The Pennsylvania Team

Carolina Villamil Grest
PhD, MSW

Principal Investigator

Carolina Villamil Grest is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work with a decade of practice experience as a clinical social worker across diverse settings, including criminal justice with youth, domestic violence shelters, and legal services organizations supporting immigrant women and children. Her research focuses on reducing social and structural health inequities and understanding the conditions that contribute to wellbeing among underserved U.S. communities, particularly Latino/a/x/Hispanic populations. Guided by an interdisciplinary approach, she employs quantitative, qualitative, and community-engaged methods to develop, implement, and evaluate prevention and intervention strategies.

Rosleyry Rosario, BA

Research Assistant

Rosleyry Rosario is a recent graduate of Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a concentration in Health, Science, and Society and a minor in Marketing. A first-generation college graduate and child of Dominicans immigrants, she was actively engaged in fostering community and equity on campus, including co-founding a student organization dedicated to supporting first-generation students through increased access to academic resources, mentorship, and professional development opportunities.

During her undergraduate studies, she also served as a research assistant on a faculty-led project examining the health needs of individuals experiencing homelessness. Rosleyry plans to pursue a Master of Public Health, with a focus on health policy and the social determinants of health, and is committed to advancing equitable access to healthcare and essential resources for underserved communities. Her interest in this area of research is deeply informed by her passion for immigrant equity, shaped by her experiences and her awareness of the systemic barriers—particularly in higher education—that disproportionately affect immigrant communities.

Executive Director of Immigration Legal services.

Research-Community Partner

Senior Vice President Community Engagement, Research and Health Equity.

Research-Community Partner

The Pennsylvania Team

Carolina Villamil Grest PhD, MSW

Principal Investigator

Carolina Villamil Grest is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work with a decade of practice experience as a clinical social worker across diverse settings, including criminal justice with youth, domestic violence shelters, and legal services organizations supporting immigrant women and children. Her research focuses on reducing social and structural health inequities and understanding the conditions that contribute to wellbeing among underserved U.S. communities, particularly Latino/a/x/Hispanic populations. Guided by an interdisciplinary approach, she employs quantitative, qualitative, and community-engaged methods to develop, implement, and evaluate prevention and intervention strategies.