Research

You can play an important part in MAZE research！
Participate and spread the word

If you are an international student or alumnus, you can help understand the needs of our very own community and identify valuable solutions by participating in our studies and tell your fellow international students about MAZE studies. Results will be shared with you and the rest in our community. So we can build a maze of resources and opportunities to advance the wellbeing and success for everyone on the study-abroad journey.

MAZE Peer Education Survey

Click here or scan QR code to participate!
You can also spread the news by sharing the image and/or the invitation text below on your Instagram, LinkedIn, and/or Facebook.

The MAZE team consists of more than 30 passionate international students, diligent researchers, and experienced psychotherapists. We all come together because we all have one same goal—to promote cross-cultural mental health awareness and empower the international students . We care about if you are alone struggling with challenges on your pursuit of dream overseas.

You are amazing! You have potential that you might not have seen. But we also get that you may have moments when you are sad, frustrated, desperate… This is the reason why we present to you our Peer Education Program. We are here to support you, carry you through your toughest journey!

We created this survey at https://lnkd.in/eS_mtGp (click the link or scan the QR code below to enter the survey), so we can better know how to do that. It takes no more than 15 minutes to complete. And we sincerely appreciate your time and effort filling it out. Remember, by filling out the survey, you not only help yourself, but also help millions of other fellows living abroad here in the United States.

hashtag#mentalhealthawareness hashtag#support hashtag#journey hashtag#education hashtag#cultural hashtag#help hashtag#challenges hashtag#empower

MAZE Concepts

Empowerment: entitles all individuals with self-determination, access to information and resources, influence over others' perceptions on one's competency and capacity to act, and effect on changes in one's own life and one's community.

Assets-Based Community Development (ABCD): builds on the assets that are already found in the community and mobilizes individuals, associations, and institutions to come together to build on their assets-- not concentrate on their needs. Then the identified assets from an individual are matched with people or groups who have an interest or need in that asset.

MAZE Research Interests

Empowerment and Participation
Asset-Based Community Development
Community Participatory Action Research
Mental Health Stigma in Chinese/East Asian communities
Cross-cultural perception of mental health and psychological services
Cultural adaptations of mental health awareness and education program

Current collaborations

Kristen DiFilippo, Ph.D., RDN, LDN
Dr. Kristen DiFilippo is a Teaching Assistant Professor of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois. She is the Professional Education Coordinator for the Nutrition and Wellness concentration area of MFLN. Kristen’s research focuses on app based strategies to support nutrition education for behavior change. Kristen earned her bachelor’s and PhD from the University of Illinois and her master’s from Eastern Illinois University.
Contact: [email protected]

Chung-Yi Chiu, Ph.D.
Dr. Chiu is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois. As a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, Dr. Chiu investigates issues related to the health and quality of life of people with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Much of her work focuses on people with multiple sclerosis and cancer survivors. Within the population of multiple sclerosis, she has examined the mediating effects of exercise, diet, and stress management on functional disability and health-related quality of life; dietary and physical activity self-management; and the effectiveness of the Health Action Process Approach as a health promotion model.

Andrew Finch, Ph.D
Dr. Finch is an Associate Professor of Practice & School Counseling Coordinator at Department of Human and Organizational Development, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University. He is a Core Faculty member in Human Development Counseling. Dr. Finch's research interests include the role of schools as continuing care for substance use disorders, counseling, and human development, and the cology of schools. He has been widely recognized with his central efforts in the recovery school movement, both as an organizer of such programs and as a scholar documenting the history of the movement and conducting research on program effects and outcomes.
Read more
Contact: [email protected]

Nicole A. Cobb, Ed.D
Professor Cobb has worked in education for 21 years as a teacher, school counselor and administrator at the district and state level. Her professional experience has allowed her to link research to practice in the field of school counseling, specifically as it relates to school climate, crisis response, college access and school counselor effectiveness. Before joining the faculty in the school-counseling program of the Department of Human and Organizational of Human and Organizational Development in the Peabody College of Education at Vanderbilt University she was the Executive Director of School Counseling for Metro-Nashville Public Schools and was appointed by Governor Bredesen as Director of School Counseling for the State of Tennessee during his term in office.

Research Collaboration