Clinical Students
View graduate students in Dr. Buckner’s lab
View graduate students in Dr. Calamia’s lab
View graduate students in Dr. Cohen’s lab
View graduate students in Dr. Frick’s lab
View graduate students in Dr. Hill's lab.
View graduate students in Dr. Tucker’s lab
Jeff Powers is a 6th year student in the MOSB lab, currently on internship at the Cincinnati
VA. He grew up in New Hampshire and moved to Kentucky after high school where he enlisted
in the Army as a medic. He had deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and left service
in 2012. He stayed in KY and graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2017 with
a Bachelor's degree in Psychological Sciences and a minor in History. He continued
his education at WKU and graduated in 2019 with a Master's degree in Psychological
Sciences. His primary interests are in the treatment and prevention of suicide, but
also the issues that are pervasive among veterans and armed forces personnel including
PTSD, substance use, and traumatic brain injury. In his free time he likes to spend
time with his wife, bull terriers, going out new restaurants, and trying to get tickets
from Joe Burrow for Bengals games in Cincinnati.
Nick Oakey-Frost is a 6th year student in the MOSB lab and is currently a Clinical Psychology Intern
at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson, AZ. He graduated from
the University of Utah in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor
in Anthropology. For the three years prior to his studies at LSU, Nicolas worked as
the Research Manager for the National Center for Veterans Studies (now STRIVE) with
Dr. Craig Bryan and his team. Nick is interested in continued exploration, refinement,
and understanding suicide risk assessment methodologies. He also maintains his interest
in the identification and refinement of protective/resiliency factors toward and understand
of how these variables differentiate between patients who attempt suicide versus those
who do not. He has also become interested in brief (i.e., single session) interventions
that maximize immediate patient impact and are scalable to the needs of diverse systems
of mental healthcare (e.g., acute inpatient psychiatry, primary care).
Celeste Tevis is a 6th year clinical psychology student currently on predoctoral internship at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She received her undergraduate degree from Grove City College with a major in psychology and minors in social work and sociology in 2017. Prior to graduate school, she provided applied behavior analysis therapy to children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and worked as a research assistant in a gender studies lab. She entered the Ph.D. program in clinical psychology at LSU in 2019 and received her master’s degree from LSU in 2022. Her research interests broadly include early identification and treatment of ASD, as well as the intersection of ASD and Down Syndrome. In her free time, Celeste enjoys reading, spending time with family, and trying new restaurants!
Erin Vaughan is a 6th year clinical student on Dr. Frick’s team. She graduated summa cum laude
from the University of Notre Dame with a major in psychology and minor in anthropology.
While at Notre Dame, she worked in Dr. Lira Yoon’s Cognition, Emotion, and Emotional
Disorders Lab and Dr. Kristin Valentino’s Development & Psychopathology Lab. Under
Dr. Valentino, she worked as a research assistant on a psychosocial intervention for
maltreated children and completed an honors thesis on the link between maternal sensitivity
and child internalizing and externalizing behaviors in families of different racial
backgrounds. Her research interests include parental influences on callous-unemotional
traits, emotional socialization and the development of empathy in childhood, and parenting
interventions for children with conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits. In
her free time, she enjoys being active, going to the movies, and giving all her money
to coffee shops.
Michaela Brown is a 6th year clinical psychology student on Dr. Frick's team. She received her undergraduate
degree in Psychology with a minor in Early Intervention from Northeastern University
in 2014, and her master's of arts in Psychology of Education from Teacher's College
at Columbia University in 2019. In between her undergraduate and graduate education,
Michaela worked as a developmental specialist, providing home-based early intervention
services to children 0 to 3 and their families. Her research interests include the
early identification and assessment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as how
comorbid psychopathology influences ASD symptomatology. Outside of school, she enjoys
spending time with friends, playing with her cats, reading and traveling.
Megan Callahan Leonard (she/her) is a 6th year clinical psychology student on Dr. Ray Tucker and Dr. Ryan Hills' teams. She received her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience with minors in Psychology and Theological Studies from Saint Louis University in 2019. Her research interests include autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the intersection with gender and sexual minorities. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their german shepherd, reading, and trying new recipes.
Julianne Speck (she/her) is a 5th year clinical psychology student under Dr. Frick's supervision.
She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Italian from the
University of Delaware in 2016. Following graduation, she worked on the Adolescent
Brain Cognitive Development Study at the University of Michigan where she gained extensive
experience in various data collection methods and study coordination in longitudinal,
multi-site research. Upon joining Dr. Frick's team in 2020, she developed research
and clinical interests with severe child and adolescent behavior problems and callous-unemotional
traits, especially pertaining to multi-problem and justice-system involved youth.
Since making the move down south, Julianne has greatly enjoyed exploring the cultural
pursuits of southeastern Louisiana, perusing the Baton Rouge farmer's market, pressuring
friends into work dates, finding reasons to get treats, and trying to do yoga.
Nina Glover is a fifth-year graduate student in Dr. Cohen's lab. She received her Bachelor of
Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Houston in 2018. Her research interests
include examining the causality of co-morbid substance use and emotional psychopathology
within psychosocial contexts (e.g., racial discrimination, socioeconomic status, race-based
traumatic stress) among racially/ethnically diverse populations, identifying barriers
to treatment for the aforementioned populations, and improving quality and access
to mental health care and resources for underserved communities. In her spare time,
she enjoys spending time with friends and family, sleeping, and trying new restaurants
around town!
Christian Ledet (she/her) is a 5th year clinical psychology student on Dr. Kelley's team. She received
a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Louisiana State University in 2017 and a
Master of Arts in General Psychology from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2020.
Her research interests include examining the efficacy of interventions and routines
for problematic externalizing behaviors among children and adolescents with ADHD.
Outside of school, she enjoys visiting local coffee shops with friends, watching reality
television, and singing karaoke.
Paige Morris (she/her) is a 5th year doctoral clinical psychology student on Dr. Buckner’s team.
She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Temple University in 2017.
Before joining the program in 2020, she was a clinical research coordinator on clinical
trials investigating pharmacogenetic treatment approaches and outcomes for alcohol
and opioid use disorder. Paige is interested in examining sex differences in substance
use (especially cannabis use) and psychosocial risk and protective factors, such as
motivational and context-specific factors. She is also interested in harm reduction
approaches and brief online interventions among special populations, such as women,
college students, and individuals with substance use and co-occurring psychiatric
disorders. Outside school, she enjoys cooking, yoga, amateur astronomy, and walking
with her two Australian shepherds.
Luke Miller (he/him) is a 5th year clinical psychology student on Dr. Calamia's team. He received
his undergraduate degree in Psychology from Drexel University in 2020, and his master's
of arts in Clinical Psychology from Louisiana State University. Luke is interested
in the utility of technology (e.g., virtual reality) and positive neuropsychological
factors in the assessment and cognitive rehabilitation of those with acquired brain
injury and dementia. Recently, he has been working with therapists at a local outpatient
rehab to implement a driving simulator program, a resilience intervention, and other
initiatives to track treatment progress. In his free time, Luke enjoys traveling,
cooking (but mostly eating) Mexican cuisine, and obsessing over Pittsburgh professional
sports.
Sarah Pardue-Bourgeois is a 5th year clinical psychology student in Dr. Tucker's lab. She received her undergraduate
and master of arts degrees at Southeastern Louisiana University. Her research and
clinical interests focus broadly on suicide prevention and intervention at the individual
and community levels. In her free time, she enjoys fishing and watching football with
her husband, playing with her two senior dogs, and spending time with her family.
Courtney Goetz is a 4th year clinical psychology student on Dr. Frick's team. She received her undergraduate
degree in Psychology from Michigan State University. After graduating, she worked
on neuropsychology and mental health research at the University of Michigan and Michigan
State University. She is interested in researching the impact of neighborhood disadvantage
on the development of conduct problems in children and adolescents. In her free time,
she enjoys spending time with her pets, reading, and collecting houseplants.
Katrail Davis is a 4th year clinical psychology student on Dr. Calamia's team. She is mainly interested
in assessment with underrepresented populations. Particularly, she is interested in
ways to improve neuropsychological measures to help improve health outcomes for aging
adults. Outside of school, Katrail enjoys running, knitting, crocheting, and binge-watching
her favorite tv shows.
Madeleine Hansen is a 4th year clinical psychology doctoral student on the child track in Dr. Amy
Mikolajewski's Externalizing Psychopathology Lab. A native of Opelousas, Louisiana,
she graduated summa cum laude from LSU in 2020 with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor
in LGBTQ Studies. Her research interests include identifying risk and protective factors
for the development of externalizing psychopathology in youth and transdiagnostic
processes among neurodiverse populations to inform treatment and prevention strategies.
In her free time, she enjoys rescuing house plants, traveling with her dogs, and being
outdoors.
Faith Stoneking (she/her) is a 4th year clinical psychology student. She earned her B.A. in Psychology
from Randolph College in 2016. She then earned her M.A. in Psychology from American
University in 2018, where she completed her MA thesis on the impact of social media
content on body image. Subsequently, she worked at Washington University School of
Medicine on projects examining and implementing accessible, effective substance use
treatments. Her current research interests include identifying and understanding factors
that influence body image and related constructs. Additional interests include assessment
of body image, maladaptive eating and substance use behaviors (especially within sexual
and gender minority populations), and increasing accessibility of evidence-based treatments.
Outside of school, Faith enjoys traveling, spending time with her rescue dog Baylor,
caring for her houseplants, and trying local restaurants and coffee shops.
Morgan Buerke is a 4th year clinical psychology student who transferred over from the University
of Southern Mississippi with her mentor, Dr. Capron. She will be applying to internship
this fall. She received her undergraduate degree from Kent State University in Ohio,
then worked for three years at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where
she became interested in suicide research. Her current research interests include
improving our current suicide risk assessment and treatment procedures, transdiagnostic
thought processes that put someone at risk for suicide, and novel suicide interventions.
She also volunteers for a program partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics to reduce youth suicides in the
state of Mississippi. Outside of school, she loves rock climbing and hanging with
her cat, Pluto.
Taylor A. Miller (she/her) is a 3rd year clinical psychology student on Dr. Frick's team. She graduated
Summa Cum Laude from Kennesaw State University with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor
in Applied Statistics and Data Analysis. As an undergraduate and after graduation,
Taylor worked as a research assistant in Dr. Woo's Care Informatics Lab, primarily
focusing on biomedical health research and identifying speech-to-text performance
of minority doctors. After graduating, Taylor also completed an internship with Children
and Family Programs, where she was trained in manualized behavioral interventions
and in grant writing. Her research interests include the development of antisocial
behavior, callous-unemotional traits, and psychopathy, as well as research on parenting
interventions for those with conduct problems and justice reform. Outside of the program,
she enjoys painting, yoga, DIY crafts/projects, cooking new vegan recipies, and spending
time with her cats.
Ashlyn (she/her) is a 3rd year clinical psychology student in Dr. Calamia's lab. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychological Sciences from the University of Mary Washington in 2016 before working as a research coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh's Geriatric Neuropsychology Research Program. Her research interests include the assessment of everyday functioning in older adults, behavioral interventions for Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias, and the use of qualitative methods in neuropsychological research.
Aubree Corporandy is a 3rd year Clinical Psychology student on Dr. Cohen's team. She received her undergraduate
degree in Psychology with a concentration in Human Services and minor in Modern Languages,
Linguistics, and Intercultural Communications from the University of Maryland, Baltimore
County in 2012. After working in research for several years in places such as the
Department of Veterans Affairs and consulting for a budding mental health nonprofit,
she discovered an interest in the use of technology as a means of developing more
efficient ways of conducting research and providing mental health services. In 2021,
she went on to receive a Masters of Business Administration degree with a concentration
in Business Analytics and certification in Nonprofit Management from the University
of San Diego, developing a new set of skills to inform her research interests. Working
primarily in the field of serious mental illness, her research focuses on using language
as means of studying treatment progression, client relationships, and positive psychology
tools. Outside of her time at LSU, she enjoys all sorts of outdoor activities, particularly
hiking with her dog and seeking out interesting new places for their adventures in
the South!
Tyler Hendley is a 2nd year graduate student in Dr. Ryan Hill’s Suicide Prevention Research Lab.
Tyler is from Kannapolis, NC, and graduated from Clemson University with a B.S. in
psychology and a minor in life sciences. While at Clemson, he worked in Dr. Robin
Kowalski’s Social Psychology Lab where he researched K-12, college/university, and
mass shootings. After graduation, Tyler was accepted into McLean Hospital/Harvard
Medical School’s Post-Baccalaureate Clinical Fellowship in the Simches Center of Excellence
in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. While at McLean Hospital, he served as a Community
Residence Counselor, Clinical Educator Specialist, and research assistant at the 3East
DBT Adolescent Residential Program. After graduating the fellowship, Tyler rejoined
Dr. Kowalski’s research endeavors to investigate suicidality and mass shootings. His
research interests include suicide prevention in child and adolescent populations,
examining interpersonal processes as they relate to suicidal thoughts and behaviors,
and gun violence on a mass and individual level. In his free time, he likes to fish,
attend sporting events, and listen to live music.
Max Stivers (he/him) is a 2nd-year clinical psychology student with LSU's Mitigation of Suicidal
Behavior Lab, advised by Dr. Raymond Tucker. After graduating from NYU with a BA in
Psychology and Philosophy, Max earned his MA in Psychology from Pepperdine University.
He comes to LSU also having contributed to mood disorder and suicide prevention research
in a variety of academic, clinical, and community mental health settings, most recently
serving as a Research Coordinator with the Suicide Care, Prevention, and Research
Initiative at the Uniformed Services University. Moving forward, Max is interested
in investigating facilitators of help-seeking behavior and learning more about the
development of more acceptable and accessible interventions for members of vulnerable
populations.
Halle Fowler (she/her) is a 2nd year clinical psychology student in Dr. Tucker's lab. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and History from Brown University in 2022, and her master's degree in Developmental Psychology from Gallaudet University in 2023. Halle's research interests include the assessment and treatment of suicidal thoughts and behavior in d/Deaf communities, the prevention and treatment of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and mental health infrastructure in rural communities. In her free time, Halle enjoys reading and hiking!
Luke Vargo is a 2nd year clinical psychology student mentored by Dr. Julia Buckner. He completed his undergraduate degree in Psychology at Middle Georgia State University in 2019 and received a master's degree in Psychological Research at Texas State University during the spring of 2023. His research interests pertain to transdiagnostic mechanisms among substance use and anxiety disorders in hopes of refining available psychological treatments.
Katie Thomas (she/her) is a 2nd year clinical psychology student in Dr. Buckner's lab. She received
her undergraduate degree in Cognitive Science from Rice University in 2019. Following
graduation, she worked as a research assistant for the Trauma Research Consortium
at Baylor Scott & White researching occupational-related trauma and evidence-based
mental health care for veterans and first responders. Her research interests include
identifying risk and maintenance factors for substance use in trauma-exposed populations
and the development of evidence-based interventions for trauma and substance use disorders.
Outside of school, she enjoys weightlifting, reading, crocheting, and cuddling with
her rescue dog Moira.
Michael Jaworski is a 2nd year Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology at LSU, associated with the Neuropsychometrics
Research Group (NRG) Lab, guided by advisor Matthew Calamia. Holding a BA and MA in
Psychology from the University at Buffalo, he brings over six years of clinical research
experience from the division of neuropsychology at the Jacobs School of Medicine.
His research interests encompass the integration of technology in assessments, personality's
role in daily functioning, and the intricacies of psychometrics. Beyond academics,
Michael enjoys backing the Buffalo Bills every Sunday, culinary exploration, and occasional
ventures into video gaming.
Hannah Lovato (she/her) is a 2nd year clinical psychology student in Dr. Calamia's lab. She received
her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Christopher Newport University and her
master's of science in General Psychology from New Mexico Highlands University. After
school she worked as a research assistant at the Boston VA working on a clinical trial
for TBI. Her research interests include neuropsychological assessment of neurodegenerative
disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and early prediction markers of cognitive decline
like depression and anxiety. Outside of school she likes to sculpt, paint, and play
with her dog.
Austin Starkey (he/him) is a 2nd year clinical psychology student with Dr. Hill's team. He received
his undergraduate degree in Psychology and Sociology from Florida State University
in 2018. After graduating, he worked in Dr. Pamela Keels Eating Behaviors Research
clinic for 3 years managing her NIH funded R01 examining biobehavioral indicators
for binge eating disorder. Following this, he worked with Craig Bryan at The Ohio
State University Wexner Medical Center, where he managed clinical trials examining
the effectiveness of Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on suicide prevention. His
research interests include suicide prevention among transition age youth, namely those
from minoritized and underserved populations. Additionally, he is interested the development
of treatments for non-suicidal self-injurious behavior among adolescents.
Ashley Zollicoffer (she/her) is a 1st year clinical psychology student in Dr. Alex Cohen's lab. She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from San Diego State University in 2018, and her master's of science degree in Community Psychology from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in 2021. From 2021-2024, Ashley served as a research coordinator in the Clinical Affective Neuroscience laboratory at the University of Georgia. In this role, Ashley examined negative symptoms in youth at clinical high-risk for psychosis by assisting with two NIH-funded grants. Her research interests include the impact of structural racism on negative symptoms of psychosis and the presentation and conceptualization of negative symptoms with clinicians from different ethnic backgrounds. Additionally, Ashley was awarded the Huel D. Perkins fellowship for her doctoral program. Outside of school, she enjoys hiking, painting, skating, and spending time with animals.
Nhi Hoang (she/her/hers) is a first-year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student in Dr. Mikolajewski's Externalizing Psychopathology Lab. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Hope College (MI) in 2024 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience. During her undergraduate, she was a research assistant for several research labs primarily studying psychophysiology and topics related to positive psychology (e.g., hope, values and virtues, forgiveness). She also completed an internship at the Children's Advocacy Center working with children and adolescents who experienced sexual abuse. Nhi's research interests encompass the etiology, prognosis, treatment, and factors influencing children and adolescents' disruptive behaviors and externalizing disorders. Outside of academia, she loves to connect with friends and her family in Vietnam, read fiction and graphic novels, and engage in artistic activities.
Emma O'Brien (she/her) is a 1st year clinical psychology student on Dr. Raymond Tucker's team. She received her BA in Psychology and French from Earlham College in 2020, and worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator for Dr. Szanto at the University of Pittsburgh from 2020-2024 investigating risk and protective factors to suicide in older adults. Her research interests include suicide prediction, prevention, and intervention in high-risk groups including but not limited to military members and the LGBTQ+ community. Emma is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Outside of school, she loves to run, bike, hike, cook, bake, travel, try out new coffee shops and restaurants, and spend time with friends and family!
Abbie received her B.A. in Psychology and B.S. in Public Health from Miami University in 2022. After graduation, she accepted a post-baccalaureate position as a Research Assistant at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR). During Abbie’s time at LIBR, her work primarily focused on substance use disorders but extended into research on suicide, self-harm, impulsivity, anxiety, and trauma. In May of 2024, she received her Master's in Public Health from Oklahoma State University, focusing on rural and underserved communities. Her current research broadly aims to investigate the relationship between interception, dissociation, and suicide. Outside of school, she enjoys reading and exploring Baton Rouge.
Camryn Trevino graduated with honors from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in educational psychology. As an undergraduate, Camryn worked as a research assistant in Dr. Jennifer Beer’s Self-Regulation Lab, Dr. Chris McCarthy’s Coping and Stress in Education (CASE) Lab, and Dr. David Yeager’s Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute. Camryn completed an honors thesis with forensic psychologist Dr. Alissa Sherry that investigated subclinical psychopathy traits in business students and alumni. Camryn joined Dr. Frick’s team in 2024 and wants to pursue research on the development of psychopathy and antisocial behavior as well as the assessment and intervention of callous-unemotional traits in forensic settings.
Mikayla BergWood is a first year in the clinical psychology student on Dr. Paul Frick’s team. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2022 with her bachelors degree in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. As an undergraduate she worked under Dr. Christopher Monk, investigating the relationship between parent-child relationships and adolescent structural white matter connectivity. After graduation, she worked in Dr. Vijay Ramchandani’s lab at NIAAA, studying impaired control over alcohol use. She is interested in pursing research on the development and treatment of callous-unemotional traits and how these characteristics relate to involvement in the juvenile justice system. In her free time, she enjoys running, reading, and trying new restaurants and coffee shops with friends!
Jackie Kandalaft (she/her) is a first-year clinical psychology student in Dr. Amy Mikolajewski’s lab. Born in New Orleans and raised in Abu Dhabi, she returned to New Orleans to attend Tulane University where she earned a B.S. in Psychology and International Relations, followed by an M.S. in Behavioral Health. Her research interests focus on the protective effects of parenting styles and interventions on early life stress and trauma, as well as attachment-based approaches for addressing parental stress and enhancing caregiver-child relationships. In her free time, Jackie enjoys playing (and watching) tennis, stress baking, and finding cheap concerts to attend.
Commitment to Diversity
We encourage applications from individuals with diverse racial, ethnic, and/or cultural backgrounds. Baton Rouge is a racially diverse city and our work in the greater Baton Rouge community allows us to provide clinical services to and conduct research with racially diverse individuals in our community. We take great pride in this diversity. Furthermore, our program is deeply committed to fostering a learning environment that supports cultural and individual differences and diversity. Additionally, “Diversity is fundamental to LSU's mission and the University is committed to creating and maintaining a living and learning environment that embraces individual difference. Cultural inclusion is of highest priority” (see entire LSU Diversity Statement)