Research Interests
adversitytraumaadolescentsyoung adultsyouthpolicies and interventionsgenerational cyclespoverty
Opportunities
Work Study Positions Available: No
Grant Funded Positions Available: No
Course-Credit Research Opportunities Available: Yes
PSY410 Research Experience
Volunteer Research Positions Available: No
Biography
Hello! I am a professor and licensed clinical psychologist, and I run the Trauma & Development Lab here at WCU. I got involved in clinical psychology research as an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and those experiences helped me get a job after graduation and eventually go on to pursue my PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. I completed my doctoral internship at Nemours Children's Hospital working with children and families dealing with stressors, mental health concerns, and chronic illnesses. I went on to complete a post-doctoral fellowship at the Child Abuse Research Evaluation and Services (CARES) Institute at Rowan University where I provided evidence-based therapy for children, adolescents, and families who had experienced traumatic events including abuse and neglect.
Now, as a professor at WCU, my research focuses on how traumatic experiences impact children and adolescents as they grow up. In my lab, we work on research to address questions like, How does trauma and/or poverty impact the types of goals youth set? How they think about their future? How they transition into adulthood? We also think about ways to reduce trauma exposure in the first place. For example, by working on research to address questions like, How can foster and biological parents work together to help increase stability in the lives of youth who have been placed in foster care?
In the lab, undergraduate and graduate research assistants help design studies, code and analyze data, learn about research on topics related to how childhood adversity impacts mental and physical health later in life, learn about graduate school and careers in psychology, and have opportunities to present their research. Please email me for more information on how to get involved!
