2021-2022 Community Accomplishments

It’s time for our annual Year in Review! As we look back on each semester of the academic year, we reflect on the changes we have experienced, as individuals and a community. We’re so happy this year marked the return of some of our favorite in-person events.

Below is a selection of highlights from our community over the 2021-2022 academic year. Make sure to check out MSP’s Annual Research Report for a comprehensive look at our community’s research output from previous years.

Above: PsyD student Paul Farley (center) presenting his poster at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference in April.

External Scholarships & Grants

Breanna Thornton (PsyD 3) received the Port Huron McLaren Hospital Auxiliary Medical Heath Services Scholarship
Jared Boot (MA ’19, PsyD 3) was awarded the Marlene O’Neil Scholarship from the Michigan Psychological Association Foundation
Katilin Tuinstra (PsyD 3) received a grant to support her dissertation work on through the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation’s Student Award Program

Professional Awards and Achievements

Jared Boot (MA ’19, PsyD 3)
- was elected to the board of director for the GLMA: Health Professional Advancing LGBTQ Health Equity and is the co-chair for the Health Professional in Training Committee
- served as a member on the APAGS Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity
Vanessa Brown (MA’09, PsyD ’13, Adjunct Faculty) was elected to serve as the Treasurer for APA Division 32
Monique Nash (MA) was chosen as an APA Campus Ambassador
Dylan Oseas (MA ’20, PsyD 2) was elected to serve as the Division 32 student representative

Presentations

Students
- Courtney Cabell (MA ’21, PsyD 1) presented Police Brutality and Killings of Black Americans: Exploring Vicarious Trauma at the Division 32 Conference
- Ethan Reischling (MA) and Kenneth McDermott (MA) presented Burnout and Self-Care in Psychologists and Trainees at Midwestern Psychological Association Conference
- Jamal Ghazi (MA) presented Imagination and it’s Healing Powers – the Mythopoetic Function at the Division 32 Conference
- Kaitlin Tunistra (Psy D 3) and Nadeen Majeed (PsyD 3) presented Development of a Health Self-Care Scale at the APA Annual Convention
- Paul Farley (PsyD 3), Stacy Nuar (PsyD 3), and LaSondra Wayne (PsyD 3) presented The Development of the Relationship Sustainability Scale at Midwestern Psychological Association Conference
- Rebecca Jarvis (MA ’20, PsyD 2) and Carly Percy (MA ’20, PsyD 2) presented Preliminary Reliability of the Adverse Experience Scale at Midwestern Psychological Association Conference
Student and Alumni Collaborations
- Betz King (PsyD ’04), Adam Duberstein (PsyD ’21), Andrea Brent (PsyD 3), Dylan Oseas (MA ’20, PsyD 2), Bryan Peterson (MA ’18), and Shannon Sugarman (MA ’15) presented The Philosopher’s Stone: Existential Humanistic Psychology in the Here-and-Now of Managed Care at the Division 32 Conference
Students and Faculty Collaborations
- Alexa Resetar (MA ’20 PsyD 2), Caroline Callaway (MA ’20, PsyD 2), Diana Jasser (MA ’20, PsyD 2), and Kevin Keenan (Core Faculty) presented Orthorexia Nervosa: Scale Development of a Newly Recognized Eating Disorder at Midwestern Psychological Association Conference
- Courtney Cabell (MA ’21, PsyD 1), Tara Pope (MA ’21, PsyD 1), Sarah Sadovsky (MA ’21, PsyD 1), Savannah Yount (MA ’21, PsyD 1), and Kevin Keenan (Core Faculty) will be presenting The Development of the Multicultural Psychological Pain from Loss or Lack Scale at the APA Convention
- Derrick Sebree Jr. (MA ’12, PsyD ’16, Core Faculty), Rebecca Jarvis (MA ’20, PsyD 2), Carly Percy (MA ’20, PsyD 2), and Morgan Van Leer (MA ’20, PsyD 2) presented Climate Change and Racial Ideologies among White Americans: An Exploratory Study at the Division 32 Conference
- Dustin Shepler (Core Faculty), Mackenzie Tresnak (PsyD 4), and Christopher Corbin (MA ’18, PsyD 4) presented Predicting Physical Symptoms in Emerging Adults who Identify as Disabled at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference
- Elizabeth Romano (MA with ABA ’20, PsyD 1), Jeffrey Binder (MA ’19, PsyD 1), Devon Kardel (PsyD 1), Sarah Weber (PsyD 1), and Kevin Keenan (Core Faculty) will be presenting The Development of the Personal Resources for Change Measure at the APA Convention
- Jamal Ghazi (MA ’21, PsyD 1), Erica Medina (PsyD 1), Nicholas Semaan (MA ’21, PsyD 1), David Humphries (PsyD 1), Kevin Johnson (MA ’14, PsyD ’18, Core Faculty), and Kevin Keenan (Core Faculty) will be presenting The Development of the Spirituality and Religious Engagement Scale at the APA Convention
- Kari Eidnes (MA ’21, PsyD 1), Natalya Zerka (MA ’21, PsyD 1), Qandeel Minal (MA ’21, PsyD 1), Hannah Riesser (MA with ABA ’21, PsyD 1), Kevin Johnson (MA ’14, PsyD ’18), and Kevin Keenan (Core Faculty) will be presenting Developing a Measure of Acceptance at the APA Convention
- Klarissa Matanos (MA), Erica Medina (PsyD 1), Maria Berganza (MA), and Dustin Shepler (Core Faculty) presented Predicting Subjective Well-being in Emerging Adults at Midwestern Psychological Association Conference
- Vincent Mangiapane (MA ’21, PSyD 1), Avery Potvin (MA ’20, PsyD 1), and Kevin Keenan (Core Faculty) will be presenting Defenses Against Vulnerabilities Scale at the APA Convention
Faculty
- Derrick Sebree Jr. (MA ’12, PsyD ’16, Core Faculty) presented
  - We Shall Rise: Critical Praxis for Socioecological Justice of American Descendants of Slavery at the Division 32 Conference.
- Dustin Shepler (Core Faculty) moderated New Approaches in the Workplace and Classroom at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference
Staff
- Dana Erickson, Carrie Pyeatt, Stephanie Swanberg, Jana Thompkins, and Candi Wilson presented Developing and Hosting a Campus-wide Virtual Education Series on Structural Racism presented at the Michigan Academic Libraries Association annual meeting.

Publications

Students
- Carly Percy (PsyD 2) was an author in the following
  - Pashak, T., Percy, C., Trierweiler, E., Bradley, S., Conley, M., & Weaver, J. (2022). Awareness isn’t saving lives: An experimental exploration of suicide risk reduction methods for emerging adults. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 1-12.
- Jared Boot (MA ’19, PsyD 3) was the primary author for the AASECT Position on the Dignity and Right of Asexual Individuals
- Sharmane Brown published
  - Brown, S. (2021) The LGBT veteran experience. The Military Psychologist, 36(3), 15-16.
Student and Faculty Collaborations
- Kyle Justin (PsyD 4), Dustin Shepler (Core Faculty), and Joseph Kinel (PsyD 4 ) published the following
  - Justin, K. J., Shepler, D. K., & Kinel, J. R. (2022). She’s just not that into me: Sexual self-concept among heterosexual men who identify as involuntary celibates. Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences, 16, 117–133.
Faculty
- Danielle Balaghi was an author in the following publications
  - Balaghi, D., Oka, E. R., & Carter Andrews, D. (2021). Arab American adolescents’ responses to perceived discrimination: A phenomenological study. Journal of Muslim Mental Health, 15(2).
  - Kira, I. A., Shuwiekh, H. A. M., Alhuwailah, A., & Balaghi, D.. (2021). Does COVID-19 type III continuous existential trauma deplete the traditional coping, diminish health and mental health, and kindle spirituality?: An exploratory study on Arab countries. Journal of Loss and Trauma. DOI: 10.1080/15325024.2021.2006501
  - Balaghi, D., Hierl, K., & Snyder, E. (2021). Self-monitoring for students with obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Intervention in School and Clinic, DOI: 10.1177/10534512211047585
- Derrick Sebree Jr. (MA ’12, PsyD ’16) was an author for the chapter “Clinical Psychology Responses to the Climate Crisis” in Volume 11 of the Comprehensive Clinical Psychology textbook
  - Doherty, T. J., Lykins, A. D., Piotrowski, N. A., Rogers, Z., Sebree Jr., D. D., & White, K. E. (2022). Clinical psychology responses to the climate crisis. In G. J. G Asmundson (Ed.), Comprehensive Clinical Psychology (2nd ed., pp. 167–183). Elsevier. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818697-8.00236-3.
Staff
- Stephanie Swanberg published
  - Swanberg, S., Bulgarelli, N., Jayakumar, M., Look, E., Shubitowski, T., Wedemeyer, R., Yuen, E., & Lucia, V. (2022). A health education outreach partnership between an academic medical library and public library: Lessons learned before and during a pandemic. Journal of Medical Library Association. 110(2). 212-221. DOI: 10.5195/jmla.2022.1413
  - Sawarynski, K., Swanberg, S., Roach, V., & Taylor, T. (2021). Fostering early preclinical experiences for developing knowledge, skills, and confidence in key residency competencies through participation in a student research training program. Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development. DOI: 10.1177/23821205211054965