Our Students | Counseling & Clinical Psychology | Teachers College, Columbia University

A Graduate School of Education, Health & Psychology

Meet Our Doctoral Students

Brianna Baker

Ph.D. Student, Counseling Psychology

Dissertation Advisor: Marie L Miville

Brianna A. Baker (she/her/hers) is a 5th year doctoral candidate in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Currently, she is a Predoctoral Fellow in Clinical and Community Psychology at Yale School of Medicine. Brianna is an APA Minority Fellow and a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Research Scholar. Her interdisciplinary program of research employs mixed-methods approaches to examine the social determinants of health (ex: racism, sexism), which negatively affect the psychological health of Black youth and their families. With a focus on prevention science and strengths-based approaches she evaluates and develops sustainable and effective programs that promote positive psychological functioning in communities and families. She holds expertise in community and stakeholder partnerships and engagement to collaborate on large-scale implementation and evaluation projects.

Counseling & Clinical Psychology

Daniella Lucio

Ph.D. Student, Counseling Psychology

Daniella is a third-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her doctoral research broadly focuses on examining sociocultural risk and protective factors impacting mental health outcomes for minoritized youth and families. She is passionate about translating her research into culturally competent, trauma-informed, and family-centered prevention efforts. Prior to her doctoral training, Daniella worked as a clinical research coordinator at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, where she conducted community-based participatory research and advanced early intervention efforts.

Counseling & Clinical Psychology

Taylor Michl (They/Them/Theirs)

Ph.D. Student, Counseling Psychology

I am a second-year PhD Counseling Psychology student at Teachers College, Columbia University. I graduated with a Master of Arts in Counseling and a Graduate Certificate in College Teaching and Career Preparation from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2023, and a Bachelor of Arts in Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies from Webster University in 2019. My research interests include transgender and gender expansive older adults’ experiences of minority stress and resilience in the contexts of work, retirement, intimacy, and community. I am currently seeing clients with a variety of presenting concerns at Baruch College Counseling Center, and have prior clinical experience in college counseling, community mental health, and crisis settings. In addition to research and clinical work, I love teaching undergraduate and master’s students in psychology, mental health counseling, and gender studies courses.

Counseling & Clinical Psychology

Rachel Shin (She/Her/Hers)

Ph.D. Student, Counseling Psychology

Rachel is a third year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology doctoral program at Teacher's College, Columbia University. She is working with and being mentored by Dr. George Gushue in the Social Cognition and Career (SCC) Lab.

As a clinical social worker with prior experience in the mental health field, Rachel has both clinical and research experience providing community mental health services and conducting community-based mental health and substance use research. These experiences have led to a keen interest in understanding the roles of culture, race and social justice in the context of mental health equity. Rachel is passionate about advancing the education, research and practice of social justice and liberation psychology. Her doctoral research centers the pursuit of understanding lived experiences of Asian American graduate students in mental health training programs as a pathway to addressing the mental health service provision needs of Asian American communities.

Counseling & Clinical Psychology

Oliver Xu

Ph.D. Student, Counseling Psychology

Oliver Yimeng Xu is a third-year doctoral student in counseling psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. As a member of the Racism, Class, and Inclusion Laboratory (Inclab), he researches the epistemological assumptions foundational to whiteness and racial hierarchies and how they structure psychological research methods. His doctoral research focuses on Asian American mental health, specifically the unique challenges that second-generation Asian Americans face in relation to model minority imperatives. Oliver also currently serves as the Chair of the Asian American Psychological Association Division on Students. He previously worked as a biochemical researcher at Columbia University Medical Center and sought to enter a career in engineering before discovering his passion in psychology.

Outside of school, Oliver is a semi-professional ballroom dancer and a community leader in the post-collegiate ballroom dance scene in New York City.

Counseling & Clinical Psychology

Cordelia Zhong (She/Her/Hers)

Ph.D. Student, Counseling Psychology

Cordelia Zhong is a second-year doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. Prior to attending TC, she worked as a clinical research coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital, Wellesley Centers for Women, and the Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute. Her research interests focus on exploring how digital technologies could be leveraged in adapting mental health interventions for ethnic minority populations and for low-resource environments where people primarily seek mental health care (i.e., school, college, and primary care environments). She is bilingual in Mandarin and English, and in her free time, she enjoys going to museums, watching Broadway shows, and finding new dessert spots.

Counseling & Clinical Psychology

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new online profiles for Doctoral Students at Teachers College.

If you are a currently enrolled doctoral student at Teachers College, please visit the profile submission page for more information on how you can create your own profile.