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.
ALEXIS ARIAS
Alexis Arias (he/him/él) is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology emphasis working with Dr. Ty Vernon. He earned his both his B.S. in Physiology, and Psychology in 2017 and his M.S., in Psychology (Applied Behavior Analysis emphasis) in 2020 at Marquette University. His research interests include group social skill programs focused on dating/romantic relationship skills for autistic individuals, cultural adaptations of existing empirically supported autism interventions for Latinx and Hispanic cultures, and parent-child interaction therapy for autistic individuals. He is also interested in the intersectionality of minority stress, trauma, and autism on social skills in autistic individuals. Please feel free to contact him at aarias@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.
SAM DEL CASTILLO
Sam is a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology working with Dr. Tania Israel. Sam received a BA in Psychology from the University of Houston. Post-graduation, Sam developed a diverse professional experience ranging from working at a nonprofit organization that worked to create computer literacy for adult Latinxs, to working as a Center Coordinator for a cancer research center at a research university in the Houston medical center. Broadly speaking, Sam is interested in LGBTQ and Latinx mental health. Their current research interests center around gender expression and parental acceptance of LGBTQ Latinx youth. Outside of the department, Sam is heavily involved in the community. Sam is the co-founder and President of the Queer & Trans Graduate Student Union at UCSB and works with many organizations to serve the LGBTQ and Latinx communities. Please feel free to contact them at: sdelcastillo@ucsb.edu
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.
ALISSA DER SARKISSIAN
Alissa Der Sarkissian is currently a doctoral student in the School Psychology emphasis under Dr. Jill Sharkey. She graduated in 2014 from UCLA with a B.A. in Psychology, where she gained experience in various labs that studied the effects of racial disparities, sexual violence, and early life stress. After graduating, she worked as the project coordinator for a longitudinal study at USC that assesses the neuropsychological effect of an intensive music training intervention for children from a low socioeconomic community. Currently, her dissertation project focuses on cultural considerations for mental health needs and strengths of the Armenian community. In particular, she is examining how the Armenian genocide, displacement, and other historical losses impact mental health, community support, mental health stigma, and feelings of cultural bereavement and historical preservation. Feel free to contact her atadersarkissian@education.ucsb.edu.
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 is a doctoral student in counseling psychology working with Dr. Tania Israel. After receiving her B.A. in psychology with a specialization in biopsychology from The College of New Jersey in 2013, she spent one year serving as a tutor and mentor with the AmeriCorps program City Year, dedicated to holistically supporting students in low-income communities. Prior to enrolling at UCSB, she worked as a research specialist examining the effects of stress on health behaviors in Kenya with Dr. Johannes Haushofer at Princeton University. Kristina's research interests lie in applying an intersectional lens to understand the lived experiences and mental health needs of diverse LGBTQ+ people. She is also interested in employing social justice research frameworks, such as community-based participatory research, to develop and implement community-based mental health interventions. When she's not researching, teaching, mentoring, or doing clinical work, you can find her hiking, dancing, or playing with her dog. For more information, please feel free to contact her at kesopo@ucsb.edu.
MEGHAN EVANS
Meghan Evans 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 in 2017. As an undergraduate, Meghan studied socio-ecological influences on mental and physical health disparities as well as the implementation and effectiveness of prevention/intervention strategies using mixed-methodology and community-based participatory methods. After graduating, she worked as a senior lab manager and post-baccalaureate research associate focused on the relationship between trauma and/or adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental health, as well as other public health issues (i.e. community violence, housing instability, juvenile justice involvement). Her current research interests include utilizing community-based participatory methods to partner with marginalized communities and increase access to and quality of strengths-based preventive interventions for youth and families exposed to trauma and ACEs.
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.
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
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.
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.
NATALIA JARAMILLO
Natalia Jaramillo 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 Clark University in 2012. After graduating she attended the Latino Mental Health Research Training program in Puebla, Mexico, and then went on to research prosocial family factors in the course of schizophrenia for Mexican origin families at the Culture and Mental Health Lab at the University of Southern California. Following this project, she worked as a project coordinator at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and did research on posttraumatic stress in children and parents in the pediatric intensive care unit. Her research interests include understanding patterns of risk and resilience in the context of trauma in ethnic minority youth and cultural themes surrounding access to mental health services. Feel free to contact her at njaramillo@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.
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 Latinx 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 Latinx 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
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 in 2017 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 labfocused 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 aparticular focus on the sustainment of successful treatments. She is particularly interested in increasing historically underserved populations' access to such interventions. In her free time she enjoys baking (and eating) scones, watching Netflix, and reading thriller novels. Feel free to contact her atalicemullin@ucsb.edu.
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.
ANTHONY OSUNA
Anthony is a third-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology emphasis under Dr. Ty Vernon. As an undergraduate at UCLA, he majored in Psychology and minored in Applied Developmental Psychology. He was also a McNair Research Scholar, a research intensive program for under-represented minorities, where he studied personality in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). His current interests revolve around treatment interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. More specifically, Anthony is interested in improving the online social skills of adults with ASD and how to better understand and improve the experiences of under-served families with children with ASD.
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.
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.
David Rivera (he/him) is a second-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. In 2021, he was a selected recipient of the 2020-2021 Louis H. Towbes Fellowship at UC Santa Barbara. He is interested in research aimed at addressing sexual and gender minority health disparities. He is also interested in how cultural factors, stress, and gender roles relate to health outcomes with a particular focus on sexual and gender minority Latinx individuals. You may contact David via email at drivera@ucsb.edu.
KAYLIN RUSSELL
Kaylin Russell is a second-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 a virtual social skills group for teens with ASD, as well as exploring parent perspectives on implementing Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) such as Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT). She really enjoys working with each of her clients in the Koegel Autism Center's assessment and treatment 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.
ADRIANA SANCHEZ
Adriana Sánchez is a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology emphasis working with Dr. Melissa L. Morgan. She received her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Applied Psychology in June 2016 and her M.A. in Counseling Psychology in June 2018 from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research interests include educational attainment and persistence, resilience, and thriving in underrepresented and under-served populations, with an emphasis in Latinx populations. She currently works as a Graduate Student Mentor/Program Assistant for the Transfer Student Center and is passionate about mentoring first-generation college and transfer student undergraduates. Please feel free to contact her at adriana_sanchez@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.
HIMADHARI SHARMA
Himadhari Sharma is a Counseling, Clinical, and School psychology doctoral candidate, with an emphasis in Counseling Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, working with Dr. Andrés Consoli. She grew up in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, and received an undergraduate in business with a specialization in marketing from theUniversity of Minnesota (Go Gophers!). After which she worked in the healthcare service industry and was part of the board ofdirectors for a non-profit reproductive and mental health clinic. She completed her master's in psychology with an emphasis in clinical psychology from New York University (NYU). There she worked on research in the realm of hearing voices, looking at various topics, such as stigma, within the general population, and gained experience in an intensive outpatient clinic for eating disorders.She has had international experience as well through her work with multiple organizations in Bangalore, India. Her current interests include multicultural psychology, access and utilization for mental health services among minoritized populations (especially South Asian communities), cross-cultural/international psychology, culturally salient and indigenous treatment/therapy methods as well as bi-lingual treatment services (Hindi-English).
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. 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. Madeline managed recruitment, intervention, and data management procedures while facilitating school and community partnerships within San Francisco Unified School District. Her current research interests include the exploration of contextual and interpersonal factors that contribute to enhanced educator and student well-being as well as positive school climate and strength-based universal screening methodologies. She is enthusiastic about building community partnerships and supporting community-driven approaches to foster lasting change within schools. Please feel free to contact her at mspiess@ucsb.edu
IDA TAGHAVI
Ida Taghavi is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology working under Dr. Maryam Kia-Keating. Her research and clinical interests encompass trauma and resilience, and the use of community-based participatory research. As a student and teacher of yoga, she is also particularly interested in the role of mindfulness in promoting resilience and well-being for vulnerable, trauma-exposed populations.
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 doctoral student 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. Furthermore, Jazzmyn also has interests in resiliency and protective factors in addition to program development and program evaluation. Feel free to contact Jazzmyn at jazzmynward@ucsb.edu.
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
*Questions related to the program's accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:
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Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org
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Dept of Counseling, Clinical & School Psychology