Twelve students from the incoming class of 2015 presented the results of their First Year Projects at the Department’s annual Fall Symposium on November 18, 2016. The presentations described the aims and results of mentored research projects led by the students, and the work they described will, for most of them, form the basis of their M.S. theses, to be defended in Spring semester 2017. The presenters were:
Lindsey Gabrielle Altomare, M.A. (Mentor: William Perlstein, Ph.D.): “The Influence of Traumatic Brain Injury on the Allocation of Vertical Spatial Attention” (supported by a 2011 APA Dissertation Research Award to Christopher N. Sozda).
Danielle L. Cooke, B.S., B.A. (Mentors: Joseph McNamara, Ph.D. & Gary Geffken, Ph.D.): “Executive Functioning in a Pediatric Sample with ADHD”.
Leslie Gaynor, B.S., B.A. (Mentor: Russell M. Bauer, Ph.D.): “Increasing Sensitivity to Preclinical Dementia Using an Object Recognition and Discrimination Paradigm” (Supported by a grant from the Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program and by the 1Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center [NIH P50 AG047266]).
Sarah Greif, B.S. (Mentor: Russell M. Bauer, Ph.D.): “Predictors of Symptom Change During subacute Recovery from Mild Traumatic Brain Injury” (Supported by the NIH/NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Awards to the University of Florida TL1 TR000066 and UL1 TR000064 [A.R. Snyder & R.M. Bauer]).
Lacie Lazaroe, B.A. (Mentors: Joseph McNamara, Ph.D., & Gary Geffken, Ph.D.): “The Role of Empathy in Sub-Clinical Obsessive-Compulsive Features”
Makeda Moore, B.S. (Mentor: Cynthia Johnson, Ph.D.): “Behavioral Correlates of Sleep Disturbance in Children with ASD: Good versus Poor Sleepers” (Supported by grants from Autism Speaks and NIMH (R01 MH080965, R34MH08288 [C. Johnson]).
Deirdre O’Shea, M.S. (Mentors: Glenn Smith, Ph.D., Ronald Cohen, Ph.D., & Vonetta Dotson, Ph.D.): “Spontaneous Use of Prospective Memory Aids as a Predictor of Cognitive Status in Older Adults with Poor Subjective Memory”.
Lena Polejaeva. B.S. (Mentor: William Perlstein, Ph.D.): “Task-Irrelevant Interference Mimics Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury on Cognitive Control” (Supported by the Evelyn F. McKnight Research Grant Program and by an NIMH K01 award to Dr. William Perlstein).
Lindsay Jessica Rotblatt, M.A. (Mentor: Michael Marsiske, Ph.D.): “The Relationship Between Hypertension and its Treatment and Predicted MCI Status in the ACTIVE Study” (Supported by grants from the National Institute of Nursing Research U01 NR04508, U01 NR04507 and grants from the National Institute on Aging U01 AG14260, U01 AG14282, U01 AG14263, U01 AG14289, U01 AG014276).
Elise Turner, B.S. (Mentor: David Fedele, Ph.D.): “Health-Related Quality of Life in Caregivers of Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors at the End of Tumor-Directed Treatment” (Supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute 1R03 CA162970-01A1 [M.C. Hocking]).
Chantel Ulfig, M.S. (Mentor: Deidre Pereira, Ph.D.): “Nighttime Distress and Interleukin-6 in Explaining the Relationship Between Adjuvant Chemotherapy and Sleep Latency in Malignant Post-Surgical Gynecologic Oncology Patients” (Supported by NIH R01 CA138808 [D. Pereira]).
Jennifer Warnick, B.S. (Mentor: David Janicke, Ph.D.): “The Use of Ecological Momentary Assessment to Measure Blood Glucose Monitoring Adherence in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes” (Supported by a grant from the UF Center for Pediatric Psychology and Family Studies).
At the symposium, the Department’s yearly student awards were also announced. These awards recognize excellence in research, clinical service, and academic performance. Faculty awards recognize excellence in clinical supervision, research mentorship, and classroom teaching. The 2016 Awards winners are:
Departmental Student Awards
Molly Harrower Award for Excellence in Psychodiagnostic Assessment:
Nominees: Aviva Ariel, Marie Chardon, Janelle Letzen, Molly Sullan, Adrian Svingos, Sara Szymkowicz
Winner: Sarah Szymkowicz, M.S.
Florence Shafer Memorial Award for Excellence in Psychotherapeutic Counseling:
Nominees: Aviva Ariel, Larry Burrell, Elizabeth Kacel, Kendra Kreitsch, Molly McLaren, Nadine Schwab
Winner: Aviva Ariel, M.S.
Nathan W. Perry Memorial Scientist-Practitioner Award
Nominees: Breton Asken, Eugene Dunne, Elizabeth Kacel, Kendra Kreitsch, Janelle Letzen, Paul Mangal
Winner: Elizabeth Kacel, M.S.
Clinical and Health Psychology Research Award
Nominees: Breton Asken, Kendra Kreitsch, Casey Lawless, Landrew Sevel, Sarah Szymkowicz
Winner: Kendra Kreitsch, M.S.
Eileen B. Fennell Graduate Student Teaching Award
Nominees: Zachary Houck, Paul Mangal
Winner: Paul Mangal, M.S.
Jenny Sivinski Memorial Award for Excellence in Public Service
Winner: Jacob Lafo, M.S.
Area Awards
Robert and Phyllis Levitt Research Award for Excellence in Neuropsychology Research
Winner: Sarah Szymkowicz, M.S.
Geoffrey Clark-Ryan Memorial Award for Excellence in Pediatric Psychology Research
Winner: Mallory Netz, M.S.
Health Psychology Research Award
Winner: Landrew Sevel, M.S.
Faculty Awards
Hugh C. Davis Faculty Award for Excellence in Clinical Supervision
Winner: Robert Guenther, Ph.D.
Research Mentor Award
Winner: David Fedele, Ph.D.
Classroom Teaching Award
Winner: Patricia Durning, Ph.D.
Congratulations to all of the presenters, mentors, and award winners for their impressive work and outstanding achievements!