Who We Are

Lobsang Tenzin Negi is the Executive Director of the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics at Emory University where he oversees SEE Learning^® (Social, Emotional, and Ethical Learning), a program that develops and implements curricula for kindergarten through university level for the education of heart and mind among other initiatives. Lobsang was born in Kinnaur, a remote Himalayan region adjoining Tibet. A former monk, he began his monastic training at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamasala, India, and continued his education at Drepung Loseling Monastery in south India, where in 1994 he received the Geshe Lharampa degree. Lobsang completed his PhD at Emory University in 1999; his interdisciplinary dissertation centered on traditional Buddhist and contemporary Western approaches to emotions and their impact on wellness. His current research focuses on the complementarity of modern science and contemplative practice. 

Ryder Delaloye is the Associate Director for the SEE Learning Program. He is a practitioner of education and learning, his experience as a teacher and administrator spans from 2nd grade through graduate school. He has taught in public and private schools and universities both domestically and internationally. Prior to his role as the Associate Director of SEE Learning, his research and school engagement focused on whole school and district transformation, district leadership, sustainability education, civic education, and teacher and administrator SEL. Ryder believes that education is vehicle for interpersonal growth and societal change. He is grounded by his wife and children, with whom he loves to play and go on adventures in the mountains. He received his Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Montana.

Brendan Ozawa-de Silva served as associate professor of psychology at Life University, and as associate director for the Center for Compassion, Integrity, and Secular Ethics at Life University. His research focuses on the psychological, social, and ethical dimensions of prosocial emotions and their cultivation, with a focus on compassion and forgiveness; and his chief interest lies in bringing secular ethics—the cultivation of basic human values—into education and society. He was the founding director of the Chillon Project, a higher-education-in-prison program, a Fellow of the Mind and Life Institute, and an associate editor for the Journal for Healthcare, Science, and the Humanities. Brendan holds doctorates from the University of Oxford and Emory University. 

Christa Tinari is the Senior Instructional Content Developer for SEE Learning. She works on the development of the curriculum and educator preparation materials and process. For twenty years, Christa has provided expertise in peace education, bullying prevention and social-emotional learning to thousands of educational leaders, community members and students. She was formerly Adjunct Instructor of Education at Temple University, where she taught future educators how to build compassionate classrooms. She sat on the committee that crafted the Social-Emotional Learning Standards for the New Jersey State Department of Education and holds an M.A. in International Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution with additional credentialing in Student Assistance Counseling.

Tsondue Samphel is the Senior Program Coordinator for the SEE Learning Program. He joined the SEE Learning team in November 2018 to take on the responsibility of coordinating the international aspects of the SEE Learning Program. Prior to taking on this role, Tsondue worked as a senior translator for the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative--a monastic science education initiative of the Center--translating scientific materials into Tibetan and supervising publication and collaborator relationships. He is one of the core members of the ETSI team that is creating scientific lexicons in Tibetan. Mr. Samphel holds a BS degree from Emory, and Pharchin Rabjam (BA equivalent degree) and Uma Rabjam (MA equivalent degree) in Buddhist Studies from Institute of Buddhist Dialectics.

Iman Sebunya is the Senior International Program Coordinator for SEE Learning. She has worked in K-12 Education for ten years, in a variety of contexts and settings. She has been a teacher, teacher trainer, curriculum developer and director of therapeutic learning. Iman is very passionate about innovative models for educating the whole child, and believes in creating spaces where scholars are held in holistic, healthy, safe, secure, integrated and connected ways which in turn, allows scholars to rise to their full potential and further impact personal and societal change. She holds an MA in International Education Development with a focus in Peace and Human Rights Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. While there, her research was centered around non-formal religious education in Senegal and its role in promoting social cohesion in rural and urban settings.

Maria Tuohy is the Senior Program Coordinator for the  SEE Learning Program. She is an education professional with fifteen years of experience. Her time as a teacher spanned diverse contexts: middle and high school, public and private schools, urban and suburban locations, and teaching courses at all levels in Biology and Environmental Science.  She has also served as a sustainability program coordinator. Maria has practiced mindfulness meditation for several years and her greatest passion in life is travel, particularly the opportunity to learn about and experience other cultures, which she genuinely believes broadens the mind.

Kimble Sorrells is the Program Coordinator for SEE Learning. He has worked in the non-profit sector, prior to joining the SEE Learning team, where they have over ten years of experience in program development and management. In addition to their non-profit background, Kimble is also an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and a Registered Yoga Teacher through the Yoga Alliance. In this capacity, they have taught contemplative practices and developed education programs for children, youth, and adults. Kimble holds a Master of Divinity from Emory University and a B.A. in Religion from Berry College. Kimble’s professional interest lies at the intersection of spirituality and social justice work, and they are an active leader in LGBTQ+ advocacy and spiritual care in Atlanta.

Tyralynn Frazier is the lead Research Scientist with the SEE Learning Program. In this capacity, she works on the strategic development of implementation and evaluation goals and objectives that support evidence-based program planning. Her background is in the study of emotional self-regulation, and the importance of emotional regulation in the relationship between stressors experienced over the life course such as discrimination, violence, and trauma. Tyralynn's primary objective is to focus the SEE Learning research program on developing an effective educational intervention that has the potential to have a lifelong positive impact on both educators and students. She holds an MPH in epidemiology from Emory University, and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Anthropology from Emory University.

Tenzin Sonam is a researcher with the SEE Learning Program. He works on the assessment and evaluation of the K-12 SEE Learning curricula, and on the online educator preparation platform. Sonam received his Ph.D. in Teaching and Teacher Education from University of Arizona in 2017. His research interest is in studying the learning experiences of communities traversing multiple epistemologies and worldviews, and how cultures influence learning and education in general. His doctoral dissertation looks at how monastics understand and situate the biological theory of evolution from their traditional Buddhist worldview. Prior to that, he worked in the science section of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in India where he worked with programs such as the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative.