Current Contributors:
Alexander T. Vasilovsky, MA, is a
Clinical Psychology doctoral student at Ryerson University. His research
focuses on discursive construction of gender and sexual identities, informed by
feminist post-structuralism, affect theory, psychoanalysis, and intimate
citizenship scholarship. Current work centres on body-reflexive practices among
queer-identified persons; desire among young women as they navigate
postfeminist discourses; deconstructing psychological “gaydar” research; and representations
of Western male homosexuality in queer men’s magazines.
Alyssa Tedder-King is a second year
Master’s student in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of
Kansas. She is currently working on
research about female faculty in counseling programs and how they balance work
and family, a project about lesbian and gay activism among counselors and
psychologists, and a multicultural research team developing measures to
understand how different cultures view mental health. She is passionate about gender equality,
LGBTQ activism, and crosscultural understanding. In her free time, Alyssa likes to curl up
with a good book or watch a movie. When she is a little more active, she likes
to go skiing in Colorado or water-skiing at the Lake of the Ozarks.
Amanda Backer is in her last year of
her master’s degree in Counseling Psychology at the University of Kansas (KU).
She will spend the next year working in a community mental health center in
Kansas. Currently she works with KU’s Center for Public Partnerships and
Research and focuses on maternal, infant, and early childhood health. Amanda’s
past research focused on women’s responses to life events. She is excited to
delve further into feminist issues and spread the ideals of Division 35 on KU’s
campus.
Amber Apostol, M.A., is a second year
student in clinical psychology at Argosy University San Francisco Bay Area,
with a prior master’s in psychological counseling. She is currently placed in
the forensic track at a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) substance abuse
practicum at HealthRight360 and has had an internship at Lafourche Parish Drug
Treatment Court in the past. Her clinical focus is on forensics, as well as the
impact gender has on diagnosis and assessment.
Angela Barney is a first-year Masters
student in the social psychology program at the Connecticut College. She
received her Bachelor of Arts in women’s studies and psychology from the State
University of New York at Fredonia in 2012. Her main research interests include
psychological and cultural influences on women's reproductive and sexual
health. More specifically, Angela
research has related to the stigma surrounding menstruation. Angela is a proud member of the Society of
Menstrual Cycle Research, serving as Social Media Administrator for the
organization. In her spare time, Angela enjoys reading, frequenting cafes,
practicing yoga, kayaking, and biking.
Brittan L. Davis, M.Ed., PC is a
Counseling Psychology doctoral student at Cleveland State University. She
received her M.Ed. in Community Agency Counseling from Cleveland State
University in 2011 and her B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Diversity Studies
from Baldwin Wallace College in 2008. In practice, Brittan utilizes relational cultural,
feminist multicultural, and gestalt approaches to therapy, with particular
interest in issues related to gender, sexuality, eating and body image
concerns, self-mutilation, and anxiety. Her research interests include feminist
multicultural and cross-cultural psychology, LGBTQI topics, vocational
psychology, issues related to gender, mentoring and supervisory relationships,
social justice, interpersonal traumas, and bullying.
Christina Dawn Wafer is currently
studying at Alliant International University, San Diego Campus. Christina has a
passion for working with toddlers and new parents. Inspired by theories of feminism and
psychoanalysis, she dreams of empowering all people. The spiritual mecca of Encinitas, CA is the
place she calls “home.” When she is not
deciphering psychological textbooks, she enjoys studying yoga, philosophy, religion,
and spirituality, listening to guided meditations and audiobooks, watching
documentaries, free form dancing, belly dancing, break dancing, and expressing
herself through art, collage, dream boards, and poetry.
Ciera Bies is a first year Psy D
student at the Michigan School of Professional Psychology(MiSPP). She proudly
received her Master’s degree there as well. Her therapeutic skill set is
strongly rooted in Existential principles. She believes it to be the foundation
to successful work with clients. Ciera is an animal advocate, active in
organizations and her everyday life.Ciera is interested in death denial,
self-worth, awareness about white privilege, body modification, and human
sexuality.
Ciera Victoria Scott is a third-year
doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of
Georgia in Athens, Georgia. Ciera is a native of Macon, Georgia and received
her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Spanish minor from Mercer University
in Macon in 2008. Ciera proceeded to earn her Master of Science in Clinical
Mental Health Counseling from Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia in 2012.
Her research interests include sexual assault, childhood trauma, depression,
personality, and substance abuse in ethnic minority women. Her hobbies include
reading fiction novels, watching college and professional-level basketball,
attending cultural events, and spending time with her family and close friends.
Ciera is passionate about feminist psychology, and she is excited about
furthering the mission of the Society for the Psychology of Women as your
2013-2014 Campus Representative at the University of Georgia!
Corianna Elizabeth Sichel is a Doctoral
Fellow in Applied Psychology at New York University. Her research interests
center on the broader social contexts, mental health outcomes and pathways to
antisocial behavior, focusing on women and youth. She is particularly
interested in ways that individuals cope with oppression and is involved in the
development of theory and interventions emphasizing the importance of societal
structure and context, in addition to individual-level factors, in promoting
empowerment and improving mental health outcomes.
Elizabeth Geiger is currently enrolled
in the Ph.D. program of Counseling Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia
University, where she also received her Ed.M. and M.A. Elizabeth earned her
B.A. from Muhlenberg College with a major in psychology and a minor in women's
studies. Her research interests focus on the life experiences of marginalized
groups. She is particularly interested in the intersections of personal
identities (e.g., gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and
social economic class).
Elom Amuzu is a doctoral candidate in
Counseling Psychology at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois.
She is also working toward a graduate certificate in Women, Gender, and
Sexuality Studies. Her area of study is primarily the psychological impact of
oppression for Black women and meaning-making out of such experiences. She is
particularly interested in developing research that uses a critical feminist
analysis of the systems of power, privilege, and oppression. Beyond her
research endeavors, as an instructor of Psychology of Women at SIUC, Elom is
passionate about the teaching of multicultural feminist psychology. When she is
not juggling her responsibilities of being a graduate student, you would
probably find her doing one of three things: 1) wrapped in many blankets
watching TV, 2) at a local restaurant loudly chatting away friends, or 3)
executing her many rituals that make up “bath time.”
Emily Barnum is a third year doctoral
student in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services at
Ball State University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in 2010 from Miami
University and completed her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health
Counseling and Social Psychology from Ball State University in 2012. Emily’s
research and clinical interests include human sexuality, gender, diversity and
trauma. Emily hopes to pursue a career working as a staff Psychologist in a
college counseling center. During her free time, Emily enjoys spending time
with family, reading, cooking and working in the garden.
Eric R. McCurdy is a third year
doctoral student in the University of Akron’s Collaborative Program in
Counseling Psychology. Originally from Massachusetts, he completed his B.S. in
Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His primary research
interests include men and women’s endorsement of gender role norms, social
influences related to gender role norms, and women’s engagement in STEM fields.
Eric copes with being stuck in Ohio by competing in triathlons and marathons.
Haran King, M.A. is currently a fourth
year doctoral student at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. She
received a Bachelor of Arts with a self-designed major in Social and Political
Philosophy from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Her current interests
include the study of feminism within the queer community, focusing her Clinical
Research Project on the prioritization of masculinity within this community and
its impact on women who identify as femme.
Jessica A. Joseph, M.A., is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at The New School for Social Research. Her research interests include body experiences among pregnant and postpartum individuals in relation to social constructions such as gender, power, culture, and oppression; gender diversity in psychology pedagogy and practice; and the stigmatization of fat bodies. As the 2013-2014 Statue Foundation Fellow at NSSR, she assisted in promoting diversity awareness and social justice within academic and clinical settings. She is the current Division 35 Student Representative and has publications in Sex Roles, Society for International Education Journal, and Reconstructing Obesity: The Meaning of Measures and the Measure of Meanings.
Jocelyn Zoe Gibson is a senior at
Marshall University studying psychology with a minor in women's studies. She
acts as president of the university's Women's Studies Student Association. She
is very active in feminism and women's issues on campus and in the community.
She currently interns at a drug and alcohol addiction outreach center,
specifically aimed at women. Her life mission is to help women and children of
rural communities realize their potential.
Katrina Maurer is finishing a Master’s
degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Montclair State University.
Operating from a blend of feminist and existential theory, she is currently a
clinician at a non-profit agency treating individuals recovering from abuse and
trauma. She assists with research studying the effects of providing college
student survivors of sexual violence with self-defense training in addition to
group counseling. Her interests include exploring the impacts of intersectional
and internalized oppression.
Katy Haynes Owen is a third-year
doctoral student in the counseling psychology program at the University of
Kentucky. She received her Bachelor of Arts in honors psychology from the
University of Tennessee and her MEd in human development counseling from
Vanderbilt University. Her main research interests are the experiences of marginalized
mothers and access and utilization of therapy services for low-income
populations, particularly women of color.
Kimberly Burdette, M.A., is a
fourth-year Ph.D. student in clinical psychology at Loyola University
Chicago. Her research interests focus on
factors that promote the psychological and physical wellbeing of girls,
particularly selfworth, body esteem, athletic confidence, physical activity,
and healthy eating. Clinically, she is interested in self-concept and body
image in pediatric populations, particularly those with medical conditions
affecting appearance (e.g., craniofacial differences, obesity). She is a member
of Division 35’s Adolescent Girls Committee.
Lindsey Harper is a graduate student at
Marshall University. She serves as a teaching assistant and at the university's
Women's Center. She has received a grant for a meta-analytic project comparing
birth outcomes by setting, which is nearly complete. Her current research
interests include women's reproductive health, discrimination and prejudice
against women, and feminist identity development. She is interested in bridging
the gap between research and activism.
Lorraine Gotham holds a BS in
Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently pursuing a
Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling at the Brooklyn campus of Long
Island University. She is very passionate about supporting the rights and
equality of women as well as the LGBTQ community. It is her goal to work with
females struggling with low self-esteem, anxiety, or depression and to be an
advocate for the empowerment of women.
Mae Adams is a second year Psy.D.
student at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. Mae’s research interests
include gender issues, sexual identity expression of college-aged adults and
feminist theory. In the 2014-15 academic year, Mae will cofacilitate the Gender
and Sexuality Concerns Committee in George Fox University’s Graduate Department
of Counseling and Psychology. Mae and her fiancé, Daniel, enjoy exploring the
Pacific Northwest and share a love for its many outdoor activities.
Nina Silander is a 4th year Psy.D,
student of clinical psychology at Regent University. Her interest areas span
sexuality, specifically sexualization, character development, positive
psychology, and resiliency, and she is also interested in health psychology and
the overlaps between psychology and political science. Nina is also enrolled in
the Robertson Government School to complete a certificate in law and public
policy. Currently, she is beginning work on her dissertation, a parental
handbook for parents to counter the impact of sexualization through character
development.
Nirit Gordon is a Ph.D. Fellow in the
counseling psychology at NYU. Currently she is working with Prof. Alisha Ali
and Prof. Shabnam Javdani. Her research interests lie in the areas of trauma,
gender-based oppression, sexuality, objectification, women and violence and
social activism. Nirit is also interested in feminist methodology and how it
relates to issues of social justice. Originally from Israel, Nirit received her
B.A. in social work from Tel Hai College in Israel. She received her M.A. from
the Transdisciplinary Violence and Trauma Studies Program at NYU.
Samantha Brustad is a doctoral
candidate in Clinical Psychology at Florida School of Professional Psychology
at Argosy University. She completed her undergraduate studies at Florida State
University majoring in Psychology with a minor in Child Development. Her clinical interest include working with
marginalized youth, including those who identify as LGBT, are victims of abuse,
or engage in disordered eating or substance abuse. Samantha’s research interests include
transgender healthcare disparities, and women’s issues in social media.
Samantha Christopher is a doctoral
student in Counseling Psychology at Texas Tech University and also a Graduate
Certificate student in Women’s Studies. Her academic pursuits involve research
in human sexuality, feminist identity and gender studies. She also serves on the university’s Gender
Equity Council, the board of directors of a local non-profit and balances her
schedule by prioritizing quality time with friends and family (including her
puppy, Jake).
Savannah LeBarre earned her BA in
Clinical Psychology at East Tennessee State University and her MS in
Clinical-Counseling Psychology at Radford University. Currently, she is a
second-year Counseling Psychology Doctoral student at Radford University in
Virginia. Past research projects include looking at gender and power as well as
health disparities and stigma. Currently, she is interested in researching post
traumatic growth and breast cancer, particularly in rural areas. She has
several exciting events planned for the year to represent SPW and to promote
women’s issues on campus.
Sevan Makhoulian is currently a 2nd year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Student at Palo Alto University, with an emphasis on LGBTQ Psychology. Her background includes a B.A. in Psychology and Women’s and Gender Studies from The University of MichiganDearborn. Sevan’s passion for gender studies led her to become actively involved in a Women in Learning and Leadership (WILL) program, assistant teach a gender roles course in a women’s prison and complete an honors thesis on the LGBT community.
Sevan Makhoulian is currently a 2nd year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Student at Palo Alto University, with an emphasis on LGBTQ Psychology. Her background includes a B.A. in Psychology and Women’s and Gender Studies from The University of MichiganDearborn. Sevan’s passion for gender studies led her to become actively involved in a Women in Learning and Leadership (WILL) program, assistant teach a gender roles course in a women’s prison and complete an honors thesis on the LGBT community.
Shengyong (Sherry) Zou. My name is Shengyong (Sherry) Zou and I am a
rising junior studying at Saint John’s University. I identify myself as an
Asian American young professional who is pursing clinical child and adolescent
psychology. Currently, I work as a research assistant at the Center for
Psychological Services and the Imagery Institute at Saint John’s University. My
career goal is to become a clinical psychologist in practice and in research.
Synita M. Pryor. I am excited to serve as the 2014-15 Campus Representative for the Society for the Psychology of Women (SPW) Division 35 at Fielding Graduate University. I am a 3rd year clinical psychology student who also is pursuing a forensic concentration. When I am not working on my dissertation and other important academic tasks, I provide mental health services within a county jail and conduct evaluations under a licensed forensic psychologist.
Teresa Young a third-year counseling
psychology Ph.D. student at Tennessee State University (TSU) in Nashville,
TN. She is also a practicum intern at
the Women’s Center VA and Athena Consulting as well as an adjunct instructor at
Belmont University. Teresa serves as the
chair for the Education and Programming Committee for the American Foundation
for Suicide Prevention Middle TN Chapter and volunteers at a local hospice. Her clinical foci are in the areas of gender,
mindfulness, and suicide prevention. She
currently serves as the Division 35 representative for TSU, and on the rare
occasion that she has free time, she considers herself a foodie and loves to
read novels.
Vanessa Shafa is a 4th year
Clinical Psychology PhD student at the California School of Professional
Psychology in San Francisco. Vanessa’s
clinical interests include working with children/adolescents and their families
from low SES and disadvantaged backgrounds.
Her clinical work is informed by feminist therapy conceptualization and
intervention techniques. Currently,
Vanessa provides assessments in the detection of early onset
schizophrenia/psychosis at UCSF and the SFVA-MC. She looks forward to starting critical
dialogues about the effects of gender norms/stereotypes.
Vickie Sliva is an advanced doctoral
student in clinical psychology at the New School for Social Research and a
graduate of the Women’s Therapy Centre Institute. She uses a feminist psychodynamic
lens in both her research and clinical work. Her interests include self,
interpersonal and somatic psychotherapy approaches, embodiment, personality and
eating disorders, models of subjectivity and intersubjectivity, perinatal and
post-partum onset, trauma, and severe and persistent mental-illness. She loves
creating visual and performance art.
Yvette Gely. I’m a second year graduate
student at Palo Alto University in California. My research interest includes
violence prevention in young adult males, long-term effects from interpersonal
trauma in women, and societal victim blaming in situations of domestic violence
and rape. In addition, I’m interested in researching how media’s sexualization
of women and promotion of rape has affected the rape myth beliefs in our
society.
Yurivia Cervantes. I
am currently a 4th year PhD Candidate at the California School of
Professional Psychology- San Francisco Campus. My current interests are working
with underserved and at-risk populations. I am also very interested in advocacy
work and the reduction of the gap found in health care services and ethnic
communities, particularly the Latin@ community. Another interest of mine is examining
gender issues found at the institutional, interpersonal, and societal
level.
Past Contributors:
Jameta N. Barlow is a doctoral candidate in Community Psychology at North Carolina State University (NCSU) in Raleigh, North Carolina. She has spent the last 13 years in transdisciplinary collaborations with physicians, public health practitioners, researchers, policy administrators, activists, political appointees, and community members in diverse settings. Her community interests are the psychosocial and environmental stressors contributing to intergenerational health behaviors among African Americans, particularly depression and obesity. Her primary research interests include understanding the production of health inequalities by race, class, gender, and geography. Specifically, Jameta is interested in the psychosocial and environmental stressors contributing to health inequities among Black women, such as obesity. A native of Charlottesville, Virginia, she have been active in Southern communities in Virginia, Georgia, the District of Columbia, and for the last seven years, in North Carolina, around issues of food, family health, and social justice. She is particularly interested in the mechanisms explaining the high rates of overweight and obesity in Southern Black women and employing a strengths-based, civic-oriented approach towards a community-based, holistic intervention. Her dissertation is focused on the development of a measure that addresses identity consciousness and collective agency, and its potential relationship with Southern Black women’s mental health, well-being and weight.
Emily Barnum. I grew up in Greenville,
OH with my older sister and parents. In 2010, I graduated from Miami University
(OH) and two years later, received a dual master's degree in Social Psychology
and Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Ball State University. In the Fall,
I will be a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Counseling
Psychology at Ball State University. My career goals include counseling at a
university counseling center, with a focus on sexuality and sexual trauma. My
research interests include gender studies and the effect of previous sexual trauma
on current romantic relationships and sexual health.
Sheri Davis-Faulkner, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow at Spelman College in the Center for Health Disparities Research and Education (CHDRE). She is a graduate from the American Studies Program, at Emory University and a former Andrew W. Mellon Graduate Teaching Fellow at Clark Atlanta University in the Africana Women’s Studies Department. Sheri's specializations are in the areas of 20th Century Black feminist thought, critical race theory, and media reception studies. Her research interests include American consumer culture, feminist body theory, urban visual culture, and Black girl studies. She has been active in labor, environmental, and women's organizations and movements for more than a decade. Her current work examines the mass marketing of the childhood obesity epidemic and the absence of black girls stories within media discourses.
Rachel Brosamle is a fourth year Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology and is excited to represent SPW at CSPP, San Francisco, this year. She looks forward to helping to develop a community for those interested in feminist psychology on campus and hopes to cultivate an environment for discussion, awareness, and curiosity about feminism and women’s issues. Her research has focused on gender ideologies and role stress, and her dissertation will examine the influence of gender stereotypes and sexism on hiring pregnant women in the workplace. Clinically, Rachel has worked with diverse populations in community mental health and college counseling settings and is interested in feminist therapy.
Thema Bryant Davis, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Pepperdine University and author of Thriving in the wake of trauma: A multicultural guide. She is President of the Society for the Psychology of Women. ESSENCE magazine named her among Women Who Are Shaping the World. Dr. Bryant-Davis is author of the book Thriving in the wake of trauma: A multicultural guide. She is a former psychology representative to the United Nations. Dr. Bryant-Davis has been a mental health expert on the Dr. Phil Show and was the psychologist on the docu-series K-Ci and JoJo Come Clean on TV-One.
Samantha Christopher is a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at Texas Tech University and also a Graduate Certificate student in Women’s Studies. Her research pursuits involve human sexuality and feminist identities. She is a member of the American Association of University Women and also serves as a mentor with a well-established mentorship program through the university. In addition to serving on the executive board of the counseling psychology student counsel for the last two years, she serves on the board of directors for a local non-profit whose focus is on holistic living and has initiated a mentorship program at a local high school. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Ohio University.
Monica U. Ellis, M.A. is a doctoral student in Clinical Neuropsychology at Fuller Graduate School of Psychology in Pasadena, CA and Staff Research Associate at UCLA Semel Institute. She earned her M.A. in Psychology from Pepperdine University and is the 2011-2013 Student Representative for The Society for the Psychology of Women, Division 35 of the American Psychological Association, and 2012-2013 Student Representative for Division VIII, Neuropsychology, of the California Psychological Association. Her current research involvements include studies on pediatric traumatic brain injury recovery, spirituality in trauma recovery, HIV/AIDS prevention, and on neurological recovery from psychological trauma including childhood sexual abuse. Outside of academia, Monica delights in raising her daughter, cooking, hiking, traveling, and singing with her church’s choir.
Urska Dobersek is a Ph.D. Candidate in
the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems (EPLS) with
specialization in Sports Psychology at FSU. She earned her B.A. in Psychology
in 2007, and her M.A. in General/Experimental Psychology in 2009 at the McNeese
State University. She spent most of her life on the tennis court, either
playing professionally or at the collegiate level. After retiring from the
tennis circuits, she found passion in teaching, doing research, consulting, and
coaching. Her primary research interests are self-related constructs (e.g.,
self-objectification, self-esteem, social physique anxiety), body image, and
reasons for exercise from social, cognitive, emotional, and physiological
perspectives. Urska hopes to find a professorship at the university level where
she can teach and do research. Urska is an avid runner and competes in
distances ranging from 5Ks to marathons.
Lauren Gutman is a third year post-bac
student in the Counseling Psychology doctoral program at The University of
Miami School of Education and Human Development. Both her research and clinical
interests involve under-studied and under-served populations, including
undocumented and unaccompanied immigrant minors, adolescents with perinatally
acquired HIV, and young victims of sexual abuse. In addition, Lauren is
co-founder and president of FemEx Miami, a community based course aimed to
empower and educate women. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys practicing yoga,
going to the beach, and experimenting in the kitchen.
Shani Harris, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Spelman College. Her research investigates the impact of stereotypical sexual media on sexual attitudes, physiological responsiveness, and sexual risk behaviors in young adults and explores the effectiveness of entertainment-education based HIV interventions for adolescents. Dr. Harris completed her post-doctoral work as a NIH-IRACDA FIRST Postdoctoral Fellow at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and as a Kellogg Community Health Scholar at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. She received her Doctorate and Master's Degrees in Clinical Psychology from Duke University and her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Spelman College.
Katy
Haynes Owen is a second-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology
program at the University of Kentucky. She received her B.A. in Honors
Psychology from the University of Tennessee (GO VOLS!) in 2009 and her M.Ed. in
Human Development Counseling from Vanderbilt University in 2012. Her main
research interests are the experiences of marginalized mothers and access to
therapy services for low-income populations, particularly women.
Previously, Katy provided counseling
services at a crisis pregnancy center and facilitated children's therapy groups
for low-income middle school children and child survivors of domestic
violence. When Katy finds some free time, she enjoys hiking, canoeing and
running outdoors as well as reading for pleasure.
Lisa Hoyman is a third year Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology at Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University. Her emphasis is in Clinical Neuroscience in Women's Health through Stanford University School of Medicine. Her plans to promote women's issues include hosting a one-day seminar for graduate psychology students that focuses on introducing women's reproductive health, applying it to everyday clinical practice, and reducing stigma.
Cashuna Huddleston. Hello everyone, my name is Cashuna Huddleston, and I am your Division 35 Student Representative at the University of Houston. I recently completed my 3rd year of doctoral training, and I look forward to my 4th year to begin my quest towards internship. This is the second year in which I have served in this position. This year I plan to be diligent toward bringing awareness to feminism and feminist issues on my campus and beyond. Serving in this position has allowed me to gain invaluable insight and require that I be an agent in facilitating better circumstances for women - regardless of task, big or small. By transplant and the quest for upward mobility, I have resided in Houston, Texas, for 8 years. I was born and raised in Tupelo, Mississippi, and, yes, I consider myself a country woman! I am currently a 3rd year doctoral student in the counseling psychology program at the University of Houston. My research interests revolve around the health and well-being of women. More specifically, I am interested in health disparities, health prevention, and promotion as well as understanding ways to increase quality of life among individuals with chronic diseases and weight-related issues. In my spare time, I like to do what most women enjoy doing . . . shop!! I also enjoy running, traveling, and reading.
Cashuna Huddleston. Hello everyone, my name is Cashuna Huddleston, and I am your Division 35 Student Representative at the University of Houston. I recently completed my 3rd year of doctoral training, and I look forward to my 4th year to begin my quest towards internship. This is the second year in which I have served in this position. This year I plan to be diligent toward bringing awareness to feminism and feminist issues on my campus and beyond. Serving in this position has allowed me to gain invaluable insight and require that I be an agent in facilitating better circumstances for women - regardless of task, big or small. By transplant and the quest for upward mobility, I have resided in Houston, Texas, for 8 years. I was born and raised in Tupelo, Mississippi, and, yes, I consider myself a country woman! I am currently a 3rd year doctoral student in the counseling psychology program at the University of Houston. My research interests revolve around the health and well-being of women. More specifically, I am interested in health disparities, health prevention, and promotion as well as understanding ways to increase quality of life among individuals with chronic diseases and weight-related issues. In my spare time, I like to do what most women enjoy doing . . . shop!! I also enjoy running, traveling, and reading.
Elisabeth Knauer-Turner is currently a
doctoral student in the University of La Verne’s Clinical-Community Psy.D.
program. She holds a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Sexuality Studies from
Western Kentucky University. She is a student affiliate of The American
Psychological Association of Graduate Students and student member of Divisions
35, 44, and 51.
Allie Minieri, M.S., Ed.S. is a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at the University of Kentucky Counseling Psychology program in Lexington, KY. She is the 2012-2013 Campus Representative to the Society for the Psychology of Women, Division 35 of the American Psychological Association for the University of Kentucky as well as the Website Coordinator for the Division. Her current research, clinical, and advocacy interests include social justice ally development; interpersonal violence prevention programming, especially on college campuses; and social justice and diversity training. In her spare time, Allie enjoys practicing yoga, running, and spending time with friends and family.
William Osei. My
name is William Osei, and I am
excited to be a campus representative for Division 35. I did my undergraduate
work at Muhlenberg College where I first found my passion for the psychology of
women and feminism. I then took this passion to The University of Pennsylvania
where I was on the research team of Dr. Karin Rhodes where we examined intimate
partner violence and alcoholism among women. I am beginning my doctoral studies
at the University of Akron; my current interests include discussing sexual
assault with adolescent men and researching issues surrounding adolescent
at-risk minority women.
Noelany Pelc is a third-year doctoral
student in the Counseling Psychology program at Texas Woman’s University. She
completed her master’s degree in Clinical Professional Psychology at Roosevelt
University in Chicago, Illinois, and worked previously with community mental
health agencies in raising awareness and providing services for women and
children who were victims of intimate partner violence. Born in Puerto Rico and
relocating to various states before reaching Texas, she has a passion for
understanding and approaching women’s issues from the complex multicultural
intersections that shape socialization. She is currently interested in
facilitating interdepartmental forums for students focusing on reproductive
justice, dispelling myths about feminism, and facilitating opportunities for
women to learn specific advocacy skills that can be applied in whatever
academic context women choose to pursue.
Brenda Perez is a first generation Mexican-American and a native Angeleno, raised by her single mother in Highland Park, California. She graduated from California State University, Northridge with a Bachelor's degree in Chicano Studies and Sociology and was the first in her family to graduate from college. Brenda is currently a Graduate student at Pepperdine University working on a Masters in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. She is a member and the Encino Graduate Campus representative of the Latino Student Psychological Association as well as a member of Psi Chi Honors’ Society. Brenda plans on pursuing a Ph.D in Psychology in hopes to continue doing research that will benefit Latino communities in the greater Los Angeles area.
Allayna Pinkston, M.A., is a doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She is a Charter Member and Co-Facilitator of The Chicago School Women's Group, as well as a Campus Representative for APA Division 35: The Society for the Psychology of Women. Allayna currently works in a residential facility and in community mental health, where she practices therapy from a feminist existential-phenomenological perspective. Her research interests include women's issues and reproductive health in particular, and Allayna is currently completing her dissertation on the lived significance of 'showing' for pregnant women. In her free time, Allayna enjoys writing music and can be found relaxing with a good book and Darjeeling tea at her favorite coffee shop.
Nina Silander is a 3rd year
Psy.D, student of clinical psychology at Regent University. Her interest areas
span sexuality, specifically sexualization, character development, positive
psychology, and resiliency, and she is also interested in health psychology and
the overlaps between psychology and political science. Nina is also enrolled in
the Robertson Government School to complete a certificate in law and public
policy. Currently, she is beginning work on her dissertation, a parental
handbook for parents to counter the impact of sexualization through character
development.
Carlie
D. Trott, M.S., is a doctoral
student in the applied social psychology program at Colorado State
University. Her research interests focus on issues of gender, culture,
sexuality, and social justice. She is
currently conducting research exploring women’s pursuit of science education
and careers; global women’s rights; social movements—particularly feminist
activism—participation; HIV/AIDS prevention in Kenya and Tanzania; domestic
violence in Ethiopia; and sexual risk reduction on-campus. Carlie
co-founded CSU’s Gender in Film series,
which screens films and holds panel discussions on gender-focused topics each
year. She also teaches the Psychology of Gender course at CSU, which
takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding how dominant gender
ideologies shape the lived experience. Carlie currently serves as a
campus representative for the Society of the Psychology of Women (Division 35
of the American Psychological Association), whose purpose is to promote
feminist scholarship and practice, and to advocate action toward public
policies that advance equality and social justice.
Adrian Tworecke holds a Master of Arts
in Psychology from the New School for Social Research, and is currently pursuing
her doctoral degree in Child Clinical and School Psychology at Pace University.
Her research interests include the psychological and cultural influences on
women’s development and identity; how social media effects women's self-esteem
and body image; and issues concerning sex, gender, and sexuality. Adrian has
presented at the Association for Women in Psychology and American Psychosocial
Oncology Society conferences on these topics as well as health psychology.
Adrian is currently continuing her work on women’s issues under the direction
of Dr. Florence Denmark.
Ciera Victoria Scott is a second-year
doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of
Georgia in Athens, Georgia. Ciera is a native of Macon, Georgia and received
her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Spanish minor from Mercer University
in Macon in 2008. Ciera proceeded to earn her Master of Science in Clinical
Mental Health Counseling from Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia in 2012.
Her research interests include childhood trauma, depression, personality, and
substance abuse in ethnic minority women. Her hobbies include reading fiction
novels, watching college and professional-level basketball, attending cultural
events, and spending time with her family and close friends. Ciera is
passionate about feminist psychology, and she is excited about furthering the
mission of the Society for the Psychology of Women as your 2013-2014 Campus
Representative at the University of Georgia!
Ruth Walker is completing her second year as a graduate student in the University of Akron’s Adult Development and Aging Ph.Dprogram. Her current research interests include ageism, beauty work, qualitative research methods, and White racial socialization. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephews and her four furry children (a Jack Russell, two Chihuahuas, and a Lab mix). She also loves to read and is always in search of more productive ways to procrastinate.
Emma Wood, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing at a college counseling center in central Texas. She is a national speaker and presenter on women’s issues, body image, self esteem and eating disorders.
Victoria Wu. Originally
from the Chicago and Milwaukee areas, Victoria
Wu is currently a third year Ph.D. student studying Clinical Psychology at
Palo Alto University in California. She is a member of the International
Institute for Internet Interventions for Health research group and her emphases
are in Diversity and Community Mental Health as well as LGBTQ Psychology. She
has trained in the Sexual and Gender Identities Clinic at PAU’s Gronowski
Center and is currently secretary for PAU’s LGBTQ organization the Student
Association for Sexual Orientation. Victoria also has her M.A. in Clinical
Psychology from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee where her master's
thesis was titled “Attitudes Toward Victims of Intimate Partner Violence as
Perceived by Relatives and Friends.” She is co-representative with Lisa Hoyman.
Shani Harris, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Spelman College. Her research investigates the impact of stereotypical sexual media on sexual attitudes, physiological responsiveness, and sexual risk behaviors in young adults and explores the effectiveness of entertainment-education based HIV interventions for adolescents. Dr. Harris completed her post-doctoral work as a NIH-IRACDA FIRST Postdoctoral Fellow at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and as a Kellogg Community Health Scholar at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. She received her Doctorate and Master's Degrees in Clinical Psychology from Duke University and her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Spelman College.
