Caroline Joo

Caroline Joo is a senior at Duke University majoring in sociology with a minor in chemistry in the pre-dental track. She is particularly passionate about addressing inequalities within oral healthcare and approaching dentistry from a holistic perspective. This year, with WomenNC, she is working under the guidance of her FEMtor, Lori Bunton, to study the role of Medicaid insufficiency in challenges to oral healthcare access for pregnant women and single mothers in North Carolina. In her free time, she loves to sing with her a cappella group, watch Warriors games with her brother and sister and knit sweaters. She’s absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate with the extraordinary women of WomenNC this year!

Chalina Morgan-Lopez

Chalina is a senior political science major at NC State University and a WomenNC Scholar. Her research examines access to resources for Latinx survivors of intimate partner violence in Mecklenburg, Durham, and Duplin counties. She is passionate about advancing public health policy for marginalized communities and has held various roles in sexual violence prevention, reproductive justice, and disability advocacy on and off campus. Most recently, Chalina has interned with the U.S. House of Representatives and Dysautonomia International and currently serves on the board of Pro-Choice North Carolina.

Noelle Smith

Noelle Smith is a senior at North Carolina Central University, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She is a member of the University Honors Program and a Chancellor Cycle of Success Scholar. At NCCU, she serves as a Residential Assistant, an Undergraduate Teaching Fellow for Freshman Seminar, and a member of the Nixon Thorpe Psychology Club where she supports students as they navigate college. Noelle is involved in nonprofit work in Colorado, serving as an HBCU Panelist for the Colorado Association of Black Professional Engineers and Scientists and a member of Colorado HBCU Connect.
Noelle’s interests center on examining how systemic inequities and societal expectations shape the psychological well-being of Black women, as well as identifying meaningful ways to reduce the mental and emotional burden these forces create. Through the WomenNC Scholars Leadership Program she seeks to contribute meaningfully to research and advocacy initiatives that directly uplift her community. She plans to continue exploring these interrelated issues throughout graduate training, with a focus on the clinical psychological implication that such research can inform.
In her free time, Noelle likes reading, watching crime shows, spending time with her friends and family, and playing with her dogs.

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