Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology Current Students

Sepideh M. Alavi is a doctoral candidate in the Clinical Psychology emphasis working with Dr. Maryam Kia-Keating. She received her Master of Arts degree in Psychology and Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College, where she was in the Global Mental Health and Trauma research tracks. After completing her graduate education, Sepideh worked at the New York State Psychiatric Institute/ Columbia University Medical Center and studied treatment refractory anxiety and depressive disorders in adolescents and young adults. She was then recruited by the VA Portland Healthcare System and managed a national suicide prevention clinical trial. Her research centers around the impact of secondary traumatic stress on health and mental health care providers, and strategies to improve wellness and resilience. Sepideh is currently completing her doctoral internship at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. She is bilingual in Farsi and English. In her spare time, Sepideh makes pottery, practices yoga, and frequents the beach. 

Contact info: alavi@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail)

Samira Amirazizi is a doctoral candidate in School Psychology emphasis working with Dr. Erin Dowdy. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Chapman University. Before coming to UCSB, Samira worked for Children's Bureau in their school readiness program conducting positive parenting interventions, developmental screenings, and case management services. Her research interests are broadly focused on early identification through mental health screening, intervention, and prevention services for youth and families. Samira has specific interests in the intergenerational mechanisms of trauma from caregivers to children and ways to mitigate adverse effects. Her work is focused on early childhood mental health, culturally informed parent interventions, and trauma-informed school practices.

Mikey A. Arana is a doctoral student in the clinical emphasis, under Dr. Maryam Kia-Keating in the TARP lab. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Chicanx Studies and Psychology from CSU Channel Islands and received program honors for his achievements in Chicanx Studies. He also has a Master of Arts in Psychology from CSU Los Angeles, where he was a National Institute of Health Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement fellow. He is a Eugene Cota-Robles fellow. His research interests revolve around trauma, adversity, resilience, and access to culturally-informed mental health services amongst marginalized communities. His work uses mixed-disciplinary methods, intersectional frameworks, and community-based participatory action research methodologies. His clinical interests focus on increasing access to multicultural services using a social justice lens, applying trauma-informed modalities, and providing psychotherapy to marginalized communities in English and Spanish.

Rebecca Ruby Aviña is a M.Ed. School Psychology student and JEDI Scholar. Originally from Oxnard CA and a first generation Latina, she completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Washington Seattle. She earned a BA in Psychology with a minor in Digital Experimental Arts. As an undergraduate and Ronald E. McNair Scholar, Rebecca worked with Dr. Lucía Magis-Weinberg as a research assistant to conduct and publish research on "Prosocial Youth Purpose in Peruvian Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic" through thematic analyses. She also played a role in translating the "Social Media Test Drive" platform from English to Spanish, with the goal of promoting digital literacy. Now at UC Santa Barbara, Rebecca's mission is to equip herself with the skills needed to support underserved families in educational settings. Her overarching aim is to destigmatize mental health support while focusing on serving Latino communities. Leveraging her proficiency in Spanish, she strives to provide vital resources to those in need. For inquiries or further connections, you can reach out to Rebecca at ravina@ucsb.edu

Aniela Bordofsky is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology working under Dr. Ty Vernon. She earned a B.A. in History and a minor in applied psychology from UCSB in 2020. After her undergraduate studies, she completed a research fellowship in Pharmaceutical Research and Clinical Practice at the Yale Child Study Center. Her research interests include studying Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. She is also interested in increasing widespread access to effective autism interventions via telehealth adaptations.

Helen "Sade" Branyan is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology working under Dr. Ty Vernon. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from Barnard College in 2020. After graduating, she worked as a clinical research assistant at the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain at Weill Cornell in New York. Her research interests include identifying barriers in accessing resources for Black/Latinx families with young children on the autism spectrum (ASD) along with cultural adaptations of existing diagnostic measures. She is also interested in building community collaborations. Feel free to contact her at helenfbranyan@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Stephanie is currently pursuing an M.Ed. in School Psychology at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). She earned her B.A. in Psychology from California State University, East Bay, where she served as the Vice-President for the Tau Sigma National Honor Society, assisting diverse transfer students by organizing campus-wide events. While pursuing her undergraduate studies, she taught at an Emilia Reggio preschool and provided behavior therapy at a non-profit Applied Behavior Analysis agency in the Bay Area. Later, she served as a special education paraprofessional at a local elementary school, further strengthening her understanding of the unique needs of students. In 2022, she earned an M.S. in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Southern Maine. As a current Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Stephanie is looking forward to a future career as a School Psychologist. At UCSB, Stephanie is a JEDI scholar, participating in a project dedicated to promoting Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. In her spare time, she enjoys trying new boba shops, taking walks with her two little dogs in Ventura, and exploring local farmers markets with her husband on the weekends.

Jacquelyn Chin (she/her) is working to improve mental health outcomes among queer racial-ethnic minority (e.g. Black, Latinx, Asian, people-of-color) communities by increasing access to culturally-responsive interventions. As a doctoral student in the Counseling Emphasis, her research focuses on empowerment evaluation, racial identity development, sexual and gender diversity, and community-based methods. Her dissertation work involves evaluating a community-partnered mixed-methods mental health intervention to support Black queer community. She works in Dr. Tania Israel's RISE-Up lab to develop interventions that target internalized stigma among the LGBTQIA+ community. She also works in Dr. Alison Cerezo's SHE Lab to support the California Department of Public Health's LBTQ initiative in evaluating the racial health equity outcomes of community-based organizations that serve queer & trans women. Clinically, Jackie has worked in the Healing Space Clinic, Hosford Clinic, Cate School, UCSB's CAPS Clinic and SBCC's Health & Wellness Center. Jackie has served as the president of the Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA), an Access graduate mentor, and through the Graduate Scholar Mentorship program. In her free time, she enjoys tennis, poetry, travel, yoga, and comedy.

Lindita Djokovic is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology emphasis working under the mentorship of Dr. Erika Felix. She received her B.A. in Psychology from University of California, Riverside and completed M.S. coursework in Clinical Psychology at CSU Fullerton. During her undergraduate and graduate studies, Lindita worked as a research assistant in a variety of labs conducting studies related to longitudinal effects of child adversity, (volitional) personality change among adults, and psychological responses to collective trauma. She has worked in various applied settings striving to reduce mental health disparities among local communities including her hometown’s non-profit trauma intervention program, full-time research associate for a dual-diagnosis treatment center, and a Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) Trainee. Her current research interests include mental disparities among underserved communities (i.e., ethnic minorities), identifying culturally sensitive trauma interventions, and psychosocial responses to collective trauma. Feel free to contact Lindita at ldjokovic@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Emily Edelman is a doctoral student is School Psychology working under Dr. Quirk. Emily received her B.A. in Psychology, with a Health and Development emphasis and an Education minor, from Stanford University in 2017. During college, she led an early math learning intervention with preschool and kindergarten students. After Stanford, Emily taught at a therapeutic day school to help children with behavioral and emotional regulation difficulties re-engage in learning and develop the positive behaviors necessary to transition back to a more traditional school setting. Emily’s research interests include evidence-based prevention and early intervention practices that positively impact children’s developmental trajectories. She is especially interested in the ways in which school-based interventions can support students’ academic and social-emotional development as well as parents’ engagement in their children’s learning. Please do not hesitate to contact Emily at emilyedelman@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Kristina Esopo (she/they) is a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology working with Dr. Tania Israel. Their mentoring, teaching, clinical, and research interests focus on using intersectional, relational-cultural, and liberatory social justice approaches to resist and dismantle systems of oppression, heal ancestral and intergenerational trauma, and enhance joy and thriving among primarily marginalized individuals and collectives, especially within the queer and trans community. Kristina currently serves as a member and steward of The Blacker the Brain, a collective committed to systemic and cultural change through decolonizing mental health and co-creating ecosystems of liberation. She is also integrating decolonized and liberatory content and praxis into the teaching of counseling psychology as a student affiliate of the APA Division 17, Society of Counseling Psychology, Intervention Curriculum Committee and Continuing Education Committee. When Kristina is not working, they find a lot of joy spending time in nature, rollerblading, dancing, and playing with their dog, Pistachio. Please feel free to contact her at kesopo@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Meghan Evans (she/her) is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology working under Dr. Maryam Kia-Keating. Meghan received her B.S. in Psychology with minors in Public Health Science and Religious Studies from Santa Clara University. After graduating, she worked as a senior lab manager and post-baccalaureate research associate focused on the relationship between trauma, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), mental health, and other social determinants of health (i.e. community violence, discrimination, housing instability, mass incarceration). Her current research interests include mixed-methodology, community-based participatory methods, social determinants of health, and reducing racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in culturally-sensitive, strengths-based trauma interventions. Please feel free to contact her at m_evans@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Kaela Farrise (she/her) is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology under Dr. Miya Barnett. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in African and African American Studies, and in Urban Studies. She also has a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in the state of California. Prior to joining UCSB, she was the Lab Manager in the Early Life Stress and Resilience Program at Stanford University School of Medicine and has also worked as a clinician in a wide-range of settings. Her research interests include the implementation and dissemination of mental health services in under-resourced communities, understanding and mitigating the impacts of domestic violence and racial trauma on families of color, and culturally responsive adaptations of psychological interventions. Kaela is a Chancellor’s Fellow and Racial Justice Fellow at UCSB. She can be contacted at kaela@ucsb.edu.

Gio Franco is a M.Ed. student in the School Psychology emphasis. He graduated from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) upon which he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. Prior to earning his BA, Gio began working at a local community agency providing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children with developmental disorders. Shortly after, he transitioned to working within the school setting, specifically at the elementary level, where he continued to provide behavioral support as an Instructional Assistant (III). Gio is a JEDI scholar at UCSB who is interested in destigmatizing mental health services to Latine and other ethnic minorities as a practitioner. 

Alicia Geng is a doctoral student in School Psychology working with Dr. Erin Dowdy. She received her B.A. in Psychology from UC Berkeley, where she worked in several developmental research labs and a child psychology clinic. She continued working with children as a researcher at the Autism and Developmental Disorders Research Program at Stanford Medicine, specifically on Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs). As a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) scholar, she is particularly interested in exploring cultural differences in parental attitudes and well-being, protective factors in children's mental health, and how schools can better support under-resourced students' social-emotional development. Please feel free to contact her at geng@ucsb.edu. 

Yessica Green Rosas is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology emphasis working with Dr. Miya Barnett. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, and was a McNair Scholar, at the University of San Diego. During her time there, she worked with Drs. Kristen McCabe and May Yeh as the coding coordinator on a project aimed at personalizing Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for culturally diverse families. Her research is aimed at reducing mental health disparities and increasing engagement and outcomes in mental health services for Latinx families. She is currently working on examining and enhancing treatment delivery for Spanish-speaking families in behavioral parent training interventions.

Osiris is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology emphasis working with Dr. Kia-Keating. Osiris went to UC Davis and studied Psychology with two minors in African & African American Studies and Human Development. Osiris is currently in the Trauma & Adversity, Resilience & Prevention (TARP) Lab at UCSB. Osiris’ primary research interest is suicide research to help improve clinical suicide interventions. Osiris has also been working on projects examining the aftermath of exposure to police brutality. Osiris’ clinical resonance is trauma,(C)PTSD, Black Queer/Non-Binary/Trans/Questioning identities and Neurodivergence. Osiris enjoys painting nails, the outdoors, anime, reading LGBTQIA+ fiction, and animals. Osiris is grateful to be here with Luna, an adorable best doggie friend! 

Madeline Hayden (she/her) is a student in the School Psychology M.Ed. program. She received her B.A. in Psychological Science from The University of Vermont. As an undergraduate, Madeline worked at the Vermont Center on Behavior and Health in both an administrative and research capacity. After earning her degree, Madeline worked as a Special Education Teaching Assistant at General John Nixon Elementary School in Sudbury, MA. She later took on a similar role at McLean Hospital’s Pathways Academy, a year-round therapeutic day school for students with autism spectrum disorders. In her future practice, Madeline aims to improve access to mental health services in schools, build anti-racist school climates, and put culturally responsive and trauma-informed practices at the forefront of her work.

Gaby Hinojosa (she/her/hers) is a doctoral student in School Psychology working under Dr. Erin Dowdy. Gaby is a 2020 graduate from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) where she graduated summa cum laude with her B.A. in psychology. During her undergraduate tenure, Gaby worked in two research labs, one that examined the effects of contextual stressors on underrepresented adolescent’s mental health. Additionally, Gaby was awarded the University Scholarship, Presidential Scholarship, and Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholarship. She was also a member of CSUN’s NCAA DI women’s soccer team. After earning her degree, Gaby served for Americorps as a tutor and mentor to high school students. Her research interests focus on diversifying the field of school psychology along with culturally responsive school-based mental health practices. Specifically, she wants to examine factors such as racial trauma, radical healing, and intersectionality in relation to mental health outcomes. At UCSB, Gaby has been awarded the Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship and the Racial Justice Fellowship. In her free time she likes to powerlift, try new restaurants, and go to Disneyland. Please feel free to contact her at ghinojosa@ucsb.edu

Shemiyah Holland is a doctoral student in the School Psychology emphasis working under Dr. Shane Jimerson. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Claflin University in 2015 and her M.A. in School Psychology in 2019 at Bowie State University. After Bowie, Shemiyah worked as a school psychologist at Calvert County Public Schools at the primary and secondary school level. As a school psychologist, Shemiyah noticed patterns in the difficulties students faced in expressing their emotions and problematic student-teacher relationships. Her research interests include student engagement, positive peer and teacher relationships, prevention and early intervention services, and culturally responsive practices. At UCSB, Shemiyah is a Project TEAMS fellow which focuses on promoting mental health and equity among students. In her free time, she likes to go on walks on the beach and spend time with her daughter. Please feel free to contact her at sholland@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Elana Hubert is a doctoral student in counseling psychology working under Dr. Melissa Morgan. After receiving her B.A. in anthropology from Barnard College, Elana spent time working as an advocate for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence through Crime Victims Treatment Center and at the NYC Department of Health on a community mural-making and public health program. Elana received her MA in psychology from the New School in 2020. Her research interests include collective and intergenerational memory, immigration, identity, and community-based participatory research. She is also interested in the ways research can be both informed by and create public art and memorials. Please feel free to contact her at ehubert@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Samantha Hutchinson (she/her/hers) is a doctoral student in School Psychology working under Dr. Erin Dowdy. She graduated from Skidmore College with a B.A. in Psychology in 2020, where she evaluated broadly how young children learn about the world and assessed how adult beliefs about early cognitive development vary across experience and expertise. As a Program Assistant at the Child Mind Institute, she worked with clinicians across disciplines delivering evidence-based small group interventions for students on behavior and emotion regulation. As a Research Coordinator at Boston College she initiated collaboration between the Psychology & Neuroscience department and the Education department to investigate the basic principles of learning and memory and their application in educational settings. Her current research interests include school-based interventions to support students’ academic and social-emotional development as well as parent and community involvement. As a Project TEAMS scholar at UCSB, she is excited to continue to collaborate across departments to research and implement evidence-based interventions to support diverse students’ social, emotional, and mental health needs. Please feel free to contact her at samanthahutchinson@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Juliana Ison (she/her/hers) is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology emphasis working with Dr. Miya Barnett. She received her BA in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Notre Dame and later worked as a research coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Juliana's research interests lie in the intersection between developmental psychopathology, implementation science, and community-based participatory research methods. More specifically, she is interested in addressing disparities in mental health care access among marginalized youth and families—especially Latinx youth and families—through implementation science and community-based participatory research frameworks in order to increase the availability and uptake of culturally-sensitive, evidence-based treatments within these communities. Please feel free to contact Juliana at jison@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Luke Janes is pursuing a Ph.D. in School Psychology at UCSB, has an M.Ed. in education from UC San Diego, and an M.A. in multicultural counseling from San Diego State. He has been a case manager for homeless youth, a high school and middle school teacher, and a facilitator in adult prisons for the Alternatives to Violence Project. He was also a founder of a kids camp aimed at inspiring and supporting youth empowerment and activism, and a co-director for a diversity training program. He has significant experience with at-risk, ELL, trauma-surviving, and homeless youth populations. He currently provides individual and group counseling to trauma survivors at Child Abuse Listening Mediation (CALM) in Santa Barbara. He is also currently working in Jill Sharkey's lab in collaboration with local community agencies in the reduction of ethnic disparities in social service access across the county, the need-based prevention of drug abuse and gang involvement among adolescents, and the rehabilitation of adult non-violent offenders in Santa Barbara County. He is bilingual in English/Spanish. He also likes pie. And volleyball. He is addicted to dancing, especially blues, fusion, and contact-improv dancing—but in a pinch, any kind will do!

Isaiah Jones is a first-generation "Blackxican" (Black and Mexican) student pursuing his doctoral degree in the Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology PhD Program at UC Santa Barbara under Dr. Alison Cerezo. As an undergraduate, Isaiah participated in a number of scholar programs and assistantships surrounding health disparities. His research interests focus on community and peer-based coping strategies surrounding minority and intersectional disparities, help-seeking and health behaviors, emotion regulation, and identity-related experiences. As part of his graduate research, Isaiah is focusing on the experiences of mentorship and cultural taxation of intersectional LGBTQ+ women of color in academia. Currently, Isaiah is also working as part of the Leadership Team for The Healing Space and part of the Program Evaluator Team for CDPH's LBTQ Health Equity Initiative.

Lakhvir Kaur is a doctoral student in the school psychology emphasis of our doctoral program working under Dr. Shane Jimerson. Prior to her studies here, Lakhvir attended community college and went on to transfer to California State University, Bakersfield where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Post her graduation, Lakhvir attended California State University, San Bernardino where she graduated with an Education Specialist (Ed.S) degree and PPS Credentials in School Psychology. Her research interests include examining mental health outcomes in Sikh children who become victims of bullying and harassment and developing appropriate school-based interventions and practices. Furthermore, she is interested in exploring English Language Learner’s representation in Special Education, specifically related to identification and placement.

Natalie Larez is a doctoral student working under Dr. Jill Sharkey in the School Psychology emphasis. Natalie received her B.S. from the University of Arizona in Literacy, Learning, & Leadership (Education), as well as Family Studies &Human Development in 2019. During her time at the University of Arizona, Natalie worked on a clinical trial that examined post-traumatic stress symptoms and resiliency factors among adolescents who had been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Natalie’s current research interests are examining risk and resiliency factors and educational attainment of youth who have experienced significant childhood trauma, specifically, among minoritized and low-income communities. Natalie’s research is centered around community-engaged research methods and has implemented Youth Participatory Action Research at a local school in her time at UCSB. Natalie is a Health Policy Research Scholar under the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and is interested in policies that influence publicly funded institutions that youth frequent such as schools, juvenile justice systems, and hospitals. Please feel free to contact her at nalarez@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Sarely Licona is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology working under Dr. Ty Vernon. She earned a B.S. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from the University of Rochester in 2019. After graduating, she worked as a research assistant at the Autism Assessment, Research, Treatment, and Services (AARTS) Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. Her research interests include identifying barriers in accessing resources for under-served families with young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) along with cultural adaptations of existing parent-mediated interventions. She is also interested in bilingual assessment and intervention. Feel free to contact her at slicona@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Andrew Leyva is a M.Ed. student in School Psychology and a JEDI scholar. He graduated from CSU Long Beach with a degree in Psychology. During his undergrad, he worked at a psychology office administering neuropsychological assessments and providing cognitive remediation to patients. Additionally, he worked as a paraprofessional for special education in elementary schools to improve academic performance and support positive student behavior. Andrew is pursuing a career in school psychology to promote equity and advocate for student success.

Isabel López (she/her/ella) is a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology working with Dr. Andrés Consoli. She received both her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology-Honors and her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from California State University, Northridge. She is a Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP) Scholar, a Eugene Cota-Robles Fellow, and a Louis H. Towbes Fellow—prestigious recognitions granted by the CSU and UC systems. Isabel’s research interests center on examining and addressing barriers to mental health care, particularly among the Latine population. She studies how factors such as acculturation, mental health knowledge, and barriers to care influence help- seeking attitudes and behaviors among ethnic minorities. She is working to expand upon this line of research, while also addressing the level of culturally relevant care provided to Latine and other ethnic minority families seeking mental health services. Her clinical interests include the provision of bilingual psychotherapy (English and Spanish languages) and culturally sensitive care. Please feel free to contact Isabel at isabellopez@ucsb.edu

Natalie Mikaeli is a M.Ed. student in School Psychology and JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Scholar. She received her B.S. in Psychological and Brain Sciences with a minor in Applied Psychology from University of California, Santa Barbara. As an undergraduate, she acquired experience in facilitating social-emotional learning skills in small group tier 2 instruction and promoting prosocial play activities with elementary-aged students. After earning her degree, Natalie worked as a content specialist at an elementary school in Goleta where she implemented Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports on the playground. She is currently continuing to work in schools with TK-6 students. Natalie hopes to become a practitioner at the elementary level so she can provide services to all students, including those from historically underserved populations with an aim to understand each student's socioeconomic, cultural and linguistic background.

Allie Mittelstet is a doctoral student in School Psychology working under Dr. Shane Jimerson. Allie earned a BA in Psychology with a minor in Applied Psychology at the University of California--Santa Barbara, where she worked in child cognitive psychology and evolutionary psychology research. Allie has worked for nonprofit mental health organizations in the Santa Barbara area, including SB Response Network and the Glendon Association, to promote mental health advocacy and provide emergency psychological support at the community level. Her current research interests include development of early intervention and preventionary systems in K-12 settings, school systems support, multi-tiered systems of support, and accessibility of information. For any questions or to find out more, you can contact Allie at amittelstet@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Alice Mullin is a doctoral student in the School Psychology emphasis under Dr. Jill Sharkey. She graduated from Scripps College with a B.A. in psychology. Following graduation, she began working as a project coordinator in Dr. Allison Harvey’s lab at UC Berkeley, where she worked on research focusing on the development and implementation of a behavioral sleep intervention for both youth and adults. Currently, her research interests include reducing barriers to and improving engagement with evidence-based treatments within youth systems, with a particular focus on the sustainment of successful interventions in schools. Most recently, she has also become interested in examining the role of school climate as a barrier/motivator to sustainment. She is particularly interested in increasing historically underserved populations’ access to such interventions via school systems. Her dissertation is examining the ways in which certain implementation constructs predict the sustainment of trauma informed practices in schools. 

Chava Nerenberg is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology working with Dr. Maryam Kia-Keating. Chavaholds a B.A. from Cornell University in Government and Asian Studies, an M.S. from American University in International Development Management, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Before beginning her Ph.D., Chava worked for more than a decade as an international aid worker, providing food aid, psychosocial support, and community programming to vulnerable populations in ten countries. Most recently she served as the program manager for a randomized controlled trial evaluating different approaches to building resilience among Congolese refugees. Chava’s research focuses broadly on trauma and resilience. She is particularly interested in vicarious trauma, mental health care for aid workers and first responders, and therapeutic approaches for treating trauma among multicultural populations.

Emanuel Perez is a doctoral student in School Psychology working under Dr. Matthew Quirk. He received his B.A. in Psychology and an Applied Developmental Psychology minor from UCLA. Before beginning his Ph.D., Emanuel was a teacher's aide, completing assessments to gauge children's learning. Emanuel also worked as an infant/toddler teacher at UCSB's Early Childhood Care program. His research interests include early intervention practices that support children's socio-emotional and academic readiness. Emanuel is also interested in the ways school psychologists can draw on the linguistic and cultural backgrounds of families to understand the influences on children's socio-emotional and academic readiness. Please feel free to contact Emanuel at emanuelperez@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Georgia Eleni Perris is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology emphasis under Dr. Erika Felix. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in applied developmental psychology. Following graduation, she worked as a project coordinator at UCLA in Dr. Eraka Bath's lab which focused on community-driven research aimed at reducing disparities and improving access to health and social services for youth impacted by complex trauma, particularly those from child welfare or juvenile justice backgrounds. Currently, her research interests revolve around factors facilitating successful adjustment following traumatic events and evidence-based interventions that promote healing. Most recently, she has also become interested in examining the role of creative intervention approaches to support resilience in grieving children and young adults. Georgia is a UC Regents Scholar. In her free time, she likes to practice surfing, play tennis and basketball, and paint. To contact Georgia, you can reach her at georgiaperris@ucsb.edu.

Grace Peterson is a M.Ed student in the school psychology program. She received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Child Development from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo where she was involved in both research and clinical experience. Grace is originally from Clovis, California. She was a research assistant across a few different labs during her undergrad. Grace has an extensive background working with children of all ages. She has worked in two different behavioral health clinics delivering ABA services to children with autism. During her undergrad, Grace worked for a nonprofit that provided mentorship services to at-risk youth in the community. Grace is interested in early identification of learning disbailties and the importance of early intervention/prevention services from the vantage of a practitioner.

Angela Pollard is a doctoral student in the School Psychology emphasis working under Dr. Jill Sharkey. After she graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Yale University in 2016, she engaged in an AmeriCorps year of service providing full-time academic support to middle school students in Delaware. She then worked as a project manager at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, under Drs. John Lyons and Suzanne Button, supporting a provider-led training and technical assistance institute for use of the CANS in New York’s Medicaid Health Home Program. Prior to attending UCSB, Angela earned her Master of Science in Psychology from Drexel University in 2021 under the research mentorship of Dr. Naomi Goldstein. Her research interests include the implementation of effective school-and community-based supports for youth who are at-risk of juvenile justice system involvement. Angela is also committed to creating safe and joyful school environments for marginalized youth.

Amaranta Ramirez is a doctoral student in the counseling emphasis in the CCSP program working with Dr. Alison Cerezo. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of California Dominguez Hills and obtained her Masters in Counseling during her second year in CCSP. Presently, Amaranta is a APA Minority Fellow. Her research interests are in social media use with LGBTQ teens and young adults, focusing on improving mental health through virtual connectedness and community. She also conducts research on the impacts of alcohol on sexual minority women. Please feel free to contact her at amaranta@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail)

Nicole Ramirez is a doctoral student in the Counseling emphasis working with Dr. Alison Cerezo. As a queer, Latina first-generation student, she earned her undergraduate degree with Highest Honors at UCSB. Since early 2019, Nicole has been supporting youth violence prevention research in community settings in Santa Barbara County and previously worked clinically with youth and adults at a partial-hospitalization treatment facility in Santa Barbara, CA. Her research interests center on community and policy in the development of culturally-relevant and innovative mental health interventions for LGBTQ+ minoritized women and youth.

Rachel Reazer is a Master in Education student in School Psychology. She received her B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Applied Psychology from UCSB in 2021. During her undergraduate studies, she worked as a Teaching Assistant in a preschool classroom. Prior to attending graduate school, she worked as a Behavioral Interventionist in Santa Barbara for children with Autism. After graduation, Rachel hopes to practice as a School Psychologist in a California school district.

Amber Reinke is a doctoral student in School Psychology working under Dr. Shane Jimerson. Amber graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and minors in Education Studies and History. At UCLA she assisted in implementing a manualized evidence-based social skills intervention for youth struggling to make and maintain friendships. Before beginning her Ph.D., Amber also served as research coordinator for the UCLA ADHD and Development Lab testing longitudinal predictions of adolescent peer relationships and academic functioning from childhood aggression, anxiety, and depression in youth with and without ADHD. Her current research interests are focused centrally on revealing the processes and mechanisms through which early symptoms of psychopathology potentiates negative school related outcomes. She also aims to study how to develop and implement interventions to meet the unique needs of diverse individuals in school-based settings. Please feel free to contact her at amberlreinke@ucsb.edu.

David Rivera is a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology emphasis of our program working with Dr. Alison Cerezo. Prior to our program, David attended community college and went on to transfer to San Diego State University where he earned his bachelor’s degree. His research focuses on addressing sexual and gender minority health disparities among people of color. He is also interested in investigating how culture, stress, and gender roles relate to health outcomes among this population in addition to intervention research. You may contact David via email at drivera@ucsb.edu

Amelia Robinson is a M.Ed student in school psychology. She is originally from Northern California and received her B.S in Psychology from Villanova University. During undergrad, she worked as a research assistant on projects relating to how children learn in formal and informal learning environments. She also served as a clinical intern in a child psychology clinic, working with clients ages 4-22 with a variety of behavioral and social-emotional needs. She is currently working as a Teaching Assistant in a preschool classroom. She is interested in early intervention, mental health and learning disabilities. Amelia hopes to work in an elementary school with historically underserved populations. Please feel free to contact her at ameliarobinson@ucsb.edu.

Darielle Robinson is a Masters student in School Psychology and a JEDI fellowship recipient. Prior to attending UCSB, she received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. After obtaining her bachelors degree, Darielle taught second and third grade in Michigan for 2 years. She then moved to China and taught English to preschoolers for 2 years, implementing a new and interactive English learning curriculum. Darielle then moved to the southwestern delta region of Alaska and taught kindergarten through sixth grade for 2 years. While there, she founded and ran various programs, including a reading program that successfully raised students’ reading scores each year. Darielle hopes to combine her vast teaching experiences with a school psychology degree to help students find their voice and achieve equity in every aspect of their lives. 

Arnold Rodriguez Robles is a doctoral student in the School Psychology emphasis working under the mentorship of Dr. Matt Quirk. Prior to attending UC Santa Barbara, Arnold completed his M.S. in School Psychology at CSU Monterey Bay and B.A. in Legal Studies and Sociology at UC Santa Cruz. His research interests surround the assessment and diagnosis of learning disabilities in students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, examining the cognitive and academic effects of dual-language immersion programs, and language development in children. Further, Arnold’s research interests stem from his background as a dual-language teacher. He hopes to contribute to the field by addressing the academic and social/emotional needs of emergent bilingual students and integrating social justice practices in school psychology.

Kaylin Russell is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology working with Dr. Ty Vernon. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from Michigan State University in 2018. Following graduation, she worked as the manager of the Michigan State University Autism Research Lab under Dr. Brooke Ingersoll. Her current research interests include examining the feasibility, acceptance, and efficacy of social skills groups for autistic teenagers and school-aged children with ASD. She also implements parent coaching interventions such as PRT and PCIT. She really enjoys working with each of her clients in the Koegel Autism Center’s assessment and intervention clinics.

Hanan Salem is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology working under Dr. Miya Barnett. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at Florida International University. After graduating, she worked as a project coordinator on the Kids FACE FEARS study, a PCORI-funded study that examined the effectiveness of therapist-led and online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for youths within pediatric settings. During this time, she also worked on several projects that explored various models of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) aimed at increasing the accessibility of and engagement in PCIT across diverse families. Her research interests include addressing mental health disparities within diverse and underserved children and families that have experienced disasters and adversity by increasing the access to and quality of evidence-based services within these populations. Feel free to contact her at hsalem@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Erika Luis Sanchez is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology working under Dr. Miya Barnett. Erika earned her B.A in Psychology at California State University, San Marcos and M.A. in Psychology at San Diego State University. As an undergraduate student, Erika was a Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement Program (RISE) scholar; she is currently a Eugene Cota Robles scholar. Among Erika’s interests are the role that socio-cultural factors play on mental health disparities among at-risk minority children and families (including Spanish monolingual families), and finding innovative ways to contribute to closing the access and utilization of mental health services gap through research. Erika may be reached at beluissanchez@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Daniela Sarmiento Hernandez is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology working under Dr. Kia-Keating. Daniela received her B.S. in Psychobiology from UCLA in 2020, and her M.A. in Counseling Psychology from UCSB in 2023. Her research and clinical interests lie at the intersection of psychology, biology, and culture. She is particularly interested in studying mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) through a community-based participatory research (CBPR) lens to inform the development of interventions for youth and families. She is also interested in exploring the role of technology to enhance mental health accessibility.  Daniela can be contacted at dsarmientohernandez@ucsb.edu(link sends e-mail).

Pauline Serrano is a doctoral student in School Psychology working with Dr. Jill Sharkey. She earned her MA in psychological science and BA in honors psychology with a minor in child and adolescent development from California State University, Northridge (CSUN), where she teaches as part-time faculty. Pauline’s program of research examines the impact of individual, family, and school factors on the health (mental/physical) and academic success of underserved minority students. Her prior research experiences solidified her passion of improving student socio-emotional health, engagement, and academic success within school systems. More specifically, she is interested in the role school psychologists play in fostering the connection between families and school staff. Her long-term goals are to become a professor and a licensed school psychologist. Feel free to contact Pauline at jeanpauline_serrano@ucsb.edu.

Himadhari Sharma identifies as a second-generation bilingual (Hindi/Urdu-English) cisgender South Asian American (Desi) woman and daughter of Asian Indian immigrants. She is currently a doctoral candidate within the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara working with Dr. Andrés Consoli. She has a variety of professional experiences, including a previous career in health care management, and has worked internationally (in India) both in business and psychology. Her current work focuses on increasing accessibility to mental health support among minoritized groups, with an emphasis on South Asian and South Asian American communities. She is passionate to continue developing a career, as a researcher, clinician, and educator, centered on decolonization and social justice. Her interests include access and utilization of mental health services by minoritized communities (with an emphasis on South Asian and South Asian American communities), culturally salient and indigenous mental health support and psychological treatment methods, decolonization of psychotherapy, cross- cultural/international psychology, as well as bi/multilingual psychological mental health support.

Madeline Spiess is a doctoral student with an emphasis in School Psychology working with Dr. Erin Dowdy. She received her B.A. in Psychology from University of San Francisco. After graduation, she worked at UCSF within the Hyperactivity, Attention and Learning Problems (HALP) Clinic. For two years, Madeline was the lead project coordinator for the Collaborative Life Skills Program, a school-home intervention focused on behavioral parent training, child skill building, as well as teacher consultation and professional development. Her current research interests include the exploration of contextual and interpersonal factors that contribute to enhanced relationships, well-being, and efficacy among educators and students. Madeline is also engaged in work surrounding transformative social-emotional learning, intentional school climate initiatives, and parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT). She emphasizes the power of relationships within her research and intervention work, leveraging these connections to support intentional approaches that lead to lasting change at individual, community, and system levels. Please feel free to contact her at mspiess@ucsb.edu

Sierra Steinert is a student in the M. Ed School Psychology program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is in the second cohort of JEDI scholars, a program with defining values of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. She earned her B.S. in Psychological and Brain Sciences, with a minor in Applied Psychology at UCSB. During her undergraduate studies, Sierra participated as a research assistant under Dr. Maryam Kia-Keating and a number of Clinical Psychology doctoral students. She also participated as a facilitator for Peer Buddies, delivering social skills interventions for individuals with social difficulties. Sierra currently works at the Orfalea Family Children’s Center as a teacher in the infant program. She is interested in early intervention services, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), social-emotional learning, and providing high-quality services as a school psychologist in the future. Feel free to contact her at sierrasteinert@ucsb.edu

Grace Stewart is a M.Ed. student in School Psychology and a JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Scholar at UCSB. She received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Seattle University in 2019. As an undergraduate, Grace worked as a research assistant at the Center for Child and Family Well-Being at the University of Washington where she assisted in research examining overall well-being for first time mothers and their infants. After earning her degree, Grace continued working in labs at the University of Washington where she worked on projects involving brain imaging and Autism Spectrum Disorder. She then gained more hands-on experience in a classroom setting and became a special education instructional assistant at Bailey Gatzert Elementary School in Seattle, WA. Grace is interested in improving access to mental health services in schools, early intervention and identification of disabilities and the importance of being a culturally responsive future school psychologist.

Jazzmyn Ward is a doctoral candidate in the Clinical Psychology program working with Dr. Erika Felix. Prior to attending UCSB, she double majored in Psychology and Criminology with a minor in African American Studies at UC Irvine. Jazzmyn then went on to complete her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at California State University, Northridge where she studied community violence and ethnic racial socialization among marginalized populations. Broadly, Jazzmyn is interested in variations of trauma exposure and its effects on mental health among marginalized populations particularly in the Black community. She is also a part of The Healing Space, a racially-informed speciality clinic aiming to support Black community members of Santa Barbara. She is currently working on her dissertation project exploring intergenerational trauma among African Americans.

Chongzheng Wei (he/they) is a doctoral student with an emphasis in Counseling Psychology working with Dr. Tania Israel. He received an M.Ed. in Education (concentration: sexuality education and counseling) from Beijing Normal University and a B.S. in Applied Psychology from Nanchang University in China. His strong commitment to counseling psychology and social justice started by serving prisoners, underresourced migrant children, and LGBTQ individuals in China. After graduation, he was sponsored by the Chinese government to work at both UNESCO headquarters in Paris and Asia-Pacific regional office in Bangkok, promoting gender equality andLGBTI inclusion in the education sector. Chongzheng speaks Mandarin, English, and intermediate French. His research centers around addressing minority stress and mental health disparities facing the LGBTQ community. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, hiking, swimming, and playing the Ukulele. Feel free to contact him atc_wei@ucsb.edu