Akhila K. Nekkanti, PhD
My Background
It's difficult to describe who I am without sharing the immense gratitude I have for my family and dear friends. Every feat I have ever ventured upon, every hurdle I have overcome, and every accomplishment I have ever achieved was made possible by the love I have been so fortunate to experience. Thank you all for instilling your faith in me, conspiring with me about dramatic social change, laughing with me about the barriers, and walking by me through it all.
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I am the child of several generations who have pushed social norms and challenged systemic barriers. I carry with me a deep compassion for human goodness, dedication to community strengthening, and passion for abolishing systemic structures of power and oppression.
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My mission is to empower children and families by supporting and uplifting the inherent collective strength woven into our communities and preventing intergenerational trauma to push toward the abolition of punitive family policing.
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Professionally, I am the Associate Director for Innovation & Research on Choice-filled Lives at the Choice-filled Lives Network. In this role, I connect with non-profit organizations, community-centered private organizations, school districts, and equity-driven networks to support the planning, implementation, and evaluation of equitable programs that address root-cause barriers to sustainable, community-driven social change.
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Research Experience & Interests
I have unique multidisciplinary expertise in the following areas. I strive for my work to explicitly account for the impact of systemic barriers and institutionalized racism by valuing different types of intergenerational knowledge, addressing root-cause issues, and connecting a variety of community stakeholders.
Implementation Science & Program Evaluation Frameworks
Abolition of Family Policing and Forced Separation
Early Childhood Development and Family Systems
Neural Mechanisms of Behavioral Change
Family Strengthening and Violence Prevention
Research Skills
I'm trained in each of the below topics.
Many people think I'm also trained in comedy but I'm just naturally very funny.
Theory of Change Methods & Strategic Planning
Hierarchical Evaluation Designs
(e.g., changes in people within families within systems)
Parent Coaching & Family Engagement
Community-Based Participatory Research & RCTs for Psychosocial Interventions
Programming & Data Visualization in R
Volunteer Community Service
I grew up in California's Bay Area, and recently came back after completing my PhD in Oregon. I am an active volunteer member for each of the community organizations below. I'm currently working with Narika to obtain a CA state-licensed certification as a domestic violence counselor and advocate, with specialized training in working with South Asian families.
Education
2021
University of Oregon
Specializations in Advanced Quantitative Methodology & Data Science. Dissertation on the impact of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy on child-welfare involved children's neural profiles.
2021
Oregon Health & Sciences University
Certificate in Translational Science & Human Investigations.
Graduate study in the broad translation of how psychobiology and neuroscience can inform the modification, implementation, and scalability of family-centered interventions.
2016
University of California, Riverside
Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience.
Independent research study on the impact of mindfulness meditation on the neurobiological markers of stress regulation in vulnerable adolescents.