UF Graduate Students
1st-Year Student: Jenna Sims, M.A. School Psychology Ph.D. Program, University of Florida E-mail: jenna.sims@ufl.edu
Jenna graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Alabama in 2019. Next, she began working as a research coordinator at the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Urban Youth Trauma Center, which serves youth and families affected by trauma and community violence. Jenna subsequently moved back to her hometown of New Orleans and worked for Tulane University as a research coordinator for projects involving the assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder and psychophysiology in very young children with disruptive behavior. She then obtained her M.A. in Clinical Psychology at TTU before joining the School Psychology Ph.D. Program at UF under the mentorship of Dr. Cooley in Fall 2025.
Jenna’s research interests include examining risk and protective factors that influence social, behavioral, and health outcomes for youth experiencing adversity or traumatic stress and, in turn, understanding how to better address problems and foster resilience through implementing and evaluating evidence-based interventions. She is also passionate about identifying and reducing barriers to treatment access for under-resourced youth and families, primarily through school-based interventions.
Master’s Thesis: “Understanding What Characteristics of Peer Victimization Predict Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among Children”
1st-Year Student: Brooke Streicher, B.A. School Psychology Ph.D. Program, University of Florida E-mail: brooke.streicher@ufl.edu
Brooke graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Social Work from Texas Tech University in Fall 2022. As an undergrad, she worked as a research assistant in the Positive Youth Development Lab and Dr. Jason Van Allen’s ENERGY Lab. She then worked as a post-baccalaureate research assistant in both the Positive Youth Development Lab and Dr. Sean Mitchell’s Suicide Risk and Prevention Lab on a project focused on providing training to primary care providers across the West Texas region on evidence-based screening and intervention methods for youth patients experiencing suicidal ideation/behavior. Brooke joined the School Psychology Ph.D. Program at UF under the mentorship of Dr. Cooley in Fall 2025.
Brooke’s research interests include the impact of peer victimization and parent-child relationships on the social and emotional development of youth. Her interests also involve providing information to parents and schools on how they can identify and support children impacted by internalizing problems and suicidal ideation/behavior as well as promoting accessible mental health resources through school-based prevention and intervention efforts.
TTU Graduate Students
6th-Year Student: Brianna T. Ricker, M.S., M.A. Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program, Texas Tech University E-mail: brianna.ricker@ttu.edu
Brianna graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Sociology from Southwestern University. She then worked as a caseworker for adults with serious mental illness in a small, rural community mental health clinic. Brianna completed her M.S. in Psychological Sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas, where she studied developmental trajectories of externalizing behaviors among low income, ethnic minority children and how these trajectories are associated with academic achievement. Brianna joined the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at TTU under the mentorship of Dr. Cooley in Fall 2020. She is currently completing the Charleston Consortium Psychology Internship Program.
Brianna’s research interests include parenting behaviors and the role of parents play in fostering adaptive outcomes for youth. She is particularly interested in disseminating effective parenting strategies to a broader range of families, with the ultimate goal of promoting healthy psychosocial development in children and adolescents. She is also interested in factors that influence the development of parenting practices and how these behaviors impact different aspects of child development over time.
Master’s Thesis: “Parental Psychological Control and Childhood Externalizing Problems: The Mediating Role of Peer Victimization”
Qualifying Examination: “A Review of Biological, Cognitive, and Social Factors that Influence the Links between Parenting Behaviors and Peer Difficulties Among Children and Adolescents”
Dissertation: “Investigating a Brief Positive Parenting Seminar Series as a Universal Intervention”
Internship: Charleston Consortium Psychology Internship Program, Charleston, SC
5th-Year Student: Carlos Sanchez, M.A. Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program, Texas Tech University E-mail: carlos.sanchez@ttu.edu
Carlos graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Sociology from Florida International University (FIU). He then began working as a research assistant for the S.E.L.F-Regulation Lab at FIU, which focuses on children's self-regulation in the context of school readiness, nutrition, and interventions. Carlos joined the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at TTU under the mentorship of Dr. Cooley in Fall 2021. Following Dr. Cooley’s departure from TTU, he began working with Dr. Caroline Cummings in the Pediatric Health, Affect, and Biobehavioral Research Lab.
Carlos’s research interests include factors that affect social wellness among children, particularly as it pertains to their peer and parent relationships. He is also interested in understanding how different external and internal factors may contribute to outcomes associated with peer victimization. Lastly, Carlos is interested in exploring ways to improve the effectiveness of intervention programs targeting peer victimization.
Master’s Thesis: “Peer Victimization and Callous-Unemotional Traits: The Impact of Parents and Teachers”
Qualifying Examination: “Callous-Unemotional Traits, Stability, Parents, and Intervention: A Developmental Perspective”
4th-Year Student: Montana Baker, M.S., M.A. Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program, Texas Tech University E-mail: montana.baker@ttu.edu
Montana graduated with a B.S. in Psychology with a concentration in cognitive neuroscience and minors in Sociology and Biology from the University of Denver. She then worked as a mental health counselor at a residential treatment facility for teens who had been exposed to trauma. After two years of working as a counselor, she attended the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) to obtain a M.S. in Psychology. At UTSA, her research focused on how mother-child emotion dialogues relate to children’s behavioral development. Montana joined the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at TTU under the mentorship of Dr. Cooley in Fall 2022. Following Dr. Cooley’s departure from TTU, she began working with Dr. Caroline Cummings in the Pediatric Health, Affect, and Biobehavioral Research Lab.
Montana’s research goals are to study the influence of community violence on behavioral development and possible interventions to improve the mental health of children and adolescents impacted by community violence. Additionally, she is interested in improving the identification of risk factors and interventions for youth with suicidal ideation/behavior.
Master’s Thesis: “Witnessed Community Violence and Aggression in Childhood: The Moderating Role of Emotion Regulation”
3rd-Year Student: Elizabeth (“Lizzy”) Gunder, M.A. Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program, Texas Tech University E-mail: elizabeth.gunder@ttu.edu
Lizzy graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Forensic Science from TTU in Spring 2022. As an undergraduate, she worked in the Positive Youth Development Lab and Dr. Adam Schmidt’s Pathways to Resilient Development Lab. She then worked as a post-baccalaureate research assistant in both the Positive Youth Development Lab and Dr. Sean Mitchell’s Suicide Risk and Prevention Lab on a project focused on providing training to primary care providers across the West Texas region on evidence-based screening and intervention methods for youth patients experiencing suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors. Lizzy joined the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at TTU under the mentorship of Dr. Cooley in Fall 2023. Following Dr. Cooley’s departure from TTU, she began working with Dr. Caroline Cummings in the Pediatric Health, Affect, and Biobehavioral Research Lab.
Lizzy’s research interests include how adverse experiences early in life impact social and emotional development throughout childhood and adolescence. She is also interested in the impacts of various forms of trauma, including peer victimization, on the development of psychopathology. Lastly, Lizzy is interested in investigating how to improve the efficacy of clinical interventions for youth experiencing peer victimization.
Master’s Thesis: “Sleep Problems, Emotion (Dys)regulation, and Positive Affect: The Moderating Role of Physical Activity”
Graduate Student Collaborators
Victoria Dennis, M.A. Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program, Texas Tech University E-mail: victoria.e.dennis@ttu.edu
Victoria is currently a 5th-year doctoral student in clinical psychology at Texas Tech University under the mentorship of Dr. Adam Schmidt. She began collaborating with the Positive Youth Development Lab in Spring 2023 and currently serves as a positive parenting seminar leader. Her research and clinical interests involve improving the identification of risk and protective factors for at-risk youth and providing intervention services for this population; she is also interested in neurocognitive assessments for children and adolescents.
Alumni
Graduate Student Collaborators
Antonio Pagán, Ph.D. Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program, Texas Tech University
Former Therapist & Child Skills Group Leader
Antonio is currently completing his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Gabriela (“Gabi”) Lelakowska, Ph.D. Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program, Texas Tech Universityy
Former Therapist & Child Skills Group Leader
Gabi is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
James (“Jimmy”) Barnett, Ph.D. Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program, Texas Tech University
Former Therapist & Child Skills Group Leader
Jimmy is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
Sarah Sparks, M.A., M.Sc. Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program, Texas Tech University
Former Child Skills Group Leader
Sarah is currently a 6th-year doctoral student at Texas Tech University.
Tristen Hefner, M.S. Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program, Texas Tech University
Former Child Skills Group Leader
Tristen is currently a 5th-year doctoral student at Texas Tech University.
