SEPIDEH M. ALAVI

Sepideh M. Alavi is a doctoral candidate in the Clinical Psychology emphasis working with Dr. Maryam Kia-Keating. Prior to attending UCSB, 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 her graduate education, Sepideh worked at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and studied treatment refractory anxiety and depressive disorders in adolescents. She was then recruited by the VA Portland Health Care System and managed a suicide prevention clinical trial examining lithium augmentation with treatment as usual in veterans. At UCSB, Sepideh studies the impact of secondary traumatic stress and strategies to improve health promotion and resiliency. Sepideh is also interested in implementation and dissemination of EBTs in LMIC and resource-poor communities. Contact info: alavi@ucsb.edu

SAMIRA AMIRAZIZI

Samira Amirazizi is a third-year doctoral student with an emphasis in School Psychology 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 include the implementation of universal mental-health based screenings in schools for early identification, intervention, and prevention. Samira also has interests in early childhood mental health, culturally informed parent interventions, and trauma-informed school practices.

MIGUEL (MIKEY) ARANA

Miguel (Mikey) Arana is a first-year doctoral student in the Counseling emphasis working under Dr. Maryam Kia-Keating in the trauma, adversity, and resilience prevention (TARP) lab. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Chicanx Studies and Psychology from CSU Channel Islands receiving program honors in Chicanx Studies. He received his Masters of Arts in Psychology from CSU Los Angeles where he was a National Institute of Health Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement fellow;currently he is a Eugene Cota-Robles fellow. His research interests center around trauma, mental health, guilt and resilience amongst Latine communities; particularly students, undocumented individuals, Indigenious communities, and adults. He is interested in using mixed- interdisciplinary methods, intersectional frameworks and community-based participatory action research. His clinical interests include increasing access to culturally relevant services using a social justice lens, and the provision of bilingual psychotherapy (English-Spanish).

ANIELA BORDOFSKY

Aniela 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

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.

JACQUELYN CHIN

Jacquelyn Chin (she/her) is a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology working under Dr. Tania Israel.Her research focuses on creative community-based mental health interventions among Black/Latinx LGBTQIA+ communities. Her topic focuses are trauma, self-harm, and anxiety/depression. She is a Fulbright student, serving as an English Teaching Assistant in Argentina. Outside of the department, Jacquelyn is the president of the Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA), an Access graduate mentor, and part of the Graduate Scholar Mentorship program. You can also find her writing poetry, singing, skating, and painting. Feel free to reach her at jacquelynchin@ucsb.edu or Research Gate.

DANIEL DEL CID

Daniel is a 2nd year School Psychology graduate student researcher under the supervision of Dr. Jill Sharkey at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education department. Currently, Daniel is working on a grant awarded as part of UCSB’s Multidisciplinary Research on COVID-19 & Its Impacts (MRCI) to study the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health and parental practices of essential workers. Daniel is a doctoral student studying School Psychology at University California Santa Barbara. Daniel's research explores educational policies and practices that can enhance and support the experiences of Latin(x) subgroups (e.g., first-generation immigrants, undocumented, dacamented, AB540 students, LGBTQ). Daniel hopes to use this research to elucidate potential stress buffers among these vulnerable, underserved, at-risk populations, and more specifically, develop interventions that might lessen possible negative mental health and academic outcomes. Daniel recently joined the Transfer Student Center this past summer as the incoming Graduate Programs Assistant / Graduate Student Mentor for the 2020-21 academic year. Daniel’s experiences as a transfer student from Los Angeles Valley College has made joining the TSC a dream come true. In the next five years, Daniel hopes to continue serving underserved and underrepresented students at a California university as a tenured professor. Read his research and follow him @ Research Gate or on Academia.

LINDITA DJOKOVIC

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.

EMILY EDELMAN

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.

KRISTINA ESOPO

Kristina (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.

MEGHAN EVANS

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.

EMILY FERGUSON

Emily Ferguson is a 4th year doctoral student working with Dr. Ty Vernon. Her research interests include the development, dissemination, and implementation of psychosocial interventions for understudied youth and adults on the autism spectrum. She is interested in increasing access to evidence-based care for individuals with co-occurring autism and intellectual disability, along with developing methods to teach emotion regulation skills to individuals with a range of verbal and cognitive abilities.

 

ISABELLE FLEURY

Isabelle Fleury is a doctoral student with an emphasis in School Psychology working under Dr. Erin Dowdy. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rutgers University, New Brunswick in 2016. After earning her degree, Isabelle went on to work as a research assistant for Montefiore's Pediatric Behavioral Health Integration Program and Trauma-Informed Care Program. During her time at Montefiore, she worked with an incredibly large, diverse, and underserved population in the Bronx to integrate mental health treatment within primary care with the goal of reducing the stigma associated with psychiatric care. Before beginning her doctoral studies at UCSB, Isabelle also spent time studying computational social neuroscience as a research scholar at Adelphi University. Her research interests include increasing access and utilization of mental health services for underserved school youth populations, mental health literacy, integrated behavioral health, complete mental health screening, trauma-informed school practices, and strength-based approaches. Please feel free to contact her at fleury@ucsb.edu.

ILIANA FLORES

Iliana Flores is a doctoral student with an emphasis in counseling psychology working alongside Dr. Andres Consoli. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services with an emphasis in mental health from California State University, Fullerton. Iliana’s current research and clinical interests include increasing access and utilization of culturally relevant services using a social justice lens, and bilingual (English-Spanish) professional training and development. Please feel free to contact Iliana at ilianaflores@ucsb.edu

 

VERONICA FRANCO

Veronica Franco is a doctoral student with a Counseling Psychology emphasis working with Dr. Melissa Morgan. She is originally from the Los Angeles area and received her B.A. in Sociology and Education from UC Irvine. After obtaining her B.A., she received her Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2018. Veronica's research interests include Latinx persistence patterns and experiences in higher education, Latinx protective factors, and communities of color resilience, validation, well-being, and coping styles. Her clinical interests are in bilingual psychotherapy, culturally relevant services, and multicultural psychology with a social justice lens. Veronica Franco can be contacted via email at vfranco@ucsb.edu.

J.C. GONZALEZ

J.C. Gonzalez (he/him) is a fifth-year doctoral candidate with an emphasis in Clinical Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Miya Barnett. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the University of Connecticut. After graduating with his B.S., J.C. was a project coordinator for the 4KEEPS Study at UCLA, an NIMH-funded project investigating evidence-based practice sustainment within the community mental health system of Los Angeles County. His research utilizes implementation science and partnerships with lay health worker communities to address disparities in access to effective mental health services for children and families. He is also interested in increasing father engagement in children's mental health services to benefit child and family outcomes. His clinical experiences include PCIT, community mental health, and inpatient severe mental illness. He is currently applying to clinical internship sites that would expand his training in interdisciplinary, academic medicine. Please feel free to contact J.C. via email at jcgonzalez@ucsb.edu.

YESSICA GREEN ROSAS

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.

MADELINE HAYDEN

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

Gaby Hinojosa (she/her/hers) is a first-year 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

TAMEISHA HINTON

Tameisha Hinton is a fifth-year doctoral candidate with an emphasis in School Psychology advised by Dr. Erin Dowdy. She earned her Bachelor of Science in psychology at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). She also earned a Master of Science in community psychology at FAMU. Professionally, Tameisha has provided services to both children and young adults across different contexts including K-12 schools, community mental health clinics, and university counseling centers. As a current UC-HBCU Initiative Fellow at the University of California Santa Barbara, she was awarded her Master of Education along her doctoral journey. Tameisha’s work is largely concerned with addressing the following: inequities in education and mental health, advocating for culturally responsive practices, increasing representation within psychology with a special interest in diversifying the field of school psychology, and providing services to youth and families that have been marginalized. She is currently completing her pre-doctoral internship with Guilford County Schools Psychological Services. Please feel free to contact Tameisha via email at thinton@ucsb.edu.

SHEMIYAH HOLLAND

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.

ELANA HUBERT

Elana 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.

SAMANTHA HUTCHINSON

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.

JULIANA ISON

Juliana Ison (she/her/hers) is a first-year 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.

LUKE JANES

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!

MELISSA JANSON

Melissa Janson is a fourth year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology emphasis under the mentorship of Dr. Erika Felix. She received her BA in psychology from UC Berkeley in 2013. Melissa previously worked as a research assistant at the RAND Corporationinterviewing military families for a study on resiliency during periods of deployment. She also coordinated a study at the UCLA Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology which sought to identify biopsychosocial risk factors and predictors of persistent, debilitating fatigue in breast cancer patients. Melissa conducted STRAIN (Stress and Adversity Inventory) interviews with breast cancer patients, which led to herinterest in the impact of adverse life events and trauma on well-being. Her current research interestsinclude identifying and promoting resiliency and recovery processes in diverse, understudied youth, young adults, and families. She is studying resiliency within the context of collectively experienced traumas like natural disasters, mass violence, and COVID-19. Melissa is also interested in program evaluation. Feel free to contact her at:mjanson@ucsb.edu.

ISAIAH JONES

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

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.

CORINNA KLEIN

Corinna Klein is a doctoral student with an emphasis in Clinical Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Miya Barnett. She received her B.A. from UCSB in 2012.  Prior to completing her B.A., she worked in a residential treatment center for women with chemical dependency and histories of trauma exposure. She completed a Master's degree in Social Work at UCLA in 2017. During her Master's, Corinna specialized in school social work, providing mental health services to culturally and socioeconomically diverse students in public, non-public, and continuation schools in the Los Angeles area. Following her time at UCLA, she worked as a medical social worker in an acute care hospital. Her work within various treatment settings exposed her to the unequal provision of community mental health services and to the many barriers clients face in pursuit of effective treatment. She hopes to work towards decreasing disparities in access to effective mental health treatment. Her research interests include the implementation and dissemination of mental health services and clinician attitudes towards evidence-based treatments. Feel free to contact her at cklein@ucsb.edu

NATALIE LAREZ

Natalie Larez is a third-year 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.

SARELY LICONA

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.

ISABEL LOPEZ

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

STEPHANIE MAGLINAO

Aloha! My name is Stephanie and I am a Master of Education in School Psychology student in the Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology Department with Dr. Arlene Ortiz as my advisor. I have been interested in attending UCSB since my beginning research into school psychology programs more than three years ago. Not only is UCSB in a beautiful location and a dream to live in, but also, the program at UCSB is most attractive to me as it emphasizes progressing the school psychology field through social justice advocacy, science, and evidence-based practice. I have worked in many different capacities with children, one as a special education paraprofessional and another as a preschool teacher. I found great joy in bringing my passions together as a current clinical supervisor for a health agency servicing children with developmental disorders and their families. Attending UCSB with the opportunity to have clinical supervision in the local, diverse school systems while problem-solving much-needed psychological and behavioral services have elevated my dedication to one day being a practicing school psychologist. I love to explore the outdoors with activities from cycling around beaches, going for walks to different community parks with my dogs, swimming at the beach, and hiking new trails when I am home in Oahu. I am excited to see more of Southern California as one of its new residents. Lastly, I got engaged during the holidays last year and am excitedly looking forward to a small tropical wedding next summer!

ALLIE MITTELSTET

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.

ALICE MULLIN

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. The lab focused 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 treatments. 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.

CHAVA NERENBERG

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 approachesfor treating trauma among multicultural populations.

EMANUEL PEREZ

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.

GRACE PETERSON

Grace Peterson is a first year 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

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

Amaranta Ramirez is a fourth year 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

NICOLE RAMIREZ

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

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.

 

DAVID RIVERA

David is a third-year 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

ARNOLD RODRIGUEZ ROBLES

Arnold 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

Kaylin Russell is a third-year 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

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.

ERIKA LUIS SANCHEZ

Erika 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.

DANIELA SARMIENTO HERNANDEZ

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. As an undergraduate, Daniela conducted research on the interaction between sociocultural experiences and biobehavioral development in youth of diverse backgrounds. After graduating, she worked as a research associate at UCLA's Adolescent Development Lab. Her current research interests lie at the intersection of psychology, biology, and culture. She is particularly interested in studying how these factors impact risk and resilience in underserved populations. Moreover, she is passionate about using community-based participatory research to inform the development of programs and interventions for youth and families. She is also interested in studying how technology can be leveraged to promote mind-body practices, such as mindfulness. Daniela can be contacted at dsarmientohernandez@ucsb.edu.

PAULINE SERRANO

Pauline Serrano is a doctoral student in School Psychology working with Dr. Jill Sharkey. She earned her MA in psychological science and her BA in honors psychology with a minor in child and adolescent development from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Pauline’s program of research focuses on 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. Pauline taught supplemental instruction and lab courses throughout her bachelor's and master's degrees and is now working as part time faculty at CSUN. 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

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

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

ADRIAN M. VALADEZ

Adrian M. Valadez (she/her) is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the Counseling Psychology emphasis working under the direction of Dr. Tania Israel. Prior to attending UCSB, she received her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies and her M.S. in Clinical Psychology. Adrian was named a Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Scholar in 2018 and was awarded the Malyon-Smith Scholarship Research Award from the American Psychological Association (Division 44) in 2020. Adrian's research interests are broadly related to improving LGBTQ+ mental health services and outcomes. More specifically, Adrian's most noteworthy projects include the adaptation and implementation of LGBTQ-affirming online interventions, the development of an implicit measure to assess levels of internalized binegativity among bisexuals, and qualitative analyses of the role of stigmatization in disclosure within Consensually Non-monogamous relationships. Adrian is currently working on her dissertation which is focused on Critical Consciousness and its role in resiliency among Latinx Sexual and Gender Minority individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

JAZZMYN WARD

Jazzmyn Ward is a fourth-year 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

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