Lauren Gil Hayes, LISW, LCSW (she/they) is an end-of-life doula, community educator, and grief therapist based in Eastern Iowa with over 15 years of experience in social service administration and community support across the United States. As a PhD student in social work, her research interests include: loneliness, family estrangement, intergenerational bonds, caregiving, and ambiguous loss at end-of-life.

Christie (they/them), MSW, LMSW, is a PhD student at the University of Iowa’s School of Social Work. Their focus is on Public Health with their professional and research interests centered on health and disability-related research and policy, as well as advocating for and promoting the well-being of the disabled community as a disabled individual. 

Abigail’s research interests include how food security, poverty, and housing status impact health and health disparities.

Carrie is interested in conducting research in caregiving, withplans to focus on caregivers of children, adolescents, and younger adults who have complex medical issues. Carrie is an advocate for experiential learning opportunities.

Kendra Rooney has worked in the social services field for several years in a variety of different capacities, from behavioral health to community organizing.

Christine would like to further explore the intersection of design, moral leadership, and social work education in the hopes of preparing future professional social workers for the unique policy, political, and environmental issues that comprise the context of our collective lived experience.

Morgan's primary research interests involve examining the role of multi-cultural competency in higher education student services and counseling services.