The Aftermath Learning Lab team includes investigators, research staff, students, and community partners.

Primary Collaborators:

**This image** is a portrait of Julia DeVoy, PhD, MTS, MBA, principal investigator for the lab.

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**This image** is a portrait of Matilda Lartey, a co-investigator and collaborator in the lab.

View Matilda's Profile

**This image** is a portrait of Professor Mark Cooper, MFA, a co-investigator and collaborator in the lab.

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This image is a portrait of Qingwan (Cecelia) Cheng, the project manager in the lab.

View Cecelia’s Profile

Lab Advisors:

**This image** is a portrait of Dielle Lundberg, MPH, an advisor for the lab.

View Dielle's Profile

Dr. Julia Devoy and Dr. Brian Smith — **This image** shows principal investigator Dr. Julia DeVoy (left) and co-investigator Dr. Brian Smith (right).

**This image** shows an image of the Smithsonian Institute Undergraduate Research Assistant (from documentary 2024).

**This image** shows principal investigator Dr. Julia DeVoy (left) and co-investigator Professor Mark Cooper (right).

**This image** shows a design map created by Mark Cooper, Julia DeVoy, and Sophia Riordan from the Bridgewater State University Aftermath Exhibit Presentation.

Current Research Assistants:

**This image** is a portrait of research assistant Sophia Ferrone.

Sophia Ferrone (she/her)

Undergraduate student and research assistant at Boston College
Major: Math/Computer Science and Transformative Education
Minors: Cyberstrategy and Design, Chemistry, and Design Thinking and Innovation
Research Interests: Sophia is passionate about healthcare and environmental education research. She began working as a research assistant in the Aftermath Learning Lab during her sophomore year. She is fascinated by the environmental and health risks posed by existing waste management practices. Through this experience, Sophia has gained a new perspective on textile waste and has made changes in her own life.

**This image** is a portrait of research assistant Maria Peterlin.

Maria Peterlin (she/her)

Undergraduate student and research assistant at Boston College
Majors: Applied Psychology and Human Development
Minor: Cyberstrategy and Design, Management and Leadership
Research Interests: Maria is deeply drawn to spaces where systems meet people. Especially, where policies, technologies, and institutions collide with real human lives. She joined the Aftermath Learning Lab in the fall of her senior year, where she engages in interdisciplinary research exploring ethical, restorative, and human-centered approaches to technology, accountability, and social harm. Through her work in the lab, she is particularly interested in the intersections of cybersecurity, restorative justice, and governance, and how digital systems can be designed to promote trust, care, and repair rather than surveillance or exclusion.

**This image** is a portrait of research assistant Pablo Colón Quiñones.

Pablo Colón Quiñones (he/him)

Undergraduate student and research assistant at Boston College
Major: Applied Psychology & Human Development, Organizational Studies and Human Capital Focus Area
Minors: Management & Leadership and Design Thinking & Innovation
Research Interests: Pablo is passionate about exploring organizational structures and strategies to enhance productivity on multiple levels. Since joining the Aftermath Learning Lab in August 2024, he has become particularly curious about the intersection between textile waste, mental health, and cultural dynamics. Drawn to the lab’s mission, he is eager to deepen his understanding and educate others about the different impacts of textile waste. Through his work with ALL, he aims to refine his research and analytical skills while making meaningful contributions to scholarly publications.

This image is a portrait of research assistant Carter-Frato-Sweeney.

Carter-Frato-Sweeney (he/him)

Undergraduate student and research assistant at Boston College
Major: Applied Psychology & Human Development, Organizational Studies and Human Capital Focus Area
Minors: Managing for Social Impact
- Research Interests: He examines the connection between positive psychology and sustainability, most recently through Eagle Eats Royale, a prize-winning app rewarding sustainable dining habits. At BC, Carter serves as a Resident Assistant and the treasurer of his a cappella group, roles that allow him to build community and foster belonging. He studied abroad in Stockholm and Seoul, which inspired him to advocate for bridging cultural values. These experiences fuel his passion for creating inclusive solutions that advance well-being, education, and the environment.

**This image** is a portrait of research assistant Annalise Goldberg.

Annalise Goldberg (She/Her)

Undergraduate student and research assistant at Boston College
Major: Applied Psychology & Human Development and Communications
Minors: Design and Innovation Thinking
- Research Interests: Annalise began working as a research assistant in the Aftermath Learning Lab during her Junior year at Boston College. She was drawn to the project by its ability to create hands-on learning opportunities and by her desire to learn more about textile waste. Through this experience, Annalise has gained an expanded understanding of communication in the research world and a renewed appreciation for environmentally friendly lifestyle changes. Annalise hopes to continue her work in the lab by creating a longer-term engagement strategy with small-scale sourcing and limited environmental impact.

**This image** is a portrait of research assistant Natalie Pedley.

Natalie Pedley (She/Her)

Major: Applied Psychology & Human Development and Studio Art with a concentration in Architecture
Minors: Design and Innovation Thinking
Research Interests: Natalie is passionate about advocating against the disproportionate impact that textile waste has on vulnerable communities. She joined the Aftermath Learning Lab during the summer of 2025. She is interested in interdisciplinary strategies and particularly the intersection of environmental justice and public health. By working in the ALL, she has educated herself and others about the extent of textile pollution and has developed and empowered sustainable strategies for everyday life.

Dr. Devoy and Professor Cooper — **This image** shows lab principal investigator Dr. Julia DeVoy and co-investigator Mark Cooper.

**This image** shows lab principal investigator Dr. Julia DeVoy and project co-manager Cecelia Cheng.

Additional Collaborators:

Other Student Contributors:

n/a

Former Research Assistants & Student Contributors:

Addison (Addie) Metzger (2021-2024)

Carrie Kandall (2025)

Jacqueline(Jackie) Alicea (2025)

Jiayu (Jocelyn) Liu (2023)
Yuxin (Cynthia) Zhang (2023)

Kate Canniff (2022-2023)
Qingwan (Cecelia) Cheng (2022-2023)
Evelyn Kotch (2021-2022)
Griffin Lawler (2022-2023)
Lourdes Macaspac (2022-2023)

Sarah Findeisen (2020-2021)
Eva Ottum (2020-2021)
Evan Warns (2020-2023)

Danielle Abate (2019 - 2020)
Elizabeth Congiusta (2019 - 2020)

Matilda Lartey LEAPS Presentation — **This image** shows affiliated collaborator Matilda Lartey presenting at the LEAPS 2023 Textile Waste Conference.

Community Partners:

The MFI Foundation:

The Matilda Flow Inclusion Foundation (The MFI Foundation) is a non-profit community-based organization in Greater Accra, Ghana. The organization operates an upcycling studio at which artisans and trainees who have been displaced by the global fast fashion and secondhand clothing industries create tie-dye and denim products out of textile waste sent to Ghana from the Global North. The organization centers women, disabled people, and parents of children with disabilities in its programs and advocacy around the barriers to basic income these groups often face in the community and globally. The organization was founded by Matilda Lartey, a fashion designer and environmental educator, and is governed by a board of local activists and artisans. Learn more at mfifoundationghana.org, or follow MFI on Instagram at @mfifashionghana.

Make Fashion Clean (MFC):

Make Fashion Clean (MFC or MFC Tie-Dye Inc.) is a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to reduce global fashion pollution by upcycling textile waste and educating about pollution. MFC creates repurposed denim and tie-dye products out of textile waste sent to Ghana from the Global North in partnership with a non-profit community-based organization in Greater Accra, Ghana called The Matilda Flow Inclusion Foundation (The MFI Foundation). This upcycling partnership generates employment and job training in the creative economy for artisans who have been displaced by the global fast fashion and secondhand clothing industries. It also diverts textile waste from landfills, open-air dumps, and the environment to reduce the impacts of pollution. MFC also collaborates with the The Aftermath Learning Lab on research and art projects at the intersection of textile-related pollution, policy, education, environment, and health. Learn more at makefashionclean.org, or follow MFC on Instagram @makefashionclean.

Aftermath Learning Lab Team — **This image** shows Aftermath Learning Lab research assistants, student contributors, and several alumni from the lab.

Aftermath Wilmington Memorial Library — **This image** shows principal investigator Dr. Julia DeVoy and research assistants from The Aftermath Learning Lab presenting at the Wilmington Memorial Library.

Eva Ottum Landfill Simulator — **This image** shows research assistant Eva Ottum presenting about the lab’s landfill simulating reactor prototype.

Aftermath Design Thinking — **This image** shows The Aftermath Learning Lab research assistants and student contributors from 2022-2023 participating in a series of design thinking workshops for a game-based learning project.

Evan Warns Aftermath Presentation — **This image** shows research assistant Evan Warns presenting about The Aftermath Sculpture.

Aftermath Team ACCelerate Festival — **This image** shows members of The Aftermath Learning Lab team and other student contributors at the ACCelerate Festival at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in April 2022.

Get Involved with the Lab:

They are several ways to get involved with the Aftermath Learning Lab. Learn more.