Applied Developmental Psychology Student Wins 2014 APA Division 52 Student International Research Award

Sheena Jeswani, Applied Developmental Psychology, is one of four students awarded the 2014 APA Division 52 Student International Research Award, which recognizes promising graduate student research in international psychology.

Sheena submitted her Master's thesis, which focuses on social support, coping strategies, well-being, and depression in Filipino and American college students.

Congratulations, Sheena!

Applied Developmental Psychology Student Interviewed for Psychology Today

Amanda Leeder, Applied Developmental Psychology, was recently interviewed for an article entitled “Quantifying Engagement in Autism Education Models,” published online on the Breaking Barriers blog of Psychology Today magazine. Amanda was one of several experts invited to contribute to an article focusing on the use of empirical data to evaluate and improve current teaching methods, educational programs, and therapeutic interventions developed for students with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Amanda was interviewed about her expertise with researching and implementing therapeutic interventions for ASD in home and school settings. She discussed the necessity for the fields of psychology and education to rely on the integrity of scientific research for evaluation of the utility and efficacy of therapeutic interventions and education programs. However, the development of evidenced-based practices for ASD has been limited.

“While it is no surprise that the term ‘evidenced-based practice’ holds a lot of weight, the evaluation of educational interventions for the ASD population is still in its nascent stages, partly due to the challenge of quantifying implementation practices and goals for these learners.”

Amanda said the paucity of research that is considered valid and reliable can be a problem and misguide families seeking effective treatment and education programs for a child with ASD.

“Many families of individuals with autism assume that a particular approach will be successful for their child, based on anecdotal evidence, case studies, or because an approach is ‘evidence based’. While in twenty years this term will be a reliable indicator of which school parents should enroll their child, the current state of research on autism education does not allow for this approach.”

She concluded the interview with a recommendation for families with a child who is currently in need of these services.

“The best bet for families right now is to comprehensively research what therapies and educational approaches are out there, and try to seek out professionals and experts in the field who will give them unbiased answers about autism education.”

Amanda came to Fordham after obtaining a Masters degree in general psychology from New York University. She plans to complete her dissertation on the role that non-ASD siblings play in ASD children's development. She is also completing her practicum at Emerge & See Education Center in Manhattan, where she works with therapists to develop new methods to teach basic conversation skills to children with ASD.

The full article can be read on the Psychology Today website.

Clinical Psychology Student Wins Diversity Scholarship

Jeremy J. Eggleston, Clinical Psychology, has been awarded a Michael Sullivan Diversity Scholarship by the Ohio Psychiatric Association. The scholarship is intended to support research, training, and community projects in the area of diversity.

Jeremy’s research focuses on minority-identified populations living in the inner city who have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and often face stigmas of both ethnic minority status and sexual orientation. He is currently writing his dissertation with the mentorship of Kathleen Schiaffino, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Psychology, which focuses on gay and bisexual men of color and the various psychological, spiritual, and physical-health related outcomes of their post-traumatic growth. He is interested in the effects of personal spirituality and religious engagement in this population, and hopes to shed further light upon its role in empowering minority-identified populations.

For more information, please visit Fordham Notes 

Dr. Warren Tryon sets department record for successful dissertations

From left: Dr. Kathleen Schiaffino

Dr. Warren Tryon

Dr. David Glenwick

Dr. Isabel Rodriguez

Dr. David Chabot

On April 30th, 2013, Isabel Rodriguez successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, “ Ethnicity And Age Of Initial Symptom Onset As Predictors Of Neurocognitive Performance And Adaptive Functioning Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders”.

 

Dr. Rodriquez was mentored by Dr. Warren Tryon, a (43 years) veteran of the psychology department. She is the 85th successful dissertation student to be mentored by Dr. Tryon, setting a new departmental record.

 

Congratulations to Drs. Tryon and Rodriguez!

Sara Douglass, M.A., awarded SPSSI grant

The Fall 2012 Grant-in-Aid Program Committee members and The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) have announced that Sara Douglass has been selected to receive a grant in the amount of $400 to support her dissertation research.  The announcement of this award will be made in an upcoming SPSSI Newsletter.

Sara is completing her dissertation in the Applied Developmental Psychology program and is expected to graduate in May.

Dr. Wallace awarded Carolyn Payton Early Career Award

Fordham alumnus, Dr. Scyatta A. Wallace, was recently honored with the Carolyn Payton Early Career Award from APA. Dr. Wallace received her PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology in 2002 from Fordham University, where she specialized in child and adolescent health. Upon graduation, she completed a research fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA where she worked on domestic and international HIV/AIDS programs. Dr. Wallace’s current research focuses on the influence of neighborhood context and sociocultural norms on HIV risk among urban Black youth.  Her work also includes the design and implementation of gender specific and culturally-tailored interventions to promote health and health care utilization among Black youth.   In addition, she is interested in the promotion of community consultation as a tool for addressing ethical concerns in behavioral and mental health research with vulnerable populations.  Dr. Wallace is currently a professor of Psychology at St. John’s University in Queens, NY.  The Fordham psychology department is proud to congratulate Dr. Wallace on her accomplishments!

The Association for Neuropsychology Students in Training (ANST) Recognizes Fordham Chapter

APA Division 40, Clinical Neuropsychology, oversees the Association for Neuropsychology Students in Training (ANST) which is an important forum for academic, scientific, and overall professional development for those students interested in Neuropsychology. ANST selected Fordham University as their Feature Chapter! The contributions and accomplishments of our Fordham Chapter are highlighted on the ANST website.

If you are interested in joining the ANST-Fordham Chapter please contact our student representative Amanda Gooding at amandalgooding@gmail.com.

Student Spotlight: Amanda Gooding, M.A.

Amanda Gooding, M.A., is a fourth year student in the Clinical program's Health and Neuropsychology specialization. Her recent research on cognitive remediation in individuals with schizophrenia led to a publication in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation: An International Journal. Amanda's future research will continue to explore the impact of neuropsychological abilities on cognitive remediation treatment response, with her current dissertation project exploring the specific role of executive functioning in older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Article Summary:

Previous research indicates that treatment intensity and regular attendance is an important characteristic that predicts a more favorable response to cognitive remediation (CR) in schizophrenia. Amanda's research is the first study to date to examine the neuropsychological, psychological, and clinical factors contributing to participants’ voluntary attendance for CR in a community-based clinic setting with a diverse clinical population. The results indicate that objective neuropsychological impairment (i.e., global neuropsychological functioning and attention/working memory in particular) and subjective awareness of having neuropsychological problems both significantly predict lower CR treatment utilization. These findings underscore previous findings suggesting that neuropsychological impairment is a rate-limiting factor with respect to psychiatric rehabilitation outcomes. Thus, although individuals may recognize their neuropsychological dysfunction, they simply may not have the cognitive skills necessary to manage their schedules and regularly attend their CR sessions.

The findings from this study have salient implications for clinical service providers because those clients who have been identified as having specific deficits in the domains of attention/working memory or processing speed may be at the highest risk for drop-out and poor treatment response, and may require extra attention from clinicians. The implications from these findings can be used as a way to provide ongoing guidance for service provision and can aid in the development of empirically informed strategies aimed at improving CR treatment utilization, and thus treatment effectiveness, in clinical settings.

Reference:

Gooding, A. L., Saperstein, A., Rivera Mindt, M., & Medalia, A. (2012). Predictors of treatment utilisation at cognitive remediation groups for schizophrenia: The roles of neuropsychological, psychological and clinical variables. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation: An International Journal, DOI:10.1080/09602011.2012.665583

Full text available: Fordham Digital Research Repository

Clinical Graduate Student, Armando Fuentes, awarded an APA Student Poster Award

Clinical graduate student, Armando Fuentes, M.A., was recognized by the APA Convention Award Committee with a Student Poster Award by Division 40 in the category of "Cross-cultural neuropsychology." His poster, entitled "Neurocognitive and Sociocultural Factors Impacting Medication Beliefs Among HIV-Positive Latinas/os" will be presented at the 2012 Annual APA Convention in Orlando, Florida in August.

News Update from Dr. McKay's C.O.A.P. Lab

Dr. Dean McKay's lab, Compulsive, Obsessive, and Anxiety Program, continues to be active in the professional psychology arena. Some of the lab's recent accomplishments are highlighted below. Check out more information from the C.O.A.P. lab.

Recent Clinical doctoral program graduate Nate Thoma has had the manuscript that resulted from his dissertation accepted for publication in American Journal of Psychiatry:

Thoma, N.C., McKay, D., Gerber, A. J., Milrod, B.L., Edwards, A.R., & Kocsis, J. H. (in press). A quality-based review of randomized controlled trials of cognitive-behavioral therapy for depressions: An assessment and meta-regression. American Journal of Psychiatry.

C.O.A.P. students continue to have a strong presence at the upcoming Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) conference. A recent additional poster acceptance for the Technology and Behavioral Change Special Interest Group poster session is headed up by Jeannette Reid and William Taboas:

Reid, J., Taboas, W., & McKay, D. (2011). Delivering Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy via Skype: A Preliminary Investigation of Feasibility and Efficacy Among Youth with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Lastly, Dr. Dean McKay and colleague, Eric Storch, are in the process of co-editing a forthcoming volume that will be published by the American Psychological Association. The book is timely by addressing contemporary treatment issues in the forthcoming new DSM-5 category of Obsessive Compulsive Related Disorders:

Storch, E.A., & McKay, D. (editors, in development). Obsessive compulsive disorder and its spectrum across the lifespan. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Graduate Student Recent Achievements

Graduate students in the Psychology Department are involved in exciting projects and making important contributions to the field of psychology. A few recent accomplishments from current and alumni graduate students of our department are highlighted below...

Alex Garcia-Mansilla had an article published based on her dissertation work:

Rosenfeld, B., Galietta, M., Ivanoff, A., Garcia-Mansilla, A., Martinez, R., Fava, J., Fineran, V., & Green, D. (2007). Dialectical behavior therapy for the treatment of stalking offenders. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 6,(2), 95-103.

A recent published paper by Becky Weiss:

Weiss, R. A., Rosenfeld, B., & Farkas, M. R. (2011). The Utility of the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms in a sample of individuals With intellectual disabilities. Assessment, 18(3), 284-290.

Alumni Debbie Green's recent paper:

Green, D., & Rosenfeld, B. (2011). Evaluating the gold standard: A review and meta-analysis of the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms. Psychological Assessment, 23(1), 95-107.