Research Associate, M.A.
mdschill@syr.eduMichele Dominique Schilling holds a master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Colorado Denver, where her academic research explored the impact of Orthodox religious institutions’ policies on women and LGBTQ+ persons, focusing on their rights, mental health, stigma management, and minority stress. For these studies, she used qualitative research methods such as in-depth interviews and thematic content analysis.
Previously, she worked in film as a writer and director, telling stories about the experiences of women and LGBTQ+ youth within the family unit and the social world, focusing on issues such as the impacts of micro and macro marginalization on mental health. With her business partner, she ran a film production company in Los Angeles and worked as a writer and consultant for media and publishing companies. She also conducted research on policy, history, and mental health, as well as in-depth interviews, as part of her film work.
She is a Research Associate at the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University, where she is part of a team evaluating the Psychiatric Advanced Directives (PADs) Innovation Project in California, which is designed to support people during a mental health crisis as well as during the recovery process.