Doctoral Students in School Psychology
Jessica Blake is a doctoral student in the School Psychology program. She graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology. During her undergraduate career, she worked in Dr. Peggy Keller’s Family and Child Development Lab. Additionally, she worked in Dr. Pooja Sidney’s Cognition and Development Lab, where she completed a senior honors thesis examining the effects of different problem contexts on children’s understanding of division. As a graduate student, she was a teaching assistant in the Psychology Department and completed research in Dr. Aspiranti’s research lab. Currently, she is completing her APPIC internship in Fayette County Public Schools in Lexington, KY. She is also working on her dissertation which will examine students’ self-concept, attitudes towards math, and math achievement in middle school students. Email: jessica.blake@uky.edu
Maggie Richardson is a doctoral candidate in School Psychology. Before entering the program, she completed a bachelors and masters degree from West Virginia University and worked as an educator in public and private schools for 10 years. Currently, Maggie is completing her predoctoral internship at Fayette County Preschool Center, where she specializes in autism and developmental disability evaluations and consultation. She also serves as a research assistant for the College of Medicine’s Center for Health, Engagement, and Transformation (CHET) and the College of Education’s Expertise for Classroom Equity through Literacy (Project ExCEL). Her work focuses on trauma-informed care, culturally responsive practices, and evidence-based interventions, with a commitment to supporting all children and families, especially those from marginalized and bilingual backgrounds. Email: maggie.richardson@uky.edu
Mitchell Allen is a doctoral candidate in the school psychology program. He is from Louisville, Kentucky, where he completed his B.A. in psychology with a minor in Pan-African Studies at the University of Louisville. Mitchell is completing his predoctoral internship in the Scott county school district. Mitchell’s research interest include investigating Black students’ perceptions of school climate and its effect on their psychological well-being, self determination skill use, and racial ethnic identity development. Email: mtal224@uky.edu
Gabby Romines is a doctoral student in the School Psychology program. She is from Louisville, Kentucky and graduated from Centre College in 2022 with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Education. Currently, she is completing her advanced practicum experience at Norton’s Children's Autism Center. She serves as a research assistant for the REACT project in UK’s Center for Health Equity Transformation. Gabby’s research interests are focused on cultivating belonging, mitigating the impacts of adverse childhood experiences, and the promotion of public health equity. Email: gabby.romines@uky.edu
Mona Goggins is a doctoral student in the school psychology program pursuing a graduate certificate in applied behavior analysis. She is from Indianapolis, Indiana and graduated from Ball State University with a B.S in Psychological Sciences and Applied Behavior Analysis and a minor in Biology in 2021. Mona has been involved in the REFOCUS lab examining the factors contributing to the misuse of opioids in Black communities in Kentucky for the past three years. She currently serves as a graduate assistant in the UNITE Research Priority Area and a practicum student with the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice. Mona’s research interests involve substance use initiation in Black youth, behavior interventions in schools, protective factors to the school-to-prison pipeline, and cultural considerations in applied behavior analysis services. Email: monagoggins@uky.edu
Sarah Glenn Insko is a doctoral student in the School Psychology program. She graduated from Centre College with a B.S. in Psychology, where she worked in a lab studying support systems for transgender individuals, interned at a bilingual school in Merida, Mexico, and mentored students learning English in the Danville Independent School District. As a graduate student, she is interested in studying the experiences of support of transgender and gender diverse students in K-12 schools. Currently, she is the Graduate Research Assistant for RETAIN Kentucky in the Human Development Institute. Email: sarahglenn.insko@uky.edu
Mary K. MacDonald, M.A, M.S. is a School Psychology doctoral student and acting project coordinator for the Building Bridges to Farmer Mental Health project. She has an M.S. in Educational Psychology from University of Kentucky, an M.A. in Slavic and East European Studies from The Ohio State University, and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Capital University. While at Capital, she was admitted to an honors study abroad at The Kodály Pedagogical Institute of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Kesckemét, Hungary. At Ohio State, her research focused on propaganda music in WWII and Znameny Liturgical Chant in Old Church Slavonic. After graduating from undergrad and while working on her MA, she spent several years teaching music to children under five years old, which led her to pursue education and eventually School Psychology. Her current research interests are classroom interventions for students with ADHD, farmer mental health, and mental health education in Appalachia. Email: mary.macdonald@uky.edu
Maya Knight is a doctoral student in the School Psychology program at the University of Kentucky. She graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, GA with a B.A. in Psychology, with a minor in Comparative Literature. After graduating, she worked as a preschool paraprofessional for three years. She is currently a graduate teaching assistant for the Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology department as an instructor for courses informing students on how to best include students of varying abilities within the general education classroom. Her research interests include the role of parental racial socialization in Black student achievement, high achievement in Black students, and overall school experiences of Black students.
Brie Alsip is a doctoral student in the School Psychology program. She is from Owensboro, Kentucky and graduated from Transylvania University in 2022 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Education and Social Change. Brie has previous work experience at an outpatient psychology office during her time in undergrad. Currently, she is the research assistant for the LEND project through UK’s Human Development Institute. Brie’s research interests are focused on how public school theater classes can lessen symptoms of anxiety. Email: brienna.alsip@uky.edu
Judith Owusuaa-Foster is a doctoral student in the school psychology program. She is from Ghana, and graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and Information Studies from the University of Ghana. She also holds an MBA in Business Management. She worked in South Korea as an English teacher and curriculum researcher, and that experience informed her decision to pursue this journey. As a graduate student, she works with the Department of Transformative Learning as a TA for UK 101/201. She is interested in investigating depression among children, culturally responsive assessments, and evidence-based interventions for children from marginalized backgrounds. Email: judith.owusuaa-foster@uky.edu
Rebecca Muhlbauer is a doctoral student in the school psychology program. She is originally from Long Island, NY. She graduated from Tulane University in December of 2023, with a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Jewish Studies. During her undergraduate career, she was a research assistant in the Social Perception lab, as well as a research intern for the Louisiana Alliance of Children’s Advocacy Centers (LACAC). Currently, she holds a graduate assistantship in the College of Education. Email: rsmu225@uky.edu
Madison Baker is a doctoral student in the school psychology program. She is a first-generation student from Henderson, Kentucky. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Kentucky with a B.A. in Psychology, with a minor in Interdisciplinary Disability Studies and certificates in Social Sciences Research and Diversity and Inclusion Awareness. As a graduate student, she works as a research assistant completing literacy assessments and providing tutoring services to children in the community through the UK Literacy Clinic. Email: madison.baker@uky.edu
Specialist Students in School Psychology
Chloe Hayes is an Ed.S. student in the school psychology program. She is from Reno, Nevada and graduated in 2021 from the University of Nevada, Reno with a B.A. in Psychology, and a B.A. in Spanish. While obtaining her undergraduate degrees, Chloe worked with children diagnosed with ASD as a Registered Behavior Technician. Chloe was a teaching assistant at the Early Childhood Lab as a preschool teacher during her first 2 years in the UK School Psychology program. Currently, she is completing her internship in Sacramento, California. Email: chloehayes@uky.edu
Lauren Thrasher is an Ed.S. student in the School Psychology program. She is from Ridgefield, Connecticut and graduated from the University of Delaware in 2022 with a B.A. in Psychology, a minor in Educational studies, and a minor in Human Development and Family Science. While completing her undergraduate degree, Lauren worked as a substitute paraprofessional at the elementary level. She also worked as a paraprofessional during Extended School Year with fifth and eighth grade students. As a graduate student, Lauren was a teaching assistant in the Psychology Department. Currently, she is completing her internship with Scott County Schools in Kentucky. Email: lauren.thrasher@uky.edu
Brooke Saurer is an Ed.S. student in the school psychology program. She is from Partridge, Kentucky and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Family Sciences. Throughout her undergraduate career, Brooke worked in Youth Development at the YMCA of Central Kentucky. As a graduate student, she worked as a teaching assistant in the Psychology Department. Currently, Brooke is completing her internship in Lexington, Kentucky, serving three elementary schools in the Fayette County Public School district. email: brooke.saurer@uky.edu
Adrianne Shimer is an Ed.S. student in the School Psychology program. She graduated cum laude from West Virginia University in 2021 with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in child development and family studies. As an undergraduate, Adrianne served as a mentor with the AmeriCorps Energy Express and Save the Children programs, leading enrichment activities for struggling students. After graduation, she worked for two years as a psychometrist at WVU Medicine Children’s Neurodevelopmental Center. Adrianne is a recipient of the Hazel Ruby McQuain Graduate Scholarship, awarded for her commitment to bettering her home state of West Virginia. Currently, she is a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Psychology and serves as President of the Student Affiliates in School Psychology (SASP). Email: akshimer@uky.edu
Gabrielle McKarns is an Ed.S. student in the School Psychology program. She is originally from Chicago, IL but now lives in Lexington, KY. She graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2022 with a B. S. in Psychology, where she worked as an undergraduate teacher’s assistant at UK’s Early Childhood Lab. After graduation, she took a gap year and worked at the Baptist Health Child Development Center in Lexington as the assistant teacher in the toddler classroom before starting grad school. Currently, she is a student data coder for the research project titled: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis on Black Couples Who Experience Racism-Related Stress. She also serves as the Secretary for Student Affiliates in School Psychology (SASP). Email: gabrielle.mckarns@uky.edu
Jack Miller is an Ed.S. student in the school psychology program. He is from Birmingham, AL but currently lives in Lexington, KY with his wife, Grace. Jack graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.S. in Psychology, with minors in Biology and Neuroscience. During his last year of undergraduate studies, Jack worked as a research assistant in the Saatman Lab at the University of Kentucky Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center (SCoBIRC) and interned at the University of Kentucky Counseling Center as a Mental Health Peer Advocate.
Emily Davis is an Ed.S student in the School Psychology program. She originates from Williamstown, KY but now resides in Lexington, KY. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Psychology and minor in education from Northern Kentucky University in 2022. While at NKU, Emily’s research project titled Intergenerational Relationships in Young Adults in Relation to Aging Anxiety, Attitudes, and Future Time Perspective was published in the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships in 2021. She recently graduated with a M.S. in Educational Psychology from UK in August 2024. Currently, Emily is a graduate teaching assistant for the Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology department as an instructor for courses related to classroom inclusion of exceptional children. Email: emily.davis@uky.edu
Eden Alexander is an Ed.S. student in the School Psychology program. She is from Fort Mitchell, KY and still lives in Fort Mitchell, KY, but commutes down to UK. She graduated from Northern Kentucky University in 2022 with a B.A. in Elementary Education. After graduation, Eden worked as a 3rd grade teacher in Covington, KY. Currently, she is balancing graduate school, being a cheer coach for her alma mater, Beechwood High School, doing respite care for a friend of hers with special needs, and working at a gymnastics gym. She is enjoying using her passion and skills from teaching to advocate for students with various needs and backgrounds! Email: esal229@uky.edu
Kristen Bloat is an Ed.S. student in the School Psychology Program. She is originally from Louisville, Kentucky but now lives in Lexington, Kentucky. She graduated in May 2024 with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in education. Currently, she is balancing graduate school with work as a Program Assistant for Educational Justice, a non-profit organization based in Louisville, and work as part of the Mental Health Training Research Team on the IMPACT research grant. Email: kristen.bloat@uky.edu
Paige Catron is an Ed.S. student in the school psychology program. She is from Frankfort, KY, and graduated in 2024 from Transylvania University with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in education and social change. During her undergraduate career, she had the opportunity to study psychology in Austria where she gained a more in-depth insight on the psychology of creativity and the psychology of good and evil. Outside of school, Paige teaches dance classes to elementary school students in her hometown. Email: paige.catron@uky.edu
Trinity Adams is an Ed.S student in the school psychology program. She is a first generation student from Letcher County, KY. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Kentucky with a B.A. in Psychology, as well as minors in Appalachian Studies and Art Studio. Trinity has participated in a range of internships throughout her undergraduate career, including being a camp instructor at Cowan Kids on the Creek, working with domestic abuse shelters in Hazard and Lexington, and working with her local Farmers Market through the AppalachiaCorps program at UK. Currently, she is a student worker at the Appalachian Center on campus. Email: tgad223@uky.edu
Natalie Nichols is an Ed.S student in the School Psychology Program at the University of Kentucky. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with her B.A. in Psychology in 2024. During her undergraduate years, she worked as a research assistant for the University of Kentucky’s Children’s Hospital and in an after-school program for elementary-aged students. She is currently a graduate teaching assistant for UK’s Early Childhood Laboratory, where she works in a preschool classroom with children aged 4 to 5 years. Email: natalie.hollon@uky.edu
Katherine Thomas is an Ed.S. student in the School Psychology Program at the University of Kentucky. She graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Environmental Studies in 2024. She is currently a graduate research assistant with #iCANendthetrend, providing tobacco use prevention services to youth across Kentucky. Email: kkth231@uky.edu