Cohort 2017 Individual Profiles
Aaron Bonnette
Clinical Psychology is the focus of my research. Specifically, I am interested in substance use and psychopathology. Currently, I am investigating the relationship of minority stress to mental health and substance use in sexual minorities. In the future, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.
Supervisor: Dr. Schepis
Erin Cowart
I am interested in social psychology, and how our self-concepts and emotional biases relate to our social world. More specifically, my research interests focus on the interplay between moral judgments, emotions, and social situations. Understanding how these factors influence each other could offer insight to those with extremist views, and the subsequent social, and often violent, divide between various groups. Through my own research, I hope to foster better understanding and compassion towards people who hold seemingly immoral views as compared to our own.
Supervisor: Dr. Mendez
Callie De La Cerda
Broadly, I am interested in developmental psychology and cognitive neuroscience. My research interests include ingroup and outgroup bias, inhibitory control, theory of mind and deception. My thesis intends to examine the relationship between these cognitive and social components and how they relate to early childhood deception. After earning my master’s degree, my plans include pursuing a Ph.D. to help further my research and data analysis skills with the eventual goal of becoming a professor and researcher at a university.
Supervisor: Dr. Warnell
Rachel Farley
My research interests include post-traumatic stress disorder, cognitive psychology, and forensic psychology. My thesis will focus on the relationship between childhood trauma and cognitive functioning in adults, specifically focusing on how this trauma affects learning and memory. In the future, I plan to pursue a PhD in either Clinical Psychology or Counseling Psychology. My career goals are to treat victims of domestic violence and sexual violence in a clinical setting to help them work towards rehabilitation and recovery.
Supervisor: Dr. Etherton
Madeline Giblin
My research interests are in the areas of personality and health psychology, specifically related to the impact of and relationship between various facets of an individual’s personality and the healing processes that take place following injury or disease. My thesis will focus on the specific nature of this relationship as it relates to chronic pain patients and the personality characteristics that influence an individual’s propensity for opioid misuse or abuse during and following treatment. Following the completion of my master’s degree in psychological research, I plan to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.
Supervisor: Dr. Howard
Niki Hayatbini
My research interests are body image distortions and cognitive distortions in individuals with body dysmorphic disorders and people who undergo cosmetic surgeries. Since the number of cosmetic surgeries is increasing, examining the underlying mechanisms of body image disorders is becoming more of a pressing concern, especially because body image dissatisfaction can affect one’s function and quality of life. I’m also interested in how body image cognitive distortions result in negative emotions and the use of dysfunctional coping strategies such as avoidance or getting cosmetic surgery. Another area of my research interests involves psychological and bio-behavioral mechanisms that influence the development, expression, and amelioration of maladaptative behaviors especially in anxiety and mood disorders.
Supervisor: Dr. Abramovitch
Jennifer Hopper
My research interests primarily focus on cross-cultural, health, social, and developmental psychology. Particular interests include autism spectrum disorders, attachment styles, stress, diet, sociocultural factors that influence health and body image, and testing of alternative health practices with evidence-based medicine procedures.
Supervisor: Dr. Howard
Shelby Lipschuetz
Currently, I have many research interests in the field of Health Psychology including exercise, stress, ADHD and orthorexia. For my thesis research, I hope to explore these topics, specifically orthorexia and how it manifests in variables such as relationship satisfaction, supplement use, and self-control. Doing this will provide more information on personality traits associated with orthorexia, allowing for a refined diagnosis that can be included in the DSM-V.
Supervisor: Dr. Oberle
Anthony Lopez
My research interests fall into the realm of social psychology, cross-cultural psychology, and growth mindsets in students. More specifically, I plan to explore how students from a collectivist cultural background differ from those with an individualistic background when it comes to attributions of failure and how these attributions interplay with one another to affect an individual’s stress, anxiety and fatigue levels. Through this research I hope to be able to lay the groundwork for a behavior intervention model that may target factors that directly influence a student’s academic success.
Supervisor: Dr. Mendez
Anthony Robinson
My research interests lie primarily within the fields of clinical neuropsychology and cognitive psychology. My current research focuses on the neurocognitive correlates of perfectionism. My other research interests include examining the relationship between cognitive factors and Bipolar disorder, Schizophrenia, MDD, and Anxiety disorders. I am also interested in the development and validation of self-report psychological measures.
Supervisor: Dr. Abramovitch
Morgan Snyder
My interests are within the area of health psychology. I am interested in health behavior change, adherence, and physician-patient communication. In my thesis, I plan to examine the relationship between physician word use and outcomes such as patient satisfaction and adherence. In the future, I want to look at how weight stigma or weight loss counseling could influence the physician-patient relationship.
Supervisor: Dr. Haskard-Zolnierek
Nicole Stokes
My research topic involves figuring out how to help others deal with suicide ideation and emotional issues such as perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. This concept stems from the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS), but I am interested to see if there are preventive measures that keep people from having suicidal thoughts. I want to determine if there are ways to help cope with issues before the ideation by having helpful social support, avoiding aspects of self-blaming, and engaging in enjoyable hobbies or activities.
Supervisor: Dr. Hu