Undergraduate Research Assistants

Emily Milton

Emily is a senior in HDFS. She is interested in how domestic violence affects victims and individuals who witness such violence psychologically and emotionally over time. She is also interested in the factors that can be used to predict violence. In her free time, Emily loves to ride horses and volunteers to train future service dogs. When she graduates, Emily aspires to work at a family law firm focusing on topics such as marriage dissolution, domestic abuse, and child custody.

Julianne Enas

Julianne is a junior majoring in HDFS with a Legal Studies minor. She is interested in understanding how intimate partner violence influences custody outcomes and the effects on children. In her free time, Julianne loves cooking and working out. When she graduates, Julianne wants to attend law school and become a Family Lawyer and Guardian Ad Litem.

Cassidy Murphy

Cassidy is a junior in HDFS. In her free time, she loves to spend time outside and read. On campus, she loves cheering on the Illini with the Illinettes dance team. When she graduates she wants to be a high school counselor.

Lily Knetl

Lily is a junior studying HDFS with a concentration in Family Studies. She is interested in understanding the impact that divorce has on a child’s development. In her free time, Lily loves to read, cook, and spend time with friends. When she graduates, Lily hopes to further her education in child development in graduate school and apply that to a career as a Child Welfare Specialist.

Adia Jennings

Adia is a senior majoring in Political Science and Psychology. She is interested in studying the impact of divorce on children’s mental health and assessing the effectiveness of supportive services in alleviating distress during and after separation. In her free time, Adia enjoys cooking and spending time with friends. When she graduates, Adia will attend law school, and pursue a career as a family attorney, specializing in dissolution and child custody.

Jennifer Bingham

Jennifer is a senior in HDFS, minoring in Psychology. She is interested in applying what she has learned about family relations to the Occupational Therapy career field. She is a tour guide for UIUC, is involved in a social sorority, and stays active by running on campus and doing cardio boxing. 

Emilia Quinones

Emilia is a junior in HDFS with a minor in Criminology, Law, and Society. In her free time, Emilia enjoys listening to music, studying on the main quad, and spending time with friends. She is interested in learning about the divorce process’s impact on a family’s mental health throughout and after the process. After graduating, she hopes to attend law school and pursue a career in family law.  

Sheril Chacko

Sheril is a junior studying Biochemistry on the pre-med track. She is interested in understanding how attorneys deal with issues like domestic violence. On campus she is also involved with Delta Phi Omega, Global Medical Training, and IEMS. When she graduates, she will attend medical school in hopes of becoming a psychiatrist.

Krista Siler

Krista is a junior in HDFS with a minor in Legal Studies and Political Science. She is interested in analyzing the impacts of intimate partner violence, the divorce process, and how child custody cases affect a family system. She enjoys spending time with friends, attending football games, and practicing yoga in her free time. When Krista graduates, she hopes to attend law school and pursue a career in family law. 

Shannon Bailey

Shannon is a senior majoring in Psychology with a double minor in Sociology and Criminology, Law, and Society. After graduating, she is interested in obtaining her master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She hopes to use her exposure to intimate partner violence and divorce proceedings within her aspiring career as a mental health therapist. Outside of school, Shannon works as a personal care assistant and an elementary school tutor. Her hobbies include movies, podcasts, sports, and baking.