Faculty & Staff
Faculty
Kaley Turner Doctoral Candidate, CFLE
Specialized Research Faculty
Kaley Turner is a Specialized Research Faculty at The Florida Center for Prevention Research where she serves as Co-Investigator on multiple research projects. Kaley graduated from Florida State University with her Bachelor's degree in Family and Child Sciences and Master’s degree in Human Development and Family Science. Kaley is currently a doctoral candidate in the Human Development and Family Science program at FSU. At FCPR, she serves as the Data Manager on a federal Healthy Marriage grant and leads Continuous Quality Improvement efforts to support partner organizations for multiple evaluation studies. Through her specialized coursework at FSU, she obtained her Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) credential and a certificate in Measurement and Statistics.
Cynthia Wilson Ph.D., CFLE
Executive Director
Dr. Cynthia (Cindy) Wilson joined The Florida Center for Prevention Research as Executive Director in February 2019. Dr. Wilson has served as Principal Investigator on multiple private, state, and federally-funded projects in substance abuse prevention and in the evaluation of marriage education programs and adolescent pregnancy prevention programs. Dr. Wilson has a Bachelor’s degree in Family & Child Sciences and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Family Relations, all from Florida State University. Dr. Wilson is a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) through the National Council on Family Relations and a Certified Parent Coach through Connected Families. She has over 20 years of experience delivering a variety of community-based family life education programs, primarily in the areas of parenting, human sexuality, and relationship education. Prior to joining FCPR, she served as Teaching Faculty in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at FSU. Dr. Wilson has served in academia since 2010, having formerly taught at Baylor University and the University of Montevallo prior to joining the faculty of FSU in 2017.
Hye-Jung (April) Yun Ph.D.
Research Faculty
Dr. Yun is a Research Faculty at The Florida Center for Prevention Research. Dr. Yun joined FCPR as a postdoctoral scholar in September 2021, but was promoted to Research Faculty I in Summer 2024. She performs statistical analyses of data related to marriage education and substance abuse prevention. She received a Ph.D. in Family Relations, with a certificate of Education Measurement and Statistics from Florida State University in 2015. Prior to joining FCPR, she was an assistant professor at Fort Valley State University in 2015 – 2017 and also worked as a researcher at the Florida Center for Reading Research at FSU in 2019 – 2021. Before moving to the U.S. to pursue her Ph.D. in 2011, she engaged in several research projects at the National Youth Policy Institute and Korea Academy of Gifted Education in South Korea.
Staff
Vicki C. Bennett
Prevention Program Coordinator
Vicki is a Prevention Program Coordinator at FCPR and the coordinator of the Calhoun/Liberty Prevention Partnership Grant sponsored by the Florida Department of Children and Families, in sponsorship with Chemical Addictions Recovery Effort (CARE). Vicki formerly coordinated and implemented the Green Dot Bystander Intervention project in Calhoun and Liberty counties. Vicki was previously the Drug Epidemiology Network representative for Washington County where she collected surveillance data on opioid deaths and local drug patterns and trends for the State Outcomes Epidemiological Workgroup. She continues to work with local community coalitions to increase community connectedness and awareness of the prevention projects. Prior to her work with prevention projects, she taught at Blountstown Elementary School and Blountstown High School and brings with her 35 years of teaching experience and expertise. She holds a BA and MS from Florida State University in elementary education and reading. Her work with FCPR provides her the opportunity to continue to offer school-based prevention programs, including in her hometown community of Blountstown and to the students of Calhoun and Liberty counties.
Katie Burtoft M.S.
Prevention Program Coordinator
Katie Burtoft brings her wealth of experience and expertise to The Florida Center for Prevention Research, having joined our team in 2024. With a background in Higher Education and over six years of dedicated service within non-profit, community-based organizations, Katie is deeply committed to supporting families and individuals in need. Holding both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Family and Child Sciences from Florida State University, Katie's academic foundation complements her practical experience, ensuring a comprehensive approach to addressing community needs. At FCPR, Katie is the coordinator for all of our Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention evaluation projects.
Monica Laughlin
Senior Administrative Specialist
Monica Laughlin serves as the Senior Administrative Specialist at The Florida Center for Prevention Research, where she oversees office administration, procurement, travel, and human resources; and supports the fiscal management of sponsored projects. Before joining FCPR in 2024, Monica served in the financial and administrative management and support of two other centers at Florida State University and for a not-for-profit foundation that founded and continues to support a research center at FSU. From 2005 to 2023 Ms. Laughlin served as Business Manager of the Claude Pepper Center and the DeVoe L. Moore Center at FSU in the management of the centers' financial, human resource, project, and administrative operations.
Bonnie Wertenberger M.S.
Prevention Program Director
Bonnie Wertenberger joined The Florida Center for Prevention Research as Prevention Program Director in January 2021. She has managed state and federally funded prevention programs including grants in the areas of sexual violence prevention, alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse prevention, juvenile delinquency prevention, and participated in the drug epidemiology network. She has also managed a multi-district virtual education program and has over 20 years experience as a classroom and virtual instructor. Ms. Wertenberger has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Education and an M.S. in Vocational Education with a technology specialty from University of Central Florida. Ms. Wertenberger holds a Florida Teaching Certification in Business Education, as well as training certifications in the following prevention strategies: Green Dot, LifeSkills, Too Good for Drugs, Guiding Good Choices, Active Parenting of Teens, Motivational Interviewing, and TOPS.
Karen Zak
Prevention Program Coordinator
Karen Zak is a Prevention Program Coordinator at The Florida Center for Prevention Research. Karen's primary role is the coordination of the Wakulla Drug-Free Communities program, a federal grant sponsored by the CDC, in partnership with the Wakulla County Coalition for Youth (WCCY, https://wccy.org/). Karen is a Tallahassee native as well as a graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She currently resides in Wakulla County where she is deeply involved in the community and is passionate about strengthening the work of the WCCY and bringing additional prevention services to the community.
Research Assistants/Interns
Adriana Aguilera
Research Intern (InternFSU)
Adriana Aguilera is a Research Intern at the Florida Center for Prevention Research, through the InternFSU program. She is currently completing her Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Criminology at Florida State University. In her role at FCPR, Adriana contributes to a range of research projects, with a particular focus on the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, where she assists in data entry and survey data management. In hopes of making positive changes in communities, she is committed to learning and contributing to the center’s mission of advancing prevention strategies through evidence-based practices.
Qinglan (Lenka) Feng Doctoral Student
Research Assistant
Qinglan (Lenka) Feng is a Research Assistant at The Florida Center for Prevention Research, where she focuses on the Florida Healing the Opioid Epidemic project, funded by the Florida Department of Children and Families. Lenka earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Early Education from The Ohio State University. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Sciences at Florida State University, where she also obtained an M.S. in Family & Child Sciences in 2022 and an M.S. in Measurement and Statistics in 2024. Lenka's research interests include the psychological well-being and mental health of children and adolescents, with a particular focus on parenting, family relationships, and substance use. She hopes her research can inform practical initiatives and programs that promote a healthy developmental environment for children.
Izbeth Flores
Research Assistant
Izbeth Flores Aparicio is a Research Assistant at The Florida Center for Prevention Research, contributing to various research initiatives. Currently enrolled in a double major program in Psychology and Criminology at Florida State University (FSU), Izbeth is deeply involved in supporting a federal Healthy Marriage grant and is pivotal in database management. Beyond her FCPR responsibilities, Izbeth dedicates her time as a Bilingual Crisis Counselor at the Crisis Text Line. In this role, she offers invaluable assistance and support to individuals navigating overwhelming and challenging situations, providing an accessible platform to seek help. Additionally, Izbeth serves as the Psi Chi Treasurer at FSU, showcasing her commitment to academic and professional excellence. Moreover, Izbeth was named to the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s List in 2021 and Spring 2023, attesting to her outstanding commitment to scholastic excellence.
Emily Forsman
Research Assistant
Emily Forsman is a Research Assistant at The Florida Center for Prevention Research, aiding in a variety of ongoing research projects and prevention programs. Emily graduated from Florida State University in Spring 2024 with a double major in Human Development and Family Sciences as well as Psychology. At FCPR, she assists with managing, cleaning, and entering survey data, and contributing to various research project tasks when needed, with the overall goal of promoting positive development and relationships. She is working towards obtaining her Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) credential.
Elizabeth Pereira
Research Intern
Elizabeth Pereira is an Intern and Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) Practicum Student at the Florida Center for Prevention Research, where she contributes to an opioid research project. As a double major in Human Development and Family Science and Psychology at Florida State University (FSU), Elizabeth is dedicated to serving her community. Her work focuses on opioid prevention and intervention strategies, aiming to understand the societal impacts of opioid use. With a passion for promoting mental health and well-being, Elizabeth is particularly interested in applying evidence-based practices to support individuals and families affected by substance use disorders.
Luke Pifer
Research Intern
Luke Pifer is a Research Intern at The Florida Center for Prevention Research, where he primarily assists with the Opioid Applied Research project funded by the Florida Department of Children and Families. He is currently working towards graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Science from Florida State University. At FCPR, he helps with conducting telephone surveys, coding responses, and assisting with systematic literature reviews. Luke hopes to graduate in December 2024 from Florida State University with his Bachelor's degree.
Velan Thanasekar
Research Assistant
Velan Thanasekar is a Research Assistant at The Florida Center for Prevention Research, where he assists with multiple research projects. Velan joined the FCPR team through the Tallahassee Future Leaders Academy in Summer 2023 as a high school intern, and due to his demonstrated aptitude and diligence, he was invited to continue his service at FCPR as a Research Assistant. His work includes data entry for surveys as part of a teen pregnancy prevention program and data cleaning for a marriage education program. Currently, Velan is co-authoring a paper that evaluates substance abuse interventions, showcasing his commitment to making a difference in the community through research.