Describe your academic background and professional experiences.
I graduated from Dartmouth College in 2009 and received my master's in Human
Development and Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in
2010. I have worked for two summers as an ESL teacher at an international summer school in Massachusetts, and was an intern for the Massachusetts Literacy
Foundation in Boston. I have also interned in bilingual and sheltered immersion classes at two different elementary schools, and was an academic coach for a summer program at SEAD, which helps promising students from under-resourced high schools get the extra support they need to make it to college. I also spent time while an undergraduate and master's student as a research assistant in a bilingual education lab, and most recently, for a study on international students pursuing graduate studies in the United States.
Why did you select Boston College for your doctoral studies?
I ended up having to make my decision during a really difficult time, and I felt like the professors and students at BC went so far above and beyond what they needed to do to answer my questions about the program. That really meant so much to me.
I am excited about the fact that I am interested in the research that all of the professors are doing in the department, and not just one or two. BC is also different than many other programs I was considering because there is a strong focus on social policy and human rights. Finally, it was hard to ignore that all of the students were very kind and outgoing, and they all seemed to be good friends!
Describe your research interests.
My work with young children has deepened my interest in the experience of the immigrant child (and children of immigrants) in elementary schools. I'm also interested in family-school-community partnerships, and how relationships can be strengthened between schools and parents.
What are your interests outside of academia?
I love running road races and would love to hear from other runners about good routes in the area! (Let me know if you are ever up for an early morning run). Besides running, I love spending time with my family and friends, so I'm thrilled to be staying in the northeast.
Describe your academic background and professional experiences.
I got my bachelor’s degree in Psychological Counseling Program at Selcuk University
(Konya, Turkey) in 2005. After college, I worked as a counselor at an urban elementary school in Istanbul for about a year, where I had an opportunity to help students and parents from different ethnic/ cultural backgrounds. Having the goal of training counselors in the future, I accepted a research assistantship position in the Curriculum and Instruction (M.A.)
Program of Selcuk University in the Spring of 2006. I was involved in research projects on critical thinking and Problem Based Learning. I wrote my dissertation on the reflective thinking skills of the college students. In 2007, I applied for the government’s scholarship program and won a full graduate-level study-abroad scholarship from the Turkish Ministry of National Education. Fortunately, I got in the CACREP accredited Counseling (M.A.)
Program at Michigan State University in the Fall of 2007. Here, I became more interested in muliticultural psychology, ecological, and social justice perspectives in counseling. I also did research on the acculturation experiences of international students and worked as a community peer in the Residence Life Department for a year. After I got my Master’s in Counseling
(2009), I returned to Turkey and applied for doctoral programs in the US. In Turkey, I worked as a counselor at a private high school and helped university students and scholars writing English for their academic work. Now, I am happy to be in the Counseling Psychology doctoral program at Boston College.
Why did you select Boston College for your doctoral studies?
The reason I selected BC for my doctoral studies is the program’s emphasis on developmental-contextual perspective and its commitment to multicultural training and social justice. I also think that the scientist-practitioner model at BC will enforce my understanding of the theoretical and empirical domains of counseling psychology. Based on my conversations with the professors at the Counseling Psychology program, I got a sense that I will find a supportive and a nourishing environment at BC.
Describe your research interests.
My areas of inquiry cover multicultural psychology and social justice perspective in counseling. Lately, I have been more interested in women’s career development and the psychology of working in general.
What are your interests outside of academia?
I like travelling and learning about new languages and cultures. In my free times, I like activities, which involve me in practicing different languages. I translate academic journals for the Turkish scholars and students who are English as a second or third language. I am also trying to increase my knowledge of Arabic and Spanish.

Describe your academic background and professional experiences.
I received my BA in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the University of Southern
California in 2003. During my time at USC, I volunteered providing peer counseling regarding STDs, other sexual health issues and conducting HIV testing at the Health Center. Additionally, I worked in a nearby school tutoring students in grades 1-5 below the reading level and teaching Peace Games, a peace and justice curriculum for students. After graduating, I worked for a year as a 2 nd grade teacher in an underserved school in San Jose, California. I then moved back into the realm of psychology and worked for 2 years as a residential counselor for seriously emotionally disturbed children ages 6-16. I then began my MA program in
Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University. During my masters program, I worked as a case manager for youth in the child welfare system and ran girls’ groups at an academic afterschool program for low-income minority youth. During my practicum, I provided individual and family therapy to teens at a continuation high school as well as children and youth at a community clinic and co-lead a drug and alcohol recovery group for teens. I graduated in
2008 and registered as a Marriage and Family Therapist Intern. After graduating, I worked for a nonprofit agency as a therapeutic behavioral specialist and in-home crisis clinician providing clinical support to youth with severe emotional and behavioral problems in their homes, schools and communities.
Why did you select Boston College for your doctoral studies?
I selected Boston College for my doctoral studies for multiple reasons. First, I wanted to attend a program that shared my commitment to social justice and work with underserved, multicultural populations. Second, I found the research of the Counseling Psychology faculty, particularly that of Dr. Helms, very similar to my interests and believe that it is extremely important and fascinating. Additionally, I wanted to attend school in another part of the country from my home in California. I believe it will allow me to better appreciate diversity of experiences, views and people.
Describe your research interests.
I am interested in researching biracial identity and the biracial population. More specifically,
I am interested in creating a scale to measure biracial identity. I also want to investigate the way that biracial individuals respond to feeling forced to choose one race over another, its affect on well-being and the protective factors that buffer any negative effects. Additionally,
I want to examine preventative interventions and resiliency in at-risk minority youth. Specifically, what aspects of a youth’s personality and environment help make him/her resilient and what preventative interventions can be created to help foster that resiliency.
What are your interests outside of academia?
My interests outside of academia are spending time with my husband, family, friends and dog. I enjoy singing, reading, watching television and movies, sketching, dancing, playing piano, cooking and traveling. I also am interested in fashion and shopping.
Describe your academic background and professional experiences.
I did my undergrad at NYU and received my B.A. in Psychology with a minor in
Social Work. My interests have always been at the intersection of child development and public policy with a focus on early childhood education. For the past 4 years, I worked at MDRC in New York City (a non-profit, social policy, research institution) helping to conduct randomized trial interventions for preschools as well as doing a lot of secondary data analysis.
Why did you select Boston College for your doctoral studies?
I selected BC because I liked the flexibility within the program in terms of being able to work on multiple projects with multiple professors throughout the duration of the program.
Describe your research interests.
My research interests lie at the intersection of child development and public policy with a focus on early childhood education. I am interested in the disconnect between early childhood education and formal schooling - there have been interventions that help achievement and behavior while children are in preschool but these effects do not carry over into later grades. I would like to examine if including parents and community during the transition from early education to formal schooling could help carry over the effects.
What are your interests outside of academia?
I am a self-proclaimed foodie - my perfect night out is getting a group of friends together at a new or acclaimed restaurant and spending hours eating good food and drinking good wine. Along these lines, I love to have and go to dinner parties. Also,
I used to be a ballerina, so I enjoy all forms of dancing and love to learn new styles.

Describe your academic background and professional experiences.
I graduated from high school in 2007 and went on to major in psychology at Georgia State University in Atlanta. As a junior I began presenting in undergraduate research conferences at my university, and as a member of the honors program, traveled to the Colonial Academic Alliance Undergraduate Research Conference in
Richmond, VA at the end of my senior year. My undergraduate research mostly related to motivation and academic achievement, with my honors thesis entitled
“Motivation and Self-Esteem of Gifted Youth”. I graduated summa cum laude in
May 2010. During the last year and a half of my studies, I worked in the Social
Ecology and Development lab at Georgia State University. This lab evaluated prevention and intervention programs for adolescents in the metro-Atlanta area.
Why did you select Boston College for your doctoral studies?
I chose Boston College for many reasons. The most significant was the program of study and the ongoing research of the professors of the Applied Developmental and
Educational Psychology program. I am also very excited to learn about Boston and be in a place where there are lots of graduate students.
Describe your research interests.
My research interests are two-fold, studying the home environment and giftedness. Much of today’s research pertaining to academics looks at teachers and schools, sometimes forgetting that what happens outside of the classroom is also important. Therefore, parental involvement in education and the home environment itself make up one focus of my research. The other focus adds to this by looking at high achieving students and hopefully identifying if their home environments are markedly different than other students’ homes. I also look to answer the question, “Do high achieving and gifted students have different, observable methods for completing school-related tasks than their non-gifted counterparts?”
What are your interests outside of academia?
Outside of school and research, I like to travel, go to movies, and spend time with my seven nieces and nephews. I have been to 34 states, six Caribbean islands, and four other countries.
Describe your academic background and professional experiences.
I completed my BA at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA, after growing up in
New Jersey. It was during undergrad that I was first introduced to the field of Psychology through coursework and clinical experiences. I worked with a range of populations (geriatric, adolescent, adult, inpatient, outpatient), and knew that I wanted to continue that work in the future, in some capacity. So, I came to BC to narrow my interests a little, meet new people, take part in research, and understand my own passions better. Working with mentally ill individuals in Cambridge, MA,
I saw how powerful the intersections of cultural background and mental health could be. Then, it was through conducting research on an intervention for Boston
Public Schools kids where I was able to see myself thriving for the next few years at BC.
Why did you select Boston College for your doctoral studies?
After attending BC for my MA in Psychology, I further realized that the program orientation and faculty research interests were aligned with my own. In addition, I really liked the area and interacting with the other students here. I believe that by being in this environment, I can benefit greatly – both personally and professionally; I hope that others will learn something from me as well.
Describe your research interests.
Working with children and adolescents from urban areas, and evaluating efforts for assisting them.
What are your interests outside of academia?
Playing chess, practicing guitar and drums, going to the beach, watching movies, video games, etc. – I try to do a lot when I’m not in school, but I often sit around...

Describe your academic background and professional experiences.
After graduating with my B.A. in Psychology in 2000, I went on to work in a variety of community-based mental health centers. These included working as a program coordinator and crisis counselor first at a Domestic Violence Agency in Minnesota, then at a Rape Crisis Center in the San Francisco Bay Area, and working as a research assistant at an AODA program in Oakland. These experiences informed my interest in the intersection of structural and interpersonal violence, as well as the importance of community-based support to promote well-being. I decided to pursue my MS in Counseling Psychology, and recently graduated from UW Madison's Counseling Psychology Program.
Why did you select Boston College for your doctoral studies?
I was originally interested in BC because so much of my work has been informed by the research of its faculty members. The program’s commitment to these issues has already supported and inspired me as a student. I was also drawn to the program's strong commitment to incorporating social justice work and the opportunity to work on research concerning community-based prevention and intervention.
Describe your research interests.
I'm interested in the relationships between individual mental health, the health of larger social contexts, and social justice, as well as community based prevention and intervention programming.
What are your interests outside of academia?
I'm interested in creative non-fiction, poetry and other writing.
Describe your academic background and professional experiences.
In recent years, I have worked extensively with Head Start children and families in
New York City on various projects related to parenting practices. I facilitated a play intervention for Head Start mothers to help improve their children’s social skills, and I managed a project using a strengths-based approach to explore the practices of Head Start parents. Additionally, I worked with the PennCHILD research team to maintain and analyze KIDS (Kids Integrated Data System), a city-wide data system that integrates information from Philadelphia’s public agencies and the school district. Using KIDS, I assisted in exploring the longitudinal effects of early risks on children’s educational and behavioral outcomes in third grade. I have also worked on numerous other projects related to immigrant students’ mental health, the educational experiences of minority youth, and the quality of preschool classrooms using a new curriculum.
Why did you select Boston College for your doctoral studies?
I selected Boston College largely for the faculty and the program’s structure. I was especially excited about the interesting research opportunities that would be available to me through the multiple mentor model that the Applied Developmental and
Educational Psychology faculty espouse. The opportunity to increase my knowledge of developmental science through participation in a well-rounded curriculum was an attractive component of the program. Additionally, I had an unquantifiable feeling that BC was the right place for me to fully achieve my goals.
Describe your research interests.
I am mainly interested in better understanding the impact of social policies (i.e., housing, welfare, etc) on the well-being of low-income children, particularly as these policies relate to parenting practices and the social and cognitive development of young children. I am also interested in further exploring the impact of early care and education on the development of children’s school readiness skills as well as their long-term academic and behavioral trajectories.
What are your interests outside of academia?
Outside of academia, I enjoy seeing independent films, listening to music, and playing with my dogs. I am also a strict vegetarian so I love to spend my free time cooking!

Describe your academic background and professional experiences.
I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin – La-
Crosse. While there, I was a research assistant in a lab that focused on semantic priming. After graduating, I pursued a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis and completed two clinical practica during my time there. My first practicum experience was at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region where I gained experience as an Options Counselor. My second practicum experience was at an adult intensive care psychiatric unit at a hospital in St. Louis. After completing my Master’s Degree in
Social Work, I moved back to Wisconsin where I began working part-time as a social worker at an adult psychiatric unit at a hospital in Janesville, Wisconsin where I was responsible for providing crisis intervention counseling to psychiatric and detoxification patients as well as facilitating inpatient and outpatient group psychotherapy. In addition, I was also a research assistant in a lab at the University of Wisconsin – Madison that focused on psychopathy in prisoners where I was responsible for completing semi-structured interviews with offenders housed at various State of Wisconsin prisons, completing ratings on the Psychopathy Checklist – Revised (PCL-R), as well as administering a battery of personality tests.
Why did you select Boston College for your doctoral studies?
I chose to attend BC for several reasons. One reason BC was extremely appealing to me is the strong emphasis placed on multiculturalism, social justice and diversity in its training of counseling psychologists. Additionally, BC has a large emphasis on research and graduate students are able to immerse themselves in the research process early in their graduate studies. And, finally, I selected BC because my research interests closely match those Dr. Usha
Tummala-Narra and Dr. Janet Helms.
Describe your research interests.
Through the investigation of the intersection between mental health and diversity, including race and ethnicity, I hope to complete research that lends itself to the advancement of the practice of culturally-competent psychology. Specifically, my research interests center on the development and revision of effective mental health treatments for diverse populations. I am also interested in issues surrounding trauma and abuse experiences as well as the coping of individuals from culturally diverse backgrounds.
What are your interests outside of academia?
Outside of academia, I enjoy spending time with my husband, friends and family and spending time outdoors and participating in outdoors activities, especially those that allow me to include my dog. When I have to time, I really enjoy getting lost in a good book. And, I am also an avid Milwaukee Brewers fan and enjoy listening to their games on the radio or watching them on T.V. when they are on.
Describe your academic background and professional experiences.
I completed my BA in psychology with a minor in Spanish at Spelman College in
Atlanta, GA. I recently received my MS in counseling from Indiana University
Bloomington. While there, I worked with a wide range of clients, including low income families, children with learning disabilities and behavioral difficulties, adults struggling with homelessness, and adults and children experiencing life adjustment problems. My clinical experience involves facilitating workshops, classroom groups, individual and family therapy, and psychoeducational groups.
Why did you select Boston College for your doctoral studies?
Most of the doctoral programs I researched had one or maybe two faculty whose research and clinical interests paralleled with mine. Boston College was the exception. I felt as if I had something in common with most, if not all, of the faculty members and I felt that all of the faculty would be able to offer me something to support me and my development. In addition, the program’s mission of exploring and implementing social justice matched my mission of providing service to disadvantaged populations. I saw Boston College as a place where I could further refine my research and clinical interests that would give me the skills, competencies, and awareness to do the work that I want to do.
Describe your research interests.
My research interests surround how minorities, especially African Americans, conceptualize their race, particularly considering when society, and sometimes they themselves, have assigned negative attributes to their race. In turn, I am interested in how these conceptualizations and identifications relate to constructs such as locus of control, self esteem, self efficacy self worth, motivation, and achievement. I am further interested in how community, family variables, individual difference, and resilience contribute to feelings about one’s race and one’s self. My other interests include developing community and school interventions, especially as they relate to best practices.
What are your interests outside of academia?
Traveling is one of my favorite things to do. Some of my favorite places I have been include Tokyo, Morocco, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. I also enjoy journaling, reading, playing Sims, browsing Craigslist, and watching Judge Judy.