Meet the SEL Plus Team

Social and Emotional Learning for Populations Left Out or Underserved (SEL PLUS) is a collaborative research group led by Dr. Tia Barnes, grounded in the belief that equity-focused SEL must center the voices and experiences of students and educators who have been marginalized. Our team includes graduate and undergraduate students, as well as research partners across the country, working together to reimagine how schools can nurture well-being, inclusion, and justice for all.

Our mission

SEL Plus is a collaborative research team dedicated to advancing equity-centered social and emotional learning (SEL) for populations that have been left out or underserved in schools. We work alongside educators, students, and communities to:

Conduct rigorous, inclusive research that centers cultural responsiveness and disability justice
Elevate the role of adult SEL and educator well-being as foundations for sustainable school change
Translate research into practice to support policies, tools, and training that serve real-world needs
Mentor and engage emerging scholars committed to equity and transformation in education

Our vision

We want to create a more just and inclusive education system where all students thrive socially, emotionally, and academically through responsive, evidence-based practices.

Our current team members

Our strength comes from working together to connect research with real-world practice. As teachers, paraeducators, and psychologists, we bring our lived experience to everything we do. We build partnerships with people across education and community roles to help bring our shared vision to life.

Tia Barnes, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Dr. Tia Barnes is an equity-driven scholar whose research focuses on culturally responsive SEL, educator collaboration, and the well-being of students with disabilities and other historically underserved groups. She leads SEL Plus with a commitment to research that is rigorous, relational, and responsive.

Lauren

Graduate Assistant

Lauren is graduate student in the Human Development and Family Sciences Ph.D. program. Her research interests include education and housing policy, equity, social emotional learning, and culturally sustaining practices. Her scholarship extends to practical experiences such as 1) supporting children, youth, and adults with disabilities, 2) volunteering as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) mentor, and 3) supporting students experiencing housing insecurity.

Rosa Mykyta-Chomsky