Mad Topics

Research & Mad Corps

Introducing the Mad Corps

The Mad Corps is a collaborative research and praxis collective emerging from the Mad Topics Initiative. Born from the need for inclusive, interdisciplinary, and action-oriented scholarship, the Mad Corps brings together undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and community partners committed to reimagining mental health, education, and leadership through lived experience and human-centered inquiry. The Mad Corps model was conceptualized by Dr. David T. Culkin鈥攁n influential changemaker, researcher, and adult educator鈥攊n collaboration with Dr. Kinsey Simone during the summer of 2025.

Mad Topics is honored to learn from Dr. Culkin鈥檚 work and to continue growing this model in partnership with students, scholars, and practitioners across disciplines. 

Unlike traditional "research teams," the Mad Corps framework invites whole-person participation鈥攅mphasizing shared leadership, ethical reflexivity, and creative contribution across disciplines. Members are empowered to co-develop applied research projects, design community resources, lead symposia and outreach efforts, and contribute to publications that challenge dominant narratives in mental health, education, and equity work.

Our work spans qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies, always grounded in values of transparency, rigor, and care. Whether you're a data analyst, poet, engineer, educator, or activist鈥攜ou belong here.

The publications below represent just a portion of our ongoing efforts. Together, we are building a new culture of research: one that listens, reflects, and transforms.

Mad Corps Members

Current Mad Corps Primary Researchers

• 禄 Dr. Kinsey Simone, Tn Tech

  Founder/Director, quantitative researcher with lived experience of OCD,  ADHD, & Complex PTSD

• 禄 Dr. David T. Culkin, Kansas State University

  Co-author of OCD and Marriage, veteran, qualitative researcher with lived OCD & autism experience

Current Mad Corps Faculty

• 禄 Dr. Leann Taylor, Tn Tech

  Instructional leadership, lived ADHD experience, former school principal (2024 lived experience panelist)

• 禄 Dr. Amy Callender, Tn Tech

  SPED professor, former school psychologist, autism in children focus (2024 clinical perspective panelist)

Current Mad Corps PhD Students

• 禄 Yongmei Shi, MA, Tn Tech

  International doctoral student researcher from China, past school principal and founder

• 禄 Wenyong Qu

   

Current Mad Corps Master Students

• 禄 Lydia Schultz, BA, Tn Tech

  MA student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

• 禄 McClane Oakley, BS, Tn Tech

  MS student in School Counseling, research focus surrounding Mad Topics benefits for school counselors

External Mad Corps Researchers

• 禄 Dr. Cole Wise, Rutherford County Schools

  SPED instructional coach in Tennessee, lived OCD experience, member of OCD Tn (Tn Chapter of International OCD Foundation)

• 禄 Louise Struwe, BA, University of Vienna, Ljubljana, Slovenia

  Masters student in Slovenia studying Cognitive Science; lived OCD experience, framing thesis in Mad Studies, focus on obsessive-compulsive experience (OCE)

 

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Talking about mental health can sometimes be uncomfortable. We have mental health professionals at all Mad Topics events who are available to direct attendees to supportive resources. Virtual attendees and readers at any point can call the TN Tech Center for Counseling and Mental Wellness at 931-372-3331 or the Eagle Eye After Hours Crisis Hotline at 855-206-8997.

Center for Counseling and Mental Health Wellness

Did you know?

• Some courses offer students extra credit for attending Mad Topics!
• Educators can receive Professional Development Hours for attending Mad Topics!
• Licensed mental health professionals should determine whether this panel is suitable for Continuing Education Unit (CEU) hours for their division, as per Board of Psychology requirements. Mad Topics symposia aligns with requirements for a professional workshop (see 1180-01-.08, 2.C.2.) and/or academic preparation (see 1180-01-.08, 2.D.ii), and could also pertain to cultural diversity due to discussion of disability stigmas (see 1180-01.-08, 1.d.). It is up to each licensed professional to determine the merit of this event for their specific CE requirements.

To learn more about getting involved with IMPACT TTU, Mad Topics Scholars Program, being a campus sponsor, extra credit, PD, and/or CEU opportunities, email Dr. Kinsey Simone at madtopics@tntech.edu.