s community engagement team through data collection and analysis, outreach, and cross-sector projects that bring organizations together to address complex housing and community challenges. Her work reflects a growing interest in using data storytelling to inform housing advocacy and community development.

Sally Kolada is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill pursuing BA degrees in gerontology & community development and medical anthropology. As a Community Practice Intern, Sally is developing Pathways for Partners, a workshop series designed to help community organizations prepare for and navigate partnership opportunities with the University. Through this work, she supports efforts to strengthen community-university collaboration and help organizations identify meaningful opportunities for engagement with university partners. Sally is passionate about fostering intergenerational connection and exploring how communities can create opportunities for collaboration, inclusion, and improved quality of life for people of all ages.

Brenna Montgomery is pursuing a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at UNC-Chapel Hill. Brenna is partnering with HOPE NC to develop a guidebook to support individuals, organizations, and community groups in creating inclusive, affordable, and community-based housing opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities across North Carolina. She is passionate about advancing community inclusion, promoting equitable access to housing, and fostering collaborative partnerships that empower people with disabilities to live, work, and thrive in their communities.

Mia Nesbeth is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, pursuing her BA in exercise and sports science (EXSS) and human development and family sciences (HDFS), with a minor in health and society. As a community practice intern, Mia focuses on community engagement and supports HOPE NC’s new Weavers Grove neighborhood. Weavers Grove is an inclusive, mixed-income community designed to promote independent living and inclusion for older adults and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Abigail O’Dell is pursuing a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at UNC-Chapel Hill. As a Community Practice Intern, Abigail supports community engagement initiatives through the Orange County Department of Aging (OCDOA) and their Master Aging Plan, which focuses on the lifespan of the aging population in Orange County. Additionally, Abigail helps facilitate OCDOA’s peer support mental health program. Through the CPL’s efforts, she hopes to play a role in expanding quality of life for the aging community while informing her knowledge/skills to continue these initiatives in clinical practice.

Camilla Rivas is pursuing her JD and Master of City and Regional Planning at UNC-Chapel Hill. Prior to beginning her advanced degrees, Camilla was a Public Service Fellow at the City of Cleveland (Ohio) City Planning Commission. There, she worked on community-based vacant land use planning and traffic safety. Camilla is passionate about community growth that leaves no one behind and is excited to be part of the CPL team. Camilla is supporting development of the Orange County Department on Aging’s Master Aging Plan, bringing her expertise in city and regional planning expertise to an interdisciplinary student team supporting the 2027-2032 plan.

Bella Vandersall is currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she previously earned BAs in public policy and economics. Bella coordinates the Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition and supports its efforts to advance affordable and equitable housing throughout the county. Her experience spans direct service, housing advocacy, community development, and policy research, with a particular interest in bringing organizations and sectors together to address complex housing and community challenges.

Dr. William (Willie) Payne is an assistant professor in the School of Data and Information Sciences (SDIS) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He studies how technology can support creativity and open pathways for individuals to learn and express themselves on their own terms. Across his studies, Willie employs participatory design methods to implement and evaluate new tools and curricula with community partners, including FMDG Music School, the Governor Morehead School, the Iowa Department for the Blind, and STEM from Dance.

Willie has developed a workshop to support low income and blind individuals in creating music while learning screen reader technology. With the CPL, Willie is supporting a team of MSOT students to modify and expand this workshop to be accessible to individuals with a wide range of different needs, disabilities, and health conditions.

Willie publishes mainly in HCI (Human Computer Interaction) conferences and journals, including ASSETS (Computers and Accessibility), C&C (Creativity & Cognition), and NIME (New Interfaces for Musical Expression). He holds a PhD in Music Technology from New York University, a BS/MS in Computer Science from the University of Colorado Boulder, and a BM in Music Composition also from CU Boulder.

Dr. Leiha Edmonds is an assistant professor of geography at Indiana University Bloomington. Her research focuses on the challenges of aging well in US cities with attention to caregiving, age-friendly policies, and housing stability. Her work brings together qualitative and spatial data to examine aging as a relational process shaped by place, political economy, and community. Leiha continues to work in partnership with community-based age-friendly initiatives in North Carolina, including leading the evaluation of Orange County, NC’s Master Aging Plan. Before her PhD, Leiha was a research associate at Urban Institute, where she led multi-method and community-engaged research focused on housing and community development initiatives in US cities. She has also worked as a community development planner for the City of Evanston, Illinois, and as a direct care worker organizer in cities across the Midwest. Leiha received her PhD in the Department of Geography and Environment at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a Master of Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dr. Stephanie Kaczynski is an assistant professor of communication at Texas Lutheran University. Her research draws on performance studies and cultural studies methodologies to explore how communities mobilize against structural violence and racism. Stephanie continues to support the Community Practice Lab with special projects, working to tell compelling stories about community partnerships to work toward systemic justice and more equitable and humane communities. Stephanie received her PhD from the Department of Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and holds an MA in Communication and Media from DePaul University. She has previously worked in professional communications with a variety of organizations, ranging from health care and social service nonprofits to higher education and the private sector.

Dr. Jenny Womack has worked since the 1990s to integrate occupation and the frameworks of occupational therapy within community contexts. Through her work as a resident services coordinator in affordable senior housing, a community-based OT with a county Department on Aging, a folklorist focused on community oral history, and an aging-in-community specialist, she has explored and expanded the boundaries of community-based practice. She was recognized in 2012 as a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association for ‘engaged occupational therapy to enhance community participation.’ She serves as a general consultant and supporter of the Community Practice Lab.