The Making Caring Common team, based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, includes experts in moral and ethical development, empathy, social-emotional learning (SEL), mental health, parenting, and data analysis; seasoned communications and digital media professionals; and former classroom teachers and school counselors. Each fall, we welcome a new cohort of graduate student interns who contribute a wide range of skills, experiences, and perspectives.

Trisha Ross Anderson

College Admission Program Director

Trisha Ross Anderson is the College Admission Program Director for Making Caring Common. She is an original member of MCC, having worked in leadership roles since it was founded in 2013. Trisha helped to research and write many MCC reports, including Turning the Tide, which aims to work with colleges to promote the importance of ethical character, reduce excessive achievement pressure, and promote access and equity for all in the college admission process. With Richard Weissbourd, she leads MCC’s efforts to collaborate with many colleges and organizational partners to facilitate original research, advocate for meaningful change, and develop tools and resources for diverse stakeholders in the admissions process. Formerly a classroom teacher, Trisha holds an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

trisha_ross@gse.harvard.edu | 617.998.5364

BRENNAN BARNARD

College Admission Program Advisor

Brennan Barnard is the College Admissions Program Advisor at Making Caring Common. He has worked as teacher, dorm parent, advisor, coach, admission officer, and student affairs administrator at a number of independent high schools and colleges and serves as the College Counseling Advisor at Khan Schools Network, CA. He is also the Director of College Counseling for the College Guidance Network, and Forest School: An Acton Academy, and was the founding Director of College Counseling for US Performance Academy, an on-line school for elite athletes.

Brennan served on the Executive Committee for the Character Collaborative, and was a member of the Advisory Board for the New Hampshire College and University Council’s New Hampshire Scholars Program. He presents regularly on character, athletic recruiting, mindfulness, discipline and other topics in college admission. A contributing writer for Forbes.com, he has written about college admission for the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Thrive Global, HuffPost, San Francisco Examiner, New York Times, Concord Monitor, Journal of College Admission and other publications. He is co-author of, The Truth About College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together, The Truth about College Admission Workbook: A Family Organizer for Your College Search, and Powerful College Admission Essays: A Guide to Telling Your Story.

brennan_barnard@gse.harvard.edu

Kiran Bhai

Schools & Parenting Programs Director

As Program Director, Kiran Bhai oversees Making Caring Common’s K-12 and parenting programs, focusing on expanding empathy, justice, and care across differences. 

Kiran is passionate about education, mental health, and the holistic wellbeing of children and youth. Prior to her time at MCC, Kiran was a school counselor in Massachusetts and New Mexico and worked at several global health nonprofits across the country focusing on mental health. 

Kiran received her master’s degree in education and counseling from Harvard Graduate School of Education and her Bachelor of Arts in Global Health from Duke University.

kiran_bhai@gse.harvard.edu

Nora Elton

Curriculum Intern

Nora is the Curriculum Intern at Making Caring Common and completing her master’s degree at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, within the Education, Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship program.

Nora is interested in the ways positive relationship building can promote equity and inclusion and help all stakeholders in a school community feel seen, heard, and cared for. She has worked as an arts educator and curriculum developer for over 15 years in schools, museums, and community organizations with toddlers through adults. Supporting student voice and building empathy is central to Nora’s work and recently she has focused on the positive impacts of strengthening parent-school partnerships. 

Nora earned a Bachelor of Science in Studio Art from New York University and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Art Education from Tufts University. 

Ivuoma Hall

Graphic Designer

As a graphic designer, Ivuoma works with the Schools and Parenting Programs team to create modular design elements for lesson plans focused on empathy, social-emotional learning, and mental health, improving usability for educators and learners across both print and digital spaces.

Prior to her work with MCC, she spent five years in the audio space—three as a producer at a nonprofit creating audiobooks for struggling readers, and another two producing the successful audio drama Vega: A Sci-Fi Adventure Podcast.

She is currently based in Los Angeles, where she hopes to continue using her graphic design skills to serve the local arts and cultural nonprofit sectors. When she’s not taking advantage of LA’s bustling arts scene, she can be found spending quality time at home with her husband and their endlessly entertaining cat-dog duo, Kevin and Crunchy.

HAE JUNE LEE

Curriculum Development Intern

Hae June Lee is the Curriculum Development Intern at Making Caring Common and is completing her master's degree in Teacher and Teaching Leadership (TTL) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. 

She is passionate about bringing restorative care back into education systems with her background and Bachelor's degree from Boston College in Applied Psychology and Human Development. She is currently teaching High School history at Brookline High School in the Alternative Choices for Education program. 

Before joining MCC, Hae June lived in Seoul, South Korea, and grew up in Hong Kong as a TCK (Third Culture Kid)! In her free time, she enjoys studying and reading at local cafes (Asaro is the best), going for runs along the Charles River, and meeting up with friends from college and new HGSE colleagues.  

Michael McLaughlin

Schools & Parenting Programs Manager

Mike is the Schools & Parenting Programs Manager for Making Caring Common. He is passionate about making schools more equitable and nurturing environments that better support student mental health. As a teacher, project manager, and program manager, he has supported hundreds of schools, districts, and county offices of education by leading far reaching projects on SEL implementation, data collection and sharing, bridging differences, leadership development, and collecting student, family, staff, and teacher feedback to inform school and district improvements.

He has also worked for several presidential campaigns as a Field Organizer, Regional Field Director, and Regional Get Out The Vote Director and cares deeply about protecting and expanding voting rights. 

Outside of work, Mike is an avid naturalist and surfer who loves spending time in the ocean and exploring the natural wonders of the world.

michael_mclaughlin@gse.harvard.edu

paige marshall

Research Intern, K-12 Student Support

Paige Marshall is the K-12 Student Support Intern with Making Caring Common. Paige leads our Youth Advisory Board, supporting YAB members with empathy-focused projects, eliciting their feedback on MCC resources, and building a community with the YAB to learn and grow together. She also works with the Relationship Mapping and Mental Health Initiative by supporting school survey administration and survey report creation.

She is passionate about the power of informal, community-based education to nurture adolescent identity development and sense of community. Paige holds a B.A. in English and ESL Education from St. Olaf College. She has previously worked as a high school English Language Development teacher and Department Lead, a Grade Level Lead, and a Faculty Advisor for Associated Student Body. Outside of work, she enjoys going to the movie theater, curling up with a good book, and spending time outside with the people (and animals) she loves!

paigemarshall@gse.harvard.edu

MILENA BATANOVA

Director of Research & Evaluation

As the Director of Research & Evaluation at Making Caring Common, Milena sits at the nexus of research and practice to ensure that MCC's (select) strategies for K–12 schools and parents are science-backed, feasible to implement, and scalable. Milena oversees both process and outcome evaluation studies of these strategies. She also conducts research on timely topics related to moral and social life, including loneliness, mental health, purpose, and meaning. Recent national reports include, Loneliness in America: The tip of the iceberg?, On Edge: Understanding and preventing young adults' mental health challenges, and Caring for the Caregivers: The critical link between parent and teen mental health.

Before joining Making Caring Common, Milena was a postdoctoral fellow and then a Research Assistant Professor at the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University. There, she co-led a project to design, implement, and evaluate the AIM Buddy Project, a social-emotional learning (SEL) and character building elementary school curriculum developed in partnership with WGBH and the creators of Arthur. 

Milena received her Ph.D. in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of Texas at Austin, where she specialized in risk and resilience, empathy, and aggression in adolescence. She obtained her master's degree in Communication Studies at Arizona State University, where she also worked as a Service Learning Coordinator and Lecturer. Before that, Milena was a Mental Health Practitioner at a residential rehabilitation center for adults with mental illness. 

milena_batanova@gse.harvard.edu | 617.384.7738

Grace leete

Research Advisor & Data Analyst

Grace Leete is the Research and Evaluation Intern and is completing her Master’s in Education Policy and Analysis, with a concentration in Identity, Power, and Justice in Education at HGSE. Grace brings experience in inclusive program development and evaluation, qualitative and quantitative research, and a deep commitment to educational equity. Grace assists the research team with ongoing research projects—coordinating recruitment and data collection efforts, contributing to survey design and evaluation projects, and compiling research on topics of interest. 

graceleete@gse.harvard.edu

Joe McIntyre

Research Advisor & Data Analyst

Joe McIntyre is a lecturer on education at HGSE. He teaches statistics and questionnaire design. His research interests include applying methods from statistics to address questions in education. He is especially interested in measuring student experiences and in answering questions around gender and education. McIntyre has a B.A. in mathematics from Dartmouth College, an Ed.M. in human development and psychology from HGSE, and has previous experience as a high school math instructor.

joseph_mcintyre@gse.harvard.edu

Rohit KALRO

Research Intern

Rohit is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Education Policy and Analysis (EPA) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (2024-2025). At Making Caring Common, he works as a research intern primarily for the Relationship Mapping and Mental Health Initiative, where he assists with data organization, analysis, and synthesis. Rohit also contributes to creating data visualizations and helps with report writing to communicate a cohesive story about the program's potential impact.

Rohit chose to intern at Making Caring Common (MCC) because of its focus on creating safe and inclusive environments for students through initiatives like Relationship Mapping and the Mental Health Initiative. Having experienced the transformative power of positive adult relationships in school, he is passionate about MCC’s mission to foster mental health and belonging for all students.

Before joining Making Caring Common, Rohit gained five years of experience in the nonprofit education sector in India, working in roles that ranged from research and data analysis to curriculum development and child development. Most recently, as a Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at Udhyam Learning Foundation, he led efforts to evaluate the impact of entrepreneurial mindset curricula for over 125,000 learners across two Indian states. His passion for creating safe, inclusive learning environments was further shaped through his work at U&I Trust, where he focused on closing education gaps for underserved communities.

In his free time, Rohit enjoys taking long walks, exploring new places, and binge-watching shows.

rohitkalro@gse.harvard.edu

MEGAN BARRY

Development Specialist

Megan Barry is a Development Specialist with Making Caring Common, where she supports fundraising strategy and donor engagement. She is deeply committed to helping Making Caring Common continue to create inclusive, compassionate, and connected communities—both locally and globally—through evidence-based tools, programming, and research for schools, families, kids, and educators.

Before joining MCC, Megan worked in global health for over seven years with organizations based in Boston, New York, and Johannesburg. Most recently, she was the director of a Colorado-based, community-oriented workforce development program, helping college students build pathways to meaningful careers and civic engagement in Colorado.

Megan loves to channel her love of connection and culture into travel. She co-owns a travel company that curates experiences across Southern Africa, and she finds joy in exploring the world, spending time in the sunshine running, hiking, and biking, and sharing adventures with her closest family and friends.

megan_barry@gse.harvard.edu

BRIDGET WILDE

Development Specialist

Bridget Wilde is a Development Specialist with Making Caring Common, where she supports fundraising strategy and donor engagement to advance the organization’s mission of fostering kindness, empathy, and moral development in schools and communities. She is inspired by MCC’s commitment to translating research on caring, connection, and moral growth into practical tools that strengthen relationships between young people, educators, and families.

Before joining MCC, Bridget worked in the federal government, managing grants for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and FEMA, where she oversaw programs focused on early childhood education and community resilience.

Outside of work, Bridget enjoys long bike rides along Lake Michigan, road-tripping with her wife, and exploring new restaurants across Chicagoland.

bridget_wilde@gse.harvard.edu

KELLY DOLAN

Assistant Director of Digital Marketing

Kelly Dolan (he/him) is the Assistant Director of Digital Marketing for Making Caring Common. With a career dedicated to nonprofit and social impact, Kelly has creatively directed innovative brands, marketing campaigns, media, and creative teams for dozens of organizations, including Aspiritech, National Medical Fellowships, World Relief, and the Geena Davis Institute. An experienced producer, Kelly has written and directed videos for clients such as SEIU 2015 and Higher Heights for America, produced music for the band WeAreTheSea., and currently produces Feeding People, a podcast he co-created with his wife and host, Amy Dolan.

Kelly lives in Chicago, Illinois, where he enjoys exploring the city for its incredible architecture, food, and all breeds of dogs (but especially pit bulls).

kelly_dolan@gse.harvard.edu

Ennik xi

Marketing and Communications Intern

Ennik Xi is the Marketing and Communications Intern with Making Caring Common. Her work focuses on using digital strategy, storytelling, and data-driven insights to expand the reach and impact of MCC’s mission. By combining creative media with analytical insight, she helps design campaigns and communication initiatives that connect with diverse audiences and strengthen community engagement.

Ennik is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Education Policy and Analysis at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Before joining MCC, she earned dual Bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Education from the University of Washington.

ennikxi@gse.harvard.edu

KATE HICKSON

Administrative Coordinator

As Administrative Coordinator, Kate ensures the smooth and efficient operation of the team, drawing on her extensive background in business administration and project management. Kate enjoys connecting with people, learning new systems, and working collaboratively to achieve the most efficient outcome. 

With over 15 years of experience across corporate, nonprofit, and higher education sectors, Kate has developed strong skills in organization, problem-solving, event planning and administration. Recently, she has dedicated her time to consulting with local charities, teaching art classes and volunteering at her children’s school. 

Kate lives in Redondo Beach with her family and loves connecting with her community through local events. You’ll often find her at the beach, enjoying that new restaurant or planning her next travel adventure!

katherine_hickson@gse.harvard.edu