Student Accomplishments

Our students are talented, hard working, and successful counseling psychologists-in-training. They are nationally recognized for their science, practice, and advocacy.  Here’s an abbreviated list of our students’ recent accomplishments from the last two years.

Awards

• Amelia Stanley was awarded the Learning Award for Excellence in Teaching by the University of Kentucky, Transformative Learning (23)
• Brittany Cannon was awarded the UNITE Pre-doctoral Research Enhancement (22-23)
• Cece Kim received the Bethe Korfhage, PhD Endowed Fellowship in Counseling & Educational Psychology (24)
• Courtney Wright was awarded the FINRA Foundation Dissertation Completion Fellowship (24)
• Courtney Wright received the Arvle and Ellen Turner Thacker Endowment Fund (24)
• Destin Mizelle received a dissertation fellowship (24)
• Destin Mizelle was awarded the Arvle and Turner Thacker Dissertation Award (24)
• Emily Murphy received full funding to attend multiple AASP Executive Board meetings as well as both AASP annual yearly conferences (23-24)
• Hunter Savage received the Lyman T. Johnson Fellowship (24)
• Isabelle Blaber was awarded the Alumni Graduate Fellowship Fund (24)
• Isabelle Blaber was awarded the John & Gwendolyn Partington Scholarship Fund (24)
• Isabelle Blaber was awarded the Turner Thacker Award (24)
• Jasmine Jester was selected as a UNITE Predoctoral Research Enhancement Program Fellow (23-24)
• Jordan Brown received the Lyman T. Johnson Fellowship (23-24)
• Kasey Vigil was selected as a Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality Conference Student Ambassador (23)
• Kasey Vigil received the APAGS Leader Travel Grant (24)
• Ming Zhang received the John Edwin Partington and Gwendolyn Gray Partington Scholarship Fund, University of Kentucky (24)
• Monyae Kerney was awarded the Lyman T. Johnson Fellowship (22-25)
• Monyae Kerney was awarded the UNITE Predoctoral Research Enhancement Program Fellowship (22-24)
• Monyae Kerney was awarded the Early Career Psychologist and Graduate Student Research Award ($500 each) by the American Psychological Association (23)
• Natalie Malone was awarded the Visiting Future Faculty Program (VITAL) Scholar, University of Buffalo, Office of Inclusive Excellence (24)
• Natalie Malone was awarded the Arvle and Ellen Turner Thacker Dissertation Award, College of Education, University of Kentucky (24)
• Rena Curvey was awarded the Women’s Club Fellowship Award by the University of Kentucky (23)
• Rayven Peterson was selected for the Disparities Researchers Equalizing Access for Minorities (DREAM) Scholars Program (23)
• Zakary Clements was awarded the LGBTQ+ Outstanding Graduate Student Award 2023 APA Division 17 Section for Advocacy of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (SASOGD) (23)
• Zakary Clements was awarded the University of Kentucky 2022 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Emerging Scholar (22-23)

Select Publications

• Clements, Z. A., Riggle, E. D. B., & Rostosky, S. S. (2023). Evaluating the effectiveness of a brief online positive identity intervention for transgender people. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000520
• Curvey, R. M. G., White, S. C., Hargons, C. N., Englis, M. T., Jensen, K. C., Bosco, M. K., Thompson, M. E., Leavens, S., & Murphy, E. A. (2023). "Can you work with athletes as a female?": Career experiences of female sport psychology practitioners. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal. Ahead of print. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1123/wspaj.2022-0046
• Hammer, J. H., Verty, V. P. A., Hauber, A., & Kim, N. (2024). What attributes of integrated health care for mental health are the most important to potential consumers? A relative ranking study. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 51(3), 451–461. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-024-09883-6
• Hammer, J. H., Vogel, D. L., Grzanka, P. R., Kim, N., Keum, B. T., Adams, C., & Wilson, S. A. (2024). The integrated behavioral model of mental health help seeking (IBM-HS): A health services utilization theory of planned behavior for accessing care. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 10.1037/cou0000754. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000754
• Hargons, C. N., Wright, C. J., Thorpe, S., Mizell, D. L., Vigil, K., Savage, H. A., Annett, J., Malone, N., & Peterson, R. L. (2023). "It’s what boys do": Valence, source, and content of Black men’s masturbation messages. Psychology of Men & Masculinities. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/men0000456
• Jester, J. K., & Brooks, J. E. (2023). Gendered racial socialization and interracial dating attitudes among Black women. Journal of Black Sexuality and Relationships, 9(3), 149-170.
• Kerney, M. A., Malone, N., Jackman, K. B., & Hargons, C. N. (2023). Dance movement therapy for Black womxn: A content analysis. Arts in Psychotherapy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2023.102058
• Kerney, M. A., Singh, A., Vigil, K., Hargons, C. N., & Malone, N. (2024). Pronouns and experiences of misgendering among nonbinary Black womxn. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000735
• Malone, N., Cannon, B., Wright, C. J., Peterson, R. L., Verty, V. P. A., Brown, J. K. D., Mizelle, D. L., Maxwell, K., Higgins-Hord, L., Burnett, C., Stevens-Watkins, D., & Hargons, C. N. (2024). Mental health first aid for Black populations: Recommendations from the neighborhood healers project. The Counseling Psychologist, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00110000241252418
• Mizelle, D. L., Montique, C. S., Jester, J. K., & Hargons, C. N. (2023). "Meet me at the altar": Heterosexual Black men and marriage: A content analysis. Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men, 10(2), 99-112. https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/903153
• Redmayne, K., Reese, R. J., Zetzer, H. A., Conoley, C. W., & Owens, J. (2023). Do client feedback outcome measures tell the same story? Evaluating outcome trajectories and clinical significance. Psychotherapy Research. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2023.2181113
• Thorpe, S., Dogan-Dixon, J., Malone, N., & Palomino, K. A. (2023). "Just be strong and keep going": The influence of superwoman schema on Black women’s perceived expectations of coping with sexual pain. Culture, Health, & Sexuality.
• Thorpe, S., Malone, N., Peterson, R., Iyiewuare, P., Kerney, M., & Hargons, C. N. (2023). Black queer women’s pleasure: A review. Current Sexual Health Reports. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-023-00357-y
• Vigil, K. E., Hargons, C. N., Savage, H., Peterson, R. L., Blaber, I. P., & Foster, L. (2023). Analyzing (pluri)sexual satisfaction and pleasure: A 38-year content analysis. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Advance online publication. 10.1037/sgd0000657
• Wright, C. J., Wilson, S. A., Hammer, J. H., Hargis, L. E., Miller, M. E., & Usher, E. L. (2023). Mental health in undergraduate engineering students: Identifying facilitators and barriers to seeking help. Journal of Engineering Education. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20551

Select First-Author Presentations

• Brown, J.K.D., Collazo, I., Wright, D.N. (2024, August). "Be Considerate and Honest": What Black People Want Mental Health Professionals to Know. Poster presented at the American Psychological Association National Conference. Seattle, Washington.
• Brown, J.K.D., Collazo, I., Wright, D.N. (2024, April). What Black People Want Mental Health Professionals to Know: A Lexington, KY Case Study. Poster presented at the Kentucky Psychological Association Student Conference. Frankfort, Kentucky.
• Brown, J.K.D., Collazo, I., Wright, D.N. (2024, February). What Black People Want Mental Health Professionals to Know: A Neighborhood Healers Project Study. Poster presented at the Spring Research Conference Jointly-Sponsored by the University of Cincinnati, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Louisville. Louisville, Kentucky.
• Clements, Z. A., Dotson, C. P., & Rostosky, S. S. (2024, August). The contexts in which trans, nonbinary, and/or gender expansive individuals experience authenticity. In L. Lindley (Chair), Trans Authenticity: Challenging Media Narratives and Anti-Trans Discourses. Symposium to be presented on the Feature Stage at the Annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Seattle, WA.
• Jester, J., Cannon, B., Stevens-Watkins, D. (2023). "God did for me what I couldn't do for myself": Understanding Black Americans Who Use Opioids Views on Religion, Spirituality, and Locus of Control. American Psychological Association 2023 Conference. Washington D.C.
• Jester, J.K., Verty, V., Thorpe, S., Stevens-Watkins, D. (2024). "God did for me what I couldn't do for myself": Understanding Black Kentuckians Who Use Opioids Views on Religion, Spirituality, and Locus of Control. UNITE Research Showcase. Lexington, KY.
• Kim, N., Schwender, J., Vigil, K., Weng, W., & Hammer, J. H. (2024, August 8-10). 'My sisters are my shelter': Understanding influences on mental health help-seeking in queer Asian communities. Conference presentation at APA 2024 Conference, Seattle, WA, United States.
• Kim, N., Schwender, J., Vigil, K., Weng, W., & Hammer, J. H. (2024, February 24). What encourages or deters queer Asians from seeking mental health help? A scoping review. Conference presentation at Spring 2024 Research Conference, Louisville, KY, United States.
• Malone, N. (2023). Differences in sexual desire among Black adults in the US: Findings from a #hotgirlscience sex study. Presentation at Society for Sex Therapy and Research Conference, Tampa, FL.
• Malone, N. (2023). Rediscovering the benefits of sexual mindfulness and erotic yoga for Black women's sexual wellness. Presentation at American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, San Franscisco, CA.
• Malone, N. (2023). Yoga and meditation for sexual embodiment. Presentation at North Carolina Sexual Health Conference, Cary, NC.
• Malone, N., Peterson, R., & Wright, C.J. (2023). Engaging with communities of color through MHFA. [Symposium] Mental Health First Aid Summit, Los Angeles, CA.
• Malone, N., Pitcher, G., & Stevens-Watkins, D. (2023). Perceptions of racisms impact on drug use among African Americans using opioids. Poster presentation at The College on Problems of Drug Dependence, Denver, CO.
• Malone, N., Wright, C., & Peterson, R. (2023). MHFA in communities of color. Presentation at The Mental Health First Aid Summit, Los Angeles, CA.
• Peterson, R.L. & Kerney, M. (2024). "The state of your psyche": Black mental health, coping and cultural mistrust. Research talk and Session for the National Multicultural Conference and Summit.
• Peterson, R.L. & Wright, C. The Neighborhood Healers Project: Successes and Challenges of Black Mental Health First Aid. Research talk and Session for the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE).
• Peterson, R.L., “Good girls don't do things like that" A Reflection of Black Women's Masturbation Messages. Webinar research presentation for The Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH).
• Vigil, K.E. & Yang, Y. (2024, August). Recognizing and Challenging Elitism in the Communication of Psychological Research. [Critical Conversation]. Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Seattle, Washington.
• Vigil, K.E., Hargons, C.N., & Hammer, J. (2023, November). Comparing Preliminary Psychometric Models of Sexual Pleasure, Sexual Satisfaction, and Orgasm Among Women [Poster presentation]. 66th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, New Orleans, Louisiana.
• Vigil, K.E., Hargons, C.N., Thorpe, S., Savage, H., Doyle, C., Foster, L., & Collazo, I. (2024, April). Replicating the Sexual Desire Questionnaire Factor Structure in a Sample of Black Adults. [Poster presentation]. Annual Meeting of the Society for Sex Therapy and Research, Toronto, Ontario.
• Wheeler, P.B. (August, 2023). Culturally Responsive Treatment for Substance Use among Black Americans. Summit on Substance Use, Recovery, and Diverse Populations. Lexington, KY.
• Wheeler, P.B., Roche, D., Bennett, M. (2023). An Examination of Racial Differences in the Relationship between Religiosity, Sleep, and Alcohol Use Severity. Poster Presentation at the Research Society on Alcohol Conference, Bellevue, WA.
• Wright, C.J. (2024, May). Pathways to financial wellness: Using critical theories to understand Black women's financial socialization. [Poster Presentation]. Financial Therapy Association Annual Conference, San Diego, CA.
• Wright, C.J., Peterson, R. (2024, May). The neighborhood healers project: Successes and challenges of Black mental health first aid. [Symposium] National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education, Honolulu, HI.