What already exists in culture is waiting to be named. To name is to bring awareness to it.
Understanding and fostering authentic relationships is at the heart of creating healthier communities, organizations, and societies. The Center for Integrative Relational Health’s intensive 10-week summer graduate research fellowship offers masters and doctoral level students, whose research interests align with understanding models of authentic relational community, the opportunity to join a transdisciplinary community of practice.
At the heart of this fellowship lies the opportunity to experience research within a genuine community context. Breakthrough insights and transformative learning happens when researchers can bring their whole selves to their work and engage with others in relationships characterized by trust, vulnerability, and mutual respect. Fellows work collaboratively to identify and explore concrete frameworks to develop meaningful human connections between people and within teams, agencies, organizations, and institutions. In this community of practice, they share key concepts from your current research and help to shape their cohort’s exploration: theories about belonging and connection, ethics of care and reciprocity, dialogic communication frameworks, and authenticity in relational contexts. This collaborative research contributes to an emerging body of knowledge about how intentional relationship-building practices can improve wellbeing and transform communities and organizational cultures.
Reimagining the Research Experience
Meet the 2025 Summer Graduate Research Fellows
Sarah Oh
Vanderbilt University | Masters, Theological Studies and Community Development and Action
Growing up as a pastor’s kid in Korean immigrant congregations attuned her to see how religion could both facilitate and stunt the growth of authentic relational communities. As a CIRH summer graduate fellow, she is excited to explore how collective art-making could cultivate community amongst survivors of high-demand and high-control religions. When she is not delving into research, she enjoys creating mixed-media art and spending time with her family in Atlanta.
Jaelle Faison
Howard University | PhD, Educational Psychology
Raised in Prince Georges County Maryland and currently residing in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area, Jaelle’s research focuses on addressing the impact of miseducation on generational traumas by using communication as a tool for re-education; aiming to cultivate self-efficacy and self-determination with the ultimate goal of improving the well-being and educational outcomes within the African diaspora. Through firsthand experiences overcoming adversity, Jaelle has learned that true healing and change begins with the courage, curiosity, and the humility to learn and unlearn. Understanding the experiences of others requires collaboration and a willingness to engage in dialogue—recognizing how much we don’t know.
Ayman Mir
Parsons School of Design | MFA, Transdisciplinary Design
Ayman is a designer, researcher, and facilitator drawn to the invisible threads that connect all things. She has contributed to community-engaged initiatives across South Asia and the US, centering social equity and bridging the gap between lived experiences and designed systems. Her practice weaves narrative and visual design to unpack systemic complexities—always grounded in place, story, and collaboration. Outside of work, you’ll usually find her biking, exploring with her pets, and discovering wonder in the everyday
Imma Honkanen
University of Washington | PhD, Sociology
Imma’s research interests lie primarily in queer identity/community, policing, and surveillance. She has also done work in education, immigration, and sovereignty. Imma is passionate about the importance of sustained and protected community, especially for marginalized and vulnerable populations, and how power operates within these spheres. This summer, she looks forward to connecting with her cohort and exploring what authentic relational community means across various disciplines. Imma resides in Seattle, Washington and, in her spare time, loves to explore new places, prioritizing intentional relationships, and spending time outdoors. She is also currently learning how to DJ!
Christine Chandran
University of Pennsylvania | MPH, Public Health
Interested in exploring how public health and technology intersect to improve health systems and outcomes, Christine recently graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, studying Natural Sciences and Economics and is preparing to pursue graduate studies in public health at the University of Pennsylvania, focusing on policy and management. Originally from the Philadelphia area, Christine’s background includes the study of comparative health systems and historical approaches to medicine, and the use of biomedical research such as stem cell engineering and computational data systems to support restorative treatments. Outside of academics, she is passionate about music and traveling—hoping to see as much of the world as possible.