Field Teams
For each new book, Grow & Know uses a small team of researchers to support the book development process. They conduct a range of participatory research activities with boys and girls, and explore the insights of adults interacting in young people’s lives.
Past Field Teams
CURRENT TEAMS
Ethiopia Team (Boy’s book)
ALLISON CARNEY
Allie completed her Masters of Public Health at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University (CU) in the department of Population and Family Health. During her studies, she conducted fieldwork as a study coordinator on an a research project exploring adolescent alcohol use and risky sexual behavior in Tanzania. Prior to CU, Allie was a 3rd and 4th grade teacher at an international school in the Czech Republic.
Kahsay Sibhat
Kahsay Sibhat graduated from Addis Ababa University with a Bachelors degree in Statistics and has more than 7 years of mixed methods research experience. Most recently, he was a qualitative researcher with the Young Lives Survey in Ethiopia and See Far, which included learning from refugee youth about their future migration plans.
Mesfin Demissie
Mesfin holds a Bachelor's degree in Educational Planning and Management, a Master's degree in Educational Leadership and Management, and is currently pursuing his PhD in Education from South Africa University. After teaching secondary school for over a decade, Mesfin became a Principal at a primary school, before leaving to lecture full time at Dilla University, focusing on educational planning and management. Mesfin has also worked as a representative in zonal education offices and has prior experience conducting educational research around Ethiopia.
USA Team (Boy’s book)
Angel Ornelas
Angel is a USAID International Development Donald M. Payne Fellow and will join USAID's Foreign Service as an Education Officer in the summer of 2024. He is pursuing a Master of International Affairs (MIA) degree at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Prior to graduate school, Angel worked as a high school counselor guiding low-income, first-generation students through the college application process. Angel serves as a research assistant for the Being Boys’ Study in New York City and has enjoyed contributed to Grow & Know’s projects on puberty research.
Stephen Oduro
Stephen Manu Oduro hails from Ghana, West Africa and moved to the United States in 2023 for his studies. He is pursuing a masters degree in Social Work at Case Western Reserve University. Stephen has worked with young adolescents, female sex workers and sexual minorities, providing Behavioral Change Communication Interventions to prevent HIV and STIs. Stephen plans on setting up his own non-profit organization in Ghana to champion young adolescents and sexual minorities. He is enthused about research on HIV prevention and treatment, and reproductive health among young adolescents.
Brian Villa
Brian has a Masters in International Educational Development from Teachers College at Columbia University. He has worked in the college access and success space for 7 years, helping students on their journeys to and through higher education. He also has experience working with English Learners in both California and New York. Since attending Teachers College, Brian has begun expanding his research skills to support his desire to produce better-informed educational strategies and content. He is currently a research assistant for the Boys USA project.