Assistant Professor, William Essman, Ph.D. has been teaching in the School of Sciences at the University of Indianapolis since 1999. Dr. Essman earned his Ph.D. in biological psychology from the University of Michigan. He then completed a post-doctoral fellowship in psychopharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, Department of Psychiatry. From 1996 to 1998 he joined the clinical psychology respecialization program at the University of Massachusetts specializing in health psychology and behavioral medicine. He completed his internship in behavioral medicine at the University of Mississippi. His clinical and research interests include behavioral medicine and health psychology, psychopharmacology and behavioral pharmacology, and personality and health. Dr. Essman teaches at both the graduate and undergraduate level courses such as: Biological Bases of Behavior, Health Psychology, Advanced Psychopathology and Special Topics classes in Addictions. 

Away from campus Dr. Essman enjoys golf, photography and reading. In addition, he loves gadgets, especially flashlights, clocks, watches and pens.  If you need a unique gadget or tool for a task, I'm sure Dr. Essman probably has it.   

To learn more about Dr. Essman, the other faculty, or the programs offered by the School of Psychological Science, please visit our web pages. 

Dr. Nicole Taylor is an assistant professor in the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Indianapolis. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Toledo in 1999, and has been at UIndy since 2000. Dr. Taylor's clinical and research interests include topics such as coping with illness, training and supervision issues in graduate clinical psychology, women's issues, psychology and primary care, factors related to medical compliance and non-compliance, behavioral health and prevention, psychoeducational assessment, ADHD assessment, and psychotherapy treatment outcome in psychology training clinics. Dr. Taylor teaches at both the graduate and undergraduate level, and covers such courses as Life Span Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Tests and Measurements, Theories of Counseling, Foundation Skills of Psychotherapy, Supervision and Management, Ethics, Professional and Legal Issues, and Clinical Assessment. 

In addition to her busy teaching schedule, Dr. Taylor is the Director of the Psychological Services Center (PSC) at UIndy. The PSC offers comprehensive evaluation and therapy services to individuals, families and organizations, both children and adults. Licensed clinical faculty and advanced graduate students working under their supervision provide services.     

Away from campus Dr. Taylor spends time with her partner and their three young children. They take as many family trips as possible and really enjoy their many trips to Disney World.

To learn more about Dr. Taylor and the other faculty at the University of Indianapolis, visit our web pages. 

Dr. Tyronn Bell is an Associate Professor at the University of Indianapolis School of Psychological Sciences.  Dr. Bell received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 2003 specializing in counseling psychology.  His research interests include multicultural therapy, ethnic minority mistrust issues, adjustment issues for African American college students attending predominantly white universities, interracial relationships and rehabilitation counseling.  Dr. Bell teaches at the graduate and undergraduate level for the School of Psychological Sciences including classes such as Introduction to Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Theories and Techniques of Counseling, Social and Cultural Bases of Behavior, Career Development and Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning.  Dr. Bell has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development and is co-chair of the Diversity Affairs Committee for the School of Psychological Sciences. 

Away from campus Dr. Bell enjoys spending time with his family,  His children love to visit campus with him and he can often be seen on campus with one or more of his young children by his side. 

Emily Johnson is a fourth year doctoral student in the PsyD program at the University of Indianapolis. Emily has been to Africa, India, and Nicaragua working for organizations like Global Autism Project and SkillCorps.  Emily will receive her PsyD in August of 2014. This is her reflection from her most recent trip to Nicaragua: 

I am writing from a veranda on the second story of a school in the suburbs just south of Managua, Nicaragua. The school, Tesoros De Dios, is a school for children with disabilities, and I am here with a medical team. I’ve now worked in four different countries with children with disabilities, including the United States.

I am staring out at the mountains from here—volcanos, actually—and thinking about how lucky I am. After seeing half a dozen or so kids this week with terminal, degenerative conditions, I’m thinking about how we could all die any day, and how if I died today, I would be happy with how I spent my last week on earth. I’m thinking about being in India with SkillCorps and how my now-dear-friend Tina told me, “Don’t let anyone stop you from following your dreams. It’s the only thing in life worth doing, and anyone who loves you will see that and support you.” She probably doesn’t know this, but I think about that conversation a lot.

I travel to a lot of places, but my dream, corny as it sounds, isn’t just to experience these places, but it is to make a true difference. A lot of people have wanted this, but few have truly succeeded. Sometimes, as Americans or as helping professionals, we misunderstand what we can truly offer. After I came home from DRC in 2011 with Friendly Planet Missiology, I was confused and amazed by how many people had come before me to try and “help” but failed to do so. They brought a lot of “stuff”, including wells, medical supplies, and Americanized systems of care. They came in thinking they had the right answers and the right materials, and when they left, their supports were never (or rarely) used again. This happens a lot in the disability community, too. We want to help so much that we often bring a large quantity of stuff compared to the best quality of intervention. We open many subpar schools or programs (instead of one great school/program), so we can serve the greatest number of kids, because it is so hard to imagine not helping all of them. I think what happens is that we truly feel helpless and overwhelmed by the need, and we want to see that we’ve done something. We want to stand back and look at the well that we’ve built, or the wheelchair that we’ve brought, and say, I did this. But who maintains that well or that wheelchair after we leave?

The difference, to me, between quality and quantity in the disability world and the NGO world is sustainability and community/family engagement, which actually go hand in hand. I want to know that what I did for the community was something they asked for, they engaged in, and to which they are committed. I also want to know that it has a fair chance of existing after I leave. So even though I often have the urge to do it, I rarely bring supplies or technology on my trips. Often, it is really needed. Often, it could benefit the community. But if they did not ask me for it, if they don’t have interest or ability to maintain it, it’s just another band-aid on an already gaping wound. We all mean well when we do these things. And we all make mistakes. It’s not wrong to want to help in this way. Anyone who has learned to provide quality services in other countries once started out bringing quantity instead. But, if we want to really make a difference, we are called to be better than this. We need to learn from our mistakes and learn what is the difference between quality and quantity, when it comes to serving people in a culturally sensitive manner.

In SkillCorps I learned that these are not easy problems. These are complex problems.  If they were easy to solve, someone would have already solved them and they wouldn’t exist. If you go away after 2 weeks thinking that you’ve solved the problem, and that you truly had no frustrating or disappointing moments, you’ve probably missed the mark. That’s why SkillCorps only works with long-term partners who drive their own services. We work through the disappointment and frustration with our partners, and we let them tell us how we can best serve them, not the other way around. We rarely bring “stuff”. Instead, we bring ourselves. It is hard for me to accept that I am my own greatest asset. I still feel the need to bring a lot of stuff, if only to make myself feel like I am doing something. But I’ve learned to resist—the greatest difference between quality and quantity in this world is what mother Teresa said—“We cannot do great things on this Earth. We can only do small things with great love.” So if you sign up for SkillCorps or support the Global Autism Project—and I hope you do—be prepared to do small things with great love. Be prepared to bring yourself and use yourself fully as your greatest asset. Be prepared to be frustrated or disappointed on some days, but be prepared to make a difference.

Dr. Michael Poulakis received his PsyD from the University of Indianapolis in 2002 and has been teaching at UIndy since 2005. In addition to his heavy teaching load, Dr. Poulakis is the Director of the Office of Hellenic Studies and is the Athens Campus Academic Liaison. Dr. Poulakis teaches at both the graduate and undergraduate level, and the Undergraduate classes he teaches are Introduction to Psychology, Personality Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Theories and Techniques of Counseling and Multicultural Psychology and Addictions. At the graduate level he teaches many classes both here and in Athens, including Interventions with Family and Couples Systems, Life Span Psychology, Cognitive and Affective Bases of Behavior, Brief Therapy and Crisis Intervention, Doctoral Seminar and Consultation and Education.  

Dr. Poulakis' clinical and research interests include multicultural issues and diversity, addictions and binge drinking, interracial relationships, South Asian psychology, LGBT issues and cyberspace psychology. Born in Greece, Michalis Poulakis is better known as Dr. P to his students. He loves talking about Greece and encourages everyone to visit.   

Away from campus Dr. P enjoys spending time with his wife and twin sons. To learn more about Dr. Poulakis, other School of Psychological Sciences faculty or the program offered, please visit our web pages. 

Lisa Elwood, Ph.D. has been teaching graduate level courses at the University of Indianapolis School of Psychological Sciences since the fall of 2011. Dr. Elwood received her Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas in 2008 specializing in clinical psychology. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Trauma Recovery at the University of Missouri in Saint Louis prior to joining UIndy. Dr. Elwood's research interests include risk and vulnerability factors for PTSD, cognitive behavioral treatments for PTSD, non-fear emotional reactions to trauma, and secondary trauma outcomes. Her clinical interests include cognitive behavioral therapy, PTSD, cognitive processing therapy, anxiety disorders and clinical training.  

In addition to a busy teaching schedule including Foundation Skills of Psychotherapy, Clinical Interviewing, Statistics and Research Methods I, Ethics, Professional Standards and Legal Issues and Trauma and PTSD, Dr. Elwood is the Director of Clinical Training and is the MA Program Coordinator. As the Director of Clinical Training Dr. Elwood oversees and coordinates all practicum and internship activities in the graduate psychology programs. Working closely with the Dean and the Director of Graduate Programs it is her responsibility to ensure the establishment and effective functioning of the clinical training process.  

If you would like to learn more about the School of Psychological Sciences faculty or the University of Indianapolis, please visit our web site.   

Dr. Joe Hansel, Associate Professor, has been teaching at the University of Indianapolis since 2006. Dr. Hansel received his Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky specializing in counseling psychology. His research interests include clinical supervision and training, quantitative research methodology, cognitive behavioral treatment of trauma, positive psychology and learning. Dr. Hansel teaches many graduate level classes such as Statistics and Research Methods and Fundamentals of Interviewing and Assessment.   Away from campus Dr. Hansel enjoys golf and football and spending time with his wife and young son.

Beginning in 2011, Dr. Hansel and fellow faculty member, Dr. Jacqueline Remondet Wall spent some time working as external evaluators with the Allen County Community Corrections office. Allen County Community Corrections requested an evaluation of their services. For each of their seven supervision components, Dr. Wall and Dr. Hansel completed several evaluations. First, descriptive analyses provided a characterization of the offenders entering into supervision.  Next, offender outcomes such as supervision completion and recidivism rates over three years were examined in relation to each of these variables separately. Finally, offender characteristics, types of crimes committed and supervision completion status were included in multivariate models to predict which offenders were most likely to re-offend within three years of supervision completion.  In addition to the publication of evaluation reports available on the Allen County Community Corrections webpages, these efforts have also generated national conference presentations with students from the University of Indianapolis doctoral program. 

To learn more about Dr. Hansel, other faculty and the School of Psychological Sciences, please visit our web pages.

Meet Debbie Warman, Ph.D, HSPP, ABPP from the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Indianapolis. Dr. Warman earned her Ph.D. from the University of Memphis and completed a postdoctoral fellowship focusing on cognitive-behavioral therapy at the University of Pennsylvania under the guidance of Dr. Aaron Beck. Dr. Warman is board certified in cognitive and behavioral psychotherapy and a Diplomate and Fellow: Certified Cognitive Therapist, Academy of Cognitive Therapy. Dr. Warman's research focuses on schizophrenia, specifically reasoning biases for individuals with delusions or delusion-like thinking. Dr. Warman has been teaching at the University of Indianapolis since 2003 in graduate level classes such as Cognitive and Cognitive Behavioral Approaches to Treatment, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Schizophrenia. Outside of her research and teaching Dr. Warman enjoys spending time with her family, especially sons Nate and Ethan.  

Learn more about Dr. Warman, other faculty members and the School of Psychological Sciences by visiting our web pages. 

The master's program in clinical psychology at the University of Indianapolis is designed to provide training for individuals who wish to obtain graduate education but do not desire a doctorate or who are not able to pursue a doctorate currently, but may do so later. The MA is intended to stand on its own as a separate degree program. 

The master's degree in the clinical psychology program is designed to produce competent professionals who are able to think critically about issues, are wise consumers of research, and are able to apply their skills in a variety of settings. Currently there are two tracks offered in the master's program: the clinical psychology (CP) track and the mental health counseling (MHC) track.  

The clinical psychology track is based on resolutions and guidelines from the Council of Applied Master's Programs in Psychology (CAMPP) and the Master's in Psychology Accreditation Council (MPAC) and is intended for those students who do not plan to engage in independent practice or those students who plan to attend a doctoral program after completion of the master's degree. 

The mental health track curriculum is designed to meet the requirements for graduate study specified in Indiana state laws regarding licensing of Mental Health Counselors. 

The School of Psychological Sciences will be adding two new, exciting tracks to it's master's curriculum. Planned for the fall of 2013 are tracks in Research and Addictions Counseling. Be sure to watch the School of Psychological Sciences website for details as plans progress for these offerings. 

Welcome Drs. Katie and Aaron Kivisto to the School of Psychological Sciences faculty at the University of Indianapolis.

Dr. Katie Little Kivisto earned her PhD from the University of Tennessee in 2011 specializing in clinical psychology. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University's Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies in Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Kivisto's clinical and research interests include adolescent emotion regulation, adolescent alcohol and other substance abuse, family, peer and romantic relationships, assessment and treatment of adolescent emotional dysregulation and substance abuse, developmental psychopathology, attachment theory, integrative approaches to treatment, and ecological momentary assessment.  

Dr. Aaron Kivisto also earned his PhD from the University of Tennessee in 2011 and specialized in clinical psychology. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital Children and the Law Program. Dr. Aaron Kivisto's clinical and research interests include forensic assessment, the interface of psychology and the law, domestic violence, empirically supported models of psychodynamic therapy.  

To learn more about the doctoral degree in clinical psychology or the psychology masters program at the University of Indianapolis, click here.

The deadlines to apply to the University of Indianapolis School of Psychological Sciences graduate programs are quickly approaching.  

Fall 2013 PsyD program deadline to apply is January 10, 2013

Fall 2013 Masters program deadline to apply is February 25, 2013

The requirements for applying for both the psychology masters degree and the doctoral degree in clinical psychology are the same. Complete the application online at http://psych.uindy.edu/index.php including your resume and personal statement with the application form. Submit three letters of recommendation, official copies of all post-secondary transcripts and an official copy of your GRE General Test score report by the deadline for your application to be considered.  International applicants must supply an evaluation of their transcript if their degree was obtained at a school outside the United States and will be required to submit TOEFL scores if English is not their native language.

If you are interested in applying for the 2013-2014 academic year there is still time. Please visit our web pages for complete details.    

One of the "perks" for our psychology masters students and our psychology doctoral students is the opportunity to spend some time in Greece and receive course credit at the same time. In August 2013 the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Indianapolis will offer our Indianapolis-based graduate psychology students a summer course in Athens, Greece. The course is PSY 580 Introduction to CISM (Critical Intervention Stress Management) Group Intervention Process taught by Dr. Anastasia Rush, Chair of the Social and Psychological Sciences Department at the UIndy campus in Athens. CISM is a multi-component crisis intervention system that has become the standard of care for crisis intervention in business, industry and government worldwide.

The Athens Campus of the University of Indianapolis (the only accredited American University in Greece fully owned and controlled by its U.S. parent), located at the foot of the Acropolis, was chartered in 1989, with the purpose of offering a quality American education in Greece. Since its inception, the University has grown to become one of the leaders in higher education in Greece. Its programs are, and will continue to be, designed to offer tomorrow’s leaders effective solutions in a professional environment. The University of Indianapolis Athens offers 29 undergraduate programs and 10 graduate programs in Athens.

In addition to the time spent in the classroom, the cost of the trip to Greece will include several excursions and some free time to explore some of the wonderful people, places and things that are Greece. The planned excursions will take the students on a two-day land excursion to Delphi, Olympia to explore this famous archeological site and a one-day three island cruise to Hydra, Poros and Aegina. 

Current UIndy psychology graduate students may contact Dr. Michael Poulakis for more information. Future students will be able to participate in this program once they have been admitted. For information about the graduate psychology programs please visit our web pages. 

Each year the Indiana Psychological Association (IPA) invites currently enrolled psychology students at all levels of training to submit their research to the Student Poster Competition held during the annual IPA fall conference. This year, the posters themselves and students' oral presentations regarding their research were judged to determine the winners of three new poster presentation awards. The students with the top three poster/presentations received certificates and monetary awards. 

The University of Indianapolis School of Psychological Sciences is pleased to announce that fourth year doctoral student Sarah Brown received one of the first place presentation awards. She worked with Dr. Christine Raches and Dr. Steven Koch on a project entitled, "A Comparison of the Child Behavior Checklist-Pervasive Developmental Problems Scale to an Interdisciplinary Evaluation Diagnosis for Autism." Congratulations, Sarah.

UIndy's Cynthia Ross, a second year doctoral student, and Emily Johnson, fourth year doctoral student, also presented at the fall conference. Also, Emily Dubosh, third year UIndy doctoral student, is serving as an IPA board member this year.   

Pictured (left to right) are Dr. Jacqueline Remondet Wall, Sarah Brown, Cynthia Ross, Emily Johnson and Emily Dubosh. 

First year doctoral student Lauren Hansen, from the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Indianapolis, recently learned that her undergraduate thesis is going to be published. Lauren attended Illinois Wesleyan University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2011 majoring in psychology. During her senior year she conducted research under the supervision of Dr. Rob Lusk at IWU. That year-long research was the topic of her thesis. 

Lauren's area of interest is childhood trauma and non-traditional treatment modalities such as sensorimotor therapy. Her research project focused on the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics developed by Dr. Bruce Perry.  This theory states that traumatic experiences during childhood disrupt normal brain development which may cause the brain to continue to develop abnormally. The theory further states that treatment should target the area of the brain that was most likely developing when the trauma happened and should stimulate that area of the brain using sensorimotor methods to promote brain development.

For her research, Lauren conducted hour long therapy groups with children from a residential treatment center for children with severe emotional and behavioral disorders, typically the result of trauma. The therapy groups included activities such as dancing, drumming, and spinning in chairs or swings. These activities emphasize bilateral, repetitive stimulation of the brain while encouraging the children to attune to their bodies as well as the environment. The result was fewer behavioral issues and improved emotional stability following implementation of the activity groups.  

Lambert Academic Publishing recently contacted Lauren and asked her to submit her thesis for publication. Her submission was accepted and will be published soon. We congratulate Lauren on this achievement.  

If you can identify with students like Lauren and would like to earn a psychology masters degree or a doctorate degree in clinical psychology, please visit our web pages to learn more.    

Fourth year doctoral student, Emily Johnson, from the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Indianapolis writes about her studies and her volunteer opportunities:

"Throughout my time at UIndy in the School of Psychological Sciences, I have learned and developed so many skills that will help me to someday become a competent psychologist. Because of my interest in working with children and adolescents, most of my training has focused on developing competencies in psychological assessment and treatment of children with autism spectrum disorders, developmental disabilities, and other behavioral and emotional challenges. However, I have also had some amazing opportunities to combine these skills with my love of international travel and working with international populations."

"Between my second and third year in the PsyD program, I spent 6 weeks traveling in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a small NGO (Friendly Planet Missiology, http://www.friendlyplanetmissiology.org/). This organization works with communities and churches in the North Katanga region of DRC to help strengthen and rebuild communities in the midst of incredible turmoil and warfare. After hearing the director speak about the organization at a church meeting, I became interested in traveling with them. Given my ongoing training in counseling and therapy, as well as an ability to speak French, I was a huge asset to the team. While I was there, I visited many communities and villages, learning about their culture, their struggles, and their needs. I visited a nursing school, hospitals, orphanages, and even was able to attend a doctoral dissertation defense! I met with warlords and pastors, orphans and widows. While I did work with community teams to plan upcoming projects, my main job was to listen to a deeply wounded, disenfranchised and neglected society. Despite the astronomical costs of traveling in and to Congo, I am hopeful that I will be able to go back again soon to follow up with projects started and partnerships formed."

"This school year, I will be able to travel to India with the Global Autism Project (http://www.globalautismproject.com/) and to Nicaragua with my practicum training site. Because my true clinical passion is working with children with disabilities, I have looked for opportunities and organizations that work with children with disabilities internationally. The Global Autism Project is an organization that works with international communities to build local capacity to serve children with autism spectrum disorders. While I am there I will get to work at a center for children with autism in Chandigarh, India, helping to train professionals and parents. Similarly, I will have the opportunity to travel to Nicaragua with the faculty supervisors at my practicum site (Cincinnati Children's Hospital) to work at another community center for children with disabilities."

"Through these experiences, I hope to develop skills related to international program development and service delivery for under-served populations and individuals with disabilities. So far, I have had so much fun and learned so much through all my travels, and I can't wait for the adventures to come!"

           Dr. Erin Fekete joined the faculty of the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Indianapolis in the fall of 2011 after graduating with a PhD from Kent State University. Her specialization was in social and health psychology. Following graduation Dr. Fekete received a National Institute of Mental Health postodoctoral fellowship at the University of Miami.

         Since beginning at the University of Indianapolis last year, Dr. Erin Fekete has been hard at work. In addition to teaching and serving as one of the faculty advisors for Psi Chi, Dr. Fekete has been working on two different research projects. The first project is a web-based study that “looks at how stigmatizing or discriminatory experiences regarding a person’s HIV is associated with their self-reported psychological and physical health.”  Dr. Fekete’s second area of research examines “the various types of social interactions that emerging adults experience regarding their health behaviors and how these social interactions are associated with behavior change and psychosocial well-being.” 

            Dr. Fekete has also enjoyed her time, stating: "One of my favorite things about the University is the great group of people I work with.”  She has also enjoyed the smaller campus atmosphere and smaller class sizes at UIndy, as it has allowed her to get to know students on a more personal level. In the future, Dr. Fekete plans to continue her research on how interpersonal relationships influence individuals with chronic illnesses such as HIV, and would also like to conduct research with men and women who are coping with Type 2 Diabetes. 

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A major goal of the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Indianapolis is to foster an understanding and appreciation for the diversity represented by individuals of different cultures, genders, ethnicities, races, religions, sexual orientations, ages, and disabilities.

In August 2012, the School of Psychological Sciences was awarded the Inspiring Excellence for Diversity Award for:

• Demonstration of emerging or sustained commitment to the values of diversity, inclusion and multiculturalism by demonstrated efforts.
• Evidence of exceptional efforts to promote a positive university environment that is hospitable and free from discrimination.
• Substantiation of the contribution that the individual, team or unit has made towards advancing diversity and inclusion.

Learn more about the psychology masters degree and the doctoral degree in psychology offered at the University of Indianapolis School of Psychological Sciences. 

If you are thinking about a graduate degree in psychology, you should plan to come to the University of Indianapolis School of Psychological Sciences Open House/Information Session on Friday, November 16, 2012.  Registration and continental breakfast will begin at 8:00 a.m. in the Schwitzer Student Center's UIndy Hall A. The program will begin at 8:30 and will feature presentations from the Dean, Richard Holigrocki and other members of the faculty. A panel discussion with several current masters and doctoral students will then give you the opportunity to ask questions and hear about our graduate programs from a student's perspective.  A brief tour of the campus will follow the panel discussion.  

Whether you are interested in a doctoral degree in psychology or a psychology masters degree, you can have your questions answered and see if the University of Indianapolis is the right place for you. 

Don't miss this opportunity talk to faculty and students about our graduate programs in psychology.  

Friday, Novermber 16, 2012

8:00 am to 11:00 am

Schwitzer Student Center

UIndy Hall A

1400 East Hanna Avenue

Indianapolis, IN   46227 

RSVP to keatonma@uindy.edu

If you are not able to attend, but would like more information about our graduate psychology programs, please click here. 

Carrie (Kiszka) Brosmer is the 2011-2012 recipient of the School of Psychological Sciences “Outstanding Doctoral Student in Clinical Psychology” award. The outstanding doctoral student award is presented to the graduating doctoral student with the highest cumulative grade point average. 

During her time as a doctoral student at the University of Indianapolis, Carrie completed practica at St. Vincent Hospital’s Adult Neuropsychology Department, Volunteers of America, Marian University's Learning and Counseling Center, and Catholic Charities Bloomington and completed her one year pre-doctoral internship at the Nebraska Mental Health Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. For her dissertation, she authored a program for therapists to learn to utilize self-disclosure as a therapeutic intervention.

Carrie was awarded the Doctorate of Psychology degree (PsyD) in August 2012. Upon reflection on her time as a doctoral graduate student, Carrie would like to say to current graduate students as well as those students hoping to gain admission to graduate programs in psychology, “Trust that you are good enough to become an effective psychologist. You have been selected to be here for that reason. This is a very long and challenging process, and you will not only need to rely on yourself as an instrument enabling you to get through this program.”

University of Indianapolis School of Psychological Sciences doctoral student Jay Hamm recently received two very prestigious awards—The Blas Davila "Doctoral Student Demonstrating Outstanding Service in Clinical Psychology" Award from the School of Psychological Sciences and the Outstanding Student Award from the American Psychological Association Division 18, Psychologists in Public Service. 

The Blas Davila award is given annually to the one student who most exemplifies the commitment to public service demonstrated by former School of Psychological Services staff member Blas Davila.

The American Psychological Association Award recognizes graduate students whose careers reflect excellence in the area of public service and is given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to public service through research, teaching, program development, and/or clinical practice.

Jay entered his fourth year of doctoral study in the fall of 2012 and began his one year pre-doctoral internship at the Indianapolis VA Hospital. His dissertation research is focused on the area of corrections, surveying the Kansas Department of Corrections officers about their attitudes toward prisoners. Jay's past clinical experience with the Veteran's Administration included psychotherapy and research on schizophrenia, and during his internship, Jay will continue to work in the area of schizophrenia. After graduation Jay plans to continue to work in the public sector.