Anthony Osuna is finishing his Ph.D. in the Clinical Psychology emphasis of CCSP under Dr. Ty Vernon. As an undergraduate at UCLA, he majored in Psychology and minored in Applied Developmental Psychology. He was also a McNair Research Scholar, a research intensive program for under-represented minorities, where he studied personality in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). His current interests revolve around treatment interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. More specifically, Anthony is interested in improving the online social skills of adults with ASD and how to better understand and improve the experiences of under-served families with children with ASD.
GGSE: What one thing about your research do you wish you could share with more people?
Osuna: Social media is a critical space for social communication--be mindful of what you say and how you interact with others.
GGSE: Tell us about one of your fondest GGSE memories.
Osuna: Hanging out with my cohort in the Funk Zone. Everyone needs to ride a LandShark at least once.
GGSE: What's next for you?
Osuna: In the fall I will be starting a postdoctoral fellowship at Seattle Children's Hospital to do both research and clinical work. I have also accepted a faculty position in the University of Washington's Masters of Applied Child and Adolescent Psychology: Prevention and Treatment program to teach and advise students.
GGSE: Where do you hope to see yourself in 10 years?
Osuna: I hope to be a faculty member in a psychology department or medical center doing research related to social media support. I also hope that my intervention program (SELFI) has been manualized and that I am continuing to mentor BIPOC students.
GGSE: Are there people at the Gevirtz School you would like to thank?
Osuna: I'd like to thank Ty Vernon, Steve Smith, Miya Barnett for helping me with my dissertation during such a chaotic time. I'd also like to thank Anna Krasno for her clinical support at the autism center. Last but not least, I'd like to thank the GGSE admin and staff including Maria, George, Aaron, for all of their hard work that keeps our department running.