Our Team

Meet the research team in the CIRRCLE lab! 

Dr. Sungha Kang (she/her)
Director
Click here to hear how my name is pronounced! 

Dr. Kang is an assistant professor of clinical psychology at Loyola University Chicago. She received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Iowa and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Illinois Chicago Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Kang's research broadly aims to address mental health disparities among children of color. She is specifically interested in how childhood externalizing behaviors (e.g., hyperactivity, aggression, defiance) are identified and treated in Black and Brown children, and the disparate ways that our current systems of care disproportionately disciplines these children while failing to recognize their mental health needs. In her free time, Dr. Kang enjoys strength training, snowboarding, and traveling. 

Olivia Nazaire, BA (she/her)
1st Year Graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program

Olivia is a first-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Loyola University Chicago. Her research interests are education equity, community-partnered research, and the implementation of school-based interventions that address disproportionate discipline towards racially marginalized learners. She is particularly interested in examining these topics at a systemic level, specifically in urban communities and early childhood education settings. Prior to attending Loyola, Olivia received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and has worked in various organizations including Boston University’s Center on the Ecology of Early Development. Olivia is originally from Peabody, MA in the Greater Boston area. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music and spending time at the beach

Rylee Abaya, BS (she/her)
Project Coordinator

Rylee is the project coordinator for the CIRRCLE Lab. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with honors and minors in the Psychology of Crime and Justice and Social Work. Rylee is interested in researching the barriers to culturally appropriate services, addressing mental health disparities among racially minoritized youth, and destigmatizing mental health without overstepping cultural values. Rylee intends to pursue graduate training in clinical psychology to design and disseminate interventions that prevent historically marginalized youth from entering the justice system. She is originally from Fremont, CA in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rylee enjoys reading, crocheting,  weightlifting, and trying new milk tea spots in her free time. 

Amani Bettler (she/her)
Undergraduate Research Assistant

Amani is a second year undergraduate student at Loyola University Chicago studying Psychology and Spanish, and is an undergraduate research assistant with the CIRRCLE lab. Originally from Albuquerque, NM, Amani spent the summer interning with an organization that provides bilingual mental health and case management services for primarily immigrant and refugee communities in Albuquerque, learning more about clinical psychology and techniques for supporting mental and behavioral health with cultural humility. She is excited about the opportunity to gain more experience with research and believes strongly in the work the team will be doing. Outside of classes, Amani loves to read, swim, and try new coffee spots!

Graceanne Gray (she/her)
Undergraduate Research Assistant

Graceanne is an undergraduate research assistant at the CIRRCLE lab, currently in her sophomore year at Loyola University Chicago, where she is majoring in psychology. She plans to pursue her master’s degree through LUC’s five-year program. Initially drawn to nursing to help those who need it, her experiences working at Swedish Hospital through the Health Scholar program shifted her focus to mental health issues not being addresses in health care. This experience sparked her passion for understanding the mind and addressing the impact of social prejudice and biases. Originally from Yangxin County, China, Graceanne was adopted at 13 months old and has since lived in Seattle, Washington. In her free time she enjoys visiting farmers markets, hiking, playing Mario Kart, and photography.