The Women’s, Gender, & Equity Center relies on our incredibly capable professional staff, student staff, and advisory board for all of our operations! Learn more about us below:
Women’s, Gender, & Equity Center’s Professional Staff
Lauren Allen-Senior Director
Lauren Allen, LMSW, M.Ed, RYT, is originally from the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. Lauren graduated from Bowie State University with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work. She earned a Master of Social Work and a certificate of Trauma Treatment and Practice in Social Work from Widener University. In 2018, she earned a Master of Education in Human Sexuality with an emphasis in Sex Therapy at Widener University. Lauren completed the Askable Adult certificate program through the Interdisciplinary Sexuality Research Collaborative. Through this program, she was educated on how to talk to young people about topics of sex and sexuality in a culturally and developmentally appropriate way. The topics of focus were but not limited to, intimacy, gender identity, sexuality, reproductive health, and sexualization. Also, Lauren is a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher. Lauren comes with over 11 years of experience in the social work field, and we are excited to have her here.
Zoe Brown-Assistant Director
Zoe Brown (she/her) grew up in Southern California and Portland, Oregon. She moved to the Baltimore area for her undergraduate degree in Peace Studies at Goucher College. She is currently pursuing a master’s in UMBC’s School of Public Policy. Zoe is passionate about abolition work as well as food and housing justice. She co-runs a weekly mutual aid grocery distribution through Tubman House, a Baltimore City community organization founded by the late radical community organizer Eddie Conway. Zoe previously worked for the Choice Program in UMBC’s Shriver Center and has experience working in adult education. She deeply enjoys working with students.
Kate Arbaugh-Survivor Advocate
Kate Arbaugh, LCSW-C (she/her), graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from University of Maryland, College Park, and with a Master of Social Work from University of Maryland, Baltimore. She has over 8 years of experience working with survivors of trauma. Before coming to UMBC, she worked for a nonprofit agency providing trauma therapy, advocacy, and outreach to those experiencing intimate partner violence and sexual assault. Kate’s approach as an advocate is grounded in her ongoing study of disability justice, queer theory, and intersectional feminism. In her free time, Kate loves baking, reading queer fantasy/sci-fi, and hanging out with her three cats.
Emma Archibald– Graduate Assistant
Emma Archibald (she/her) is a fourth-year Clinical Psychology PhD student at UMBC. Her research examines how trauma shapes family relationships and how social support functions as a modifiable factor that can promote resilience across diverse contexts. She uses a variety of research methods to investigate the dynamic interplay between trauma symptoms, interpersonal processes, and parenting. Clinically, Emma provides evidence-based treatment to trauma-exposed veterans at the Baltimore VA and offers supportive counseling to UMBC students, with a focus on empowerment, healing, and survivor-centered care. She also serves as the Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center’s Graduate Assistant on campus, where she supports a range of assessment, programmatic, and mentorship initiatives.
Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center 2025-2025 Staff
Student Staff
The Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center is proud to hire undergraduate students in both for-credit internships and paid staff positions. Our student staff are at the heart of our work and have the opportunity to apply their learning in a challenging but highly supportive environment.
We offer internships in collaboration with several departments on campus, including the Honors College, Social Work, Gender, Women’s + Sexuality Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Psychology. Interns must attend staff training and generally are hired in the late spring for the following full academic year.
The Women’s, Gender, & Equity Center also offers paid staff positions. Generally to be elligible for a paid staff position, students must first complete an internship with us. All student staff must attend staff training and generally are hired in the late spring for the following academic year.
Women’s, Gender, & Equity Center’s Student Staff
Claudia Gerry (she/they)
Year: Sophomore
Program: Social Work major, Critical Sexuality Studies minor
Group Facilitator: Between Femmes
What do you like most about working at the Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center?: I love working with people! My coworkers and I have similar passions, and the people who come in value community like I do. The community the WGEC facilitates brings me so much joy and makes me feel like I belong in this space.
Amy Taylor (she/her)
Year: Senior/Social Work Intern
Program: Social Work and Music double major
Group Facilitator: Headspace
What do you like most about working at the Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center?: I enjoy working at the Women’s Gender & Equity center because I have such wonderful teammates and supervisors. I feel like they really care about the students here and they prioritize well-being.
Abigal Asare (she/her)
Year: Junior
Program: Psychology major
Group Facilitator: Women of Color Collective
What do you like most about working at the Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center?: Meeting new people!
Bekkah West (she/her)
Year: Senior/Social Work Intern
Program: Social Work major, Psychology minor
Group Facilitator: Returning Adult Learners
What do you like most about working at the Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center?: I love the ability to connect with students here on campus from all walks of life and create a stronger, more equitable and inclusive community.
Chloe Kastner (she/her)
Year: Master of Social Work Intern @ UMB
Program: University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Social Work
Group Facilitator: Spectrum
What do you like most about working at the Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center?: Building community with so many different folks across the campus!
Ashwathi Menon (she/her)
Year: Junior
Program: Biology and Public Health, double major
Group Facilitator: Women & Gender Minorities in STEM
What do you like most about working at the Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center Center?: I love meeting new people and helping create a space where everyone feels welcome and supported!
Margot Anthony (she/her)
Year: Junior
Program: Social Work major, Psychology and Sociology double minor
Group Facilitator: Women of Color Collective
What do you like most about working at the Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center Center?: I love meeting new people and helping create a space where everyone feels welcome and supported
Julia Ki (she/her)
Year:Master of Social Work Intern @ UMB
Program: University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Social Work
Group Facilitator: Between Femmes
What do you like most about working at the Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center Center?: I love the warm, inclusive environment of the center, and seeing students coming in just to decompress, connect, and receive resources, support, and education.
Women’s, Gender, & Equity Center’s Advisory Board
The Women’s, Gender, & Equity Center’s Advisory Board is a collective of graduate students, classified staff, associate staff, and faculty with an interest in participating in the processes associated with developing and maintaining the UMBC Women’s, Gender, and Equity Center.
Current Advisory Board Members:
Abby Hart-Grzechowiak, Academic Transition Programs
Alexandra Novitskaya, Gender, Women’s, & Sexuality Studies
Alyssa Combs, UMBC Police
Carolyn Seaman, Center for Women in Technology
Davina Orieukwu, Athletics (Track and Field)
Delana Gregg, Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Joanna Gadsby, Albin O. Kuhn Library
Marcela Mellinger, Social Work
Maria Celleri, Gender, Women’s, & Sexuality Studies
Matthew Morrissey, Residential Life
Mercedes Burns, Biological Sciences
Rex Jarrett, Office of Professional Programs
Ronita Walker, Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Samantha Reynolds, Athletics
Sarah Cockcroft, International Students and Scholars
Sharon Tran, English
Tenley Stewart, Academic Success Center
Vanessa Capuano, Philosophy
Vickie Williams, Education
Yolanda Valencia, Geography & Environmental Systems