Recent News

Share this

Meet the PsyD Graduating Class of 2023

“I would recommend Roberts without reservation. The level of preparation provided by Roberts seems fairly difficult to match. I feel very comfortable in the clinical settings that interest me, and I have been extremely successful in my pre-doctoral internship.”

Jordan Hoppes ’23 (PsyD)

Roberts Wesleyan University’s innovative Doctorate of School/Clinical Psychology produces equally innovative students. Meet nine (out of 11) graduating students who shared their story of why they love psychology, details about their dissertation, and what they think about Roberts.

Ashley Cooper

OCD Loves Company: A Case Study Analysis of Acceptance and Accomodation Training for People Who Love People with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

My dissertation featured a qualitative study capturing the daily lived experiences of caregivers, and assessing preliminary responses to an intervention specifically tailored to “people who love people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).” This was developed to empower caregivers to better support their loved ones with OCD while maintaining their own boundaries and well-being.

I always felt Roberts community was akin to family; it provided a safe, warm and welcoming environment to receive a quality education, but more importantly, to grow in my faith. 

I am pleased to share that I recently accepted a tenure-track faculty position in the Department of Psychology here at Roberts; I will be teaching full-time at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and will also serve as a clinician supervisor (with some individual practice) at Westside Psychological Services. 

Jonas Eastman

Evaluating the Quantitative Impact of Integrated Co-Teaching on Junior High Student Growth with Consideration of Teacher Perspectives

My dissertation compared two public school classroom models. Essentially, students who have special needs often receive separate instruction - but recently, classrooms are beginning to mix. I studied a district that recently switched to mixed classrooms. While I had limited access to data points, I did find a positive trend between the more inclusive co-taught classroom and greater academic growth for the special education students. 

I started the PsyD program because of my undergraduate teachers. I didn’t initially plan to join the program and wanted my master’s, but my undergraduate psychology teachers repeatedly encouraged me to earn my PsyD. I began to realize that they were legitimately invested in having me meet my potential within the field.

My wife (Ariana Zimmer, a fellow PsyD graduate!) and I now live out in Maine. It’s a fairly under-served area when it comes to counseling and psychology. Currently, I work for a private testing and consultation company and do contracting work with several school districts. I mostly consult with other educators.  Beyond that, I spend a lot of time working within the classrooms directly with students, usually teaching staff members how to effectively respond to student needs. 

Cortney Hoerner

Relationship Between Perceived Teacher Burnout and District Provided Supports

I researched teacher burnout and the use of Employee Assistance Programs to help alleviate burnout symptoms in a small suburban school district in Erie County. I found that the top resource that teachers reported using to alleviate burnout and stress was relying on each other for support.

I have accepted a job at Amherst Central School District as an Elementary School Psychologist. I will be responsible for students in kindergarten through 5th grade. 

After achieving licensure, I’d like to do some private practice work on the side. This is where the dual program really was appealing to me as I can use both sides of my degree.

I would definitely Roberts to others. With smaller cohorts, we were able to support one another and build lifelong professional and personal relationships. The faculty in the Psychology Department is so knowledgeable and fantastic to work with. 

Jordan Hoppes

An Alternative View of Gender Differences in Revenge

My dissertation is about how men and women differ in their willingness to take revenge. I designed a study looking into people's willingness to take revenge in response to imaginary provocative scenarios, and found that revenge has more to do with a personality trait called agreeableness – something akin to kindness and politeness. I didn't find a gender difference in revenge between male and female Roberts students… maybe because male Roberts students are so agreeable!

I have accepted a job for next year at Cambridge Health Alliance (a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital in Cambridge, MA) within their specialty clinic within the Program For Psychotherapy. While there, I will be appointed as a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School. 

I have since found that the level of preparation provided by Roberts seems fairly difficult to match. I feel very comfortable in the clinical settings that interest me, and I have been extremely successful in my pre-doctoral internship.

I would recommend Roberts without reservation. The university provided the best clinical training I could have asked for, as well as providing an edge in my assessment skills by training me in school psychology. Most importantly, the faculty at Roberts really poured themselves into making my dreams possible for me.

Tiarra Mitchell

Examining the Effectiveness of an Undergraduate Peer Mentorship Program for Racially and Ethnically Diverse Students

My dissertation is about examining the effects of an undergraduate-graduate peer mentoring program for students of color at a predominantly white institution. As a student of color who has attended predominantly white institutions, I understand the significance of proper representation. The results confirmed that the mentoring program positively impacted the undergraduate students of color in their sense of belonging, retention, and success! 

One special event happened during my time in the program: I gave birth to my first daughter prematurely. I’ll be forever grateful for the support and prayers from my professors. They helped me to persevere.

I earned a job offer at my current pre-doctoral internship placement, Mt. Hope Family Center! In my role as a therapist, I conduct Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Child-Parent Psychotherapy.

I 100% recommend the PsyD program at Roberts! The duality of the Clinical and School Psychology alone makes this program extremely valuable.

Zeina Naoum

Understanding Effectiveness of Peer Coaching Training on Antiracism for Teacher Leaders of Color: A Qualitative Analysis

There has been so much attention brought to the mistreatment of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) populations and how it’s not enough to not be racist, but anti-racist. There are pioneering teachers that have completed equity coaching to better help their peers implement this anti racist curriculum, and my study sought to understand how confident they feel. I found these teachers were in fact confident and well-equipped to teach their colleagues how to be anti racist and appropriately implement this work! 

I would recommend Roberts above any other school for receiving your PsyD! I feel so well prepared and incredibly competent. 

I have just accepted a position as a postdoctoral resident at Mental Health Centers of America! As a psychologist, I will be providing my patients with treatment plans that not only include the typical mental health services, but integrate their treatment with psychiatrists and alternative forms of therapy including cryotherapy, cold plunge therapy, oxygen chambers, and neurofeedback.

Julia Palozzi

Psychosocial Factors of Recovery In Child Survivors of Trafficking in Persons

My dissertation explores the mental health treatment children receive after they have been trafficked in Western Africa. My dissertation explores how to provide speciality mental health services to these children, considering factors such as a child’s developmental stage, their age, and their cultural background. 

Many of my cohort mates have become lifelong friends. Our professors are all amazing mentors, teachers and clinicians. They’ve gone out of their way to support me and my big dreams from the second I walked into the program. 

I am so happy to say that I have accepted a fellowship that will provide me with the training I need to one day have my dream job. In September, I begin my training at the Harris Early Childhood/Infant Mental Health Fellowship through the University of Colorado. I’ll receive the speciality training I need to provide psychological care to parents and their children in the 0-5 age band. 

My dream job is working with parents in developing psychological health for their families from a social justice oriented practice. With this degree, I have the freedom to shape my career into something that suits me perfectly.

Megan Scroger

Online Sexual Exploitation of Children Survivors’ Functioning After Reintegration in the Philippines

I worked in a team with Dr. Draper, Dr. McQuillan, and World Hope International to identify psychosocial outcomes for survivors of a form of child sex trafficking that occurs via the internet in the Philippines. Our findings helped us create recommendations for prevention efforts, intervention, and future research in this population of children.

There is a lot I’m thankful for for choosing the PsyD program at Roberts. The smaller size of the program means I built more wholesome (not competitive) relationships with professors, peers, and mentors. The flexibility in career options from training in a combined school/clinical program is so worth it.

Looking to the future, I have accepted a post-doctoral fellowship through Rochester Institute of Technology at Rochester Regional Health to work in two community mental health outpatient clinics. I hope to specialize in perinatal mental health and trauma and hope to eventually open a private practice focused on these areas of mental health concerns.

Ariana Zimmer

The Impact of ACT Group Therapy on Quality of Life and Life Satisfaction for LGBTQ+  Adults in a Rural Clinic Setting: A Pilot Study of ACT for Identity Exploration

For my dissertation, I wrote an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) group to be used with individuals in the LGBTQ+ community to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression that arise due to the experiencing of systematic oppression and microaggressions.

I had amazing supervisors during my practicums. I was able to learn from a variety of different professions, including psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and licensed clinical social workers. I learned so much that equips me to be a better psychologist.

I have been offered a post-doctoral psychologist position at Riverview Psychiatric Center and will continue to work with both civil and forensic patients with serious mental illness. Maybe in the future, my partner (Jonas Eastman, a fellow PsyD grad!) and I will start a community mental health clinic to provide greater access to mental healthcare in rural Maine.

The following students were not available for the interview. 

However, we proudly share their names and dissertation titles.

Matthew Weinerth

Experiences of Posttraumatic Growth During Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories: An Existential Phenomenological Study

Sofia Falco

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the Lived Experiences of Seeking Equity Educational Diversity (SEED) Leaders

Click here to meet the PsyD graduating class of 2022!

For more news articles, you can take a look at our archive.