Research Interests
community-based mental health careevidence-based treatmenttraumaresilienceservice learninggraduate education
Opportunities
Work Study Positions Available: No
Grant Funded Positions Available: Yes
Most of my grant-funded studies contain opportunities for doctoral students to work as therapists. These studies involve community-based trauma-focused treatment with youth and their families. Psychology doctoral students may email me to inquire about opportunities.
Course-Credit Research Opportunities Available: Yes
I regularly mentor student researchers who enroll in PSY410, PSY510, PSY600, or PSY610 with me. Interested students should contact me 1 semester before they are interested in enrolling.
Volunteer Research Positions Available: Yes
I enjoy helping students connect to research opportunities like the Summer Undergraduate Research Institute and the Student Undergraduate Research Foundation Award. Interested students should look into information about these opportunities on the Office of Research and Sponsored Program's webpage (https://www.wcupa.edu/_admin/research/student-resources.aspx)
and email me to indicate their interest in applying.
Biography
I am a clinical psychologist with research interests across clinical, social, and developmental areas.My scholarship centers on two primary topics. First, I aim to understand how to optimize mental health services
to better meet the needs of under served children and families who have experienced adversity. Together with my lab, I study mental health prevention and intervention programs that are implemented in community settings where under served children and families are most likely to access care. Across studies, I am curious about who changes (and who does not change), how and when change comes about, and the contexts in which change is most likely to occur. I am particularly curious about how social relationships promote positive change and development in the context of clinical interventions and every day interactions. Often this work is done in collaboration with community partners who are involved in each step of the research process. Second, I aim to understand how to optimize training to be more inclusive of people who are underrepresented in graduate programs.
I believe that the most innovative and valuable research comes from diverse and inclusive teams. I am particularly invested in working with scholars whose perspectives have been under-represented in clinical science and I welcome undergraduate and graduate students to contact me to learn more about research opportunities in my lab.
