AWARDS NIGHT AGENDA Awards Night acknowledges the accomplishments of students who exemplified excellence in their academic pursuits on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral program levels in the Department of Applied Psychology. 6:00 P.M.
Light Refreshments
6:15 P.M. Welcome -- Dr. LaRue Allen (Dept. Chair) Dr. Erin Godfrey (Awards Committee Chair) Awards/Scholarship Presentation The Raymond Weiss Endowment Scholarship -- Dr. Cybele Raver Excellence in Fieldwork Award -- Dr. Adina Schick The Adrian Levy Scholarship -- Dr. Judie Alpert Outstanding School Counseling Service Award -- Dr. Lisa Suzuki Outstanding Clinical Service Award -- Dr. Sumie Okazaki The Bernard R. Ackerman Scholarship -- Dr. LaRue Allen The Felix Warburg Memorial Award -- Amanda Holda & Dr. Elise Cappella The Bernard Katz Award -- Dr. Lisa Suzuki Distinguished Service Award - Amanda Holda Distinguished Teaching Award -- Dr. Erin Godfrey The Linda & Arthur Carter Family Scholarship -- Dr. Selcuk Sirin The Steinhardt Endowed Scholarship-- Laura Schneenbaum Social Justice Award -- Dr. Erin Godfrey The Philip Zlatchin Award -- Dr. Shabnam Javdani The Gilbert Trachtman Fellowship -- Erika Jackson Outstanding Research Contribution -- Dr. Sandee McClowry The Monroe Stein Memorial Fellowship -- Dr. Jennifer Astuto
Raymond Weiss Endowment Scholarship This scholarship is given to students who demonstrate a commitment to innovation through supporting research, education, and intervention projects to solve social problems.
Ashante Taylorcox (CMHW)*: Ashante has a passion for working with young people to improve their lives and bolster self-esteem. While maintaining a graduate student course load, she was an active and proud leader at Girls Educational Mentoring Services (GEMS), an organization devoted to supporting girls and young women aged 12-24 with histories of sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Ashante effectively used the counseling skills she acquired at NYU to help counsel these young women. Kat Adams (DEV): Kat is deeply dedicated to scholarly rigor and innovation through her research and intervention work as they relate to solving the challenges faced by children in poverty in the United States. In the past year, she has successfully submitted two firstauthored papers to peer-reviewed journals, such as Child Development. She designed an ambitious short-term longitudinal preschool intervention project, carried it out as lead investigator, completed independent data collection for the project and submitted multiple research grants to fund it. In short, Kat is exceptionally talented and hard-working and is poised to make great strides in her career as a junior scholar.
Mackenzie Whipps (PSI): Through her work, Mackenzie shows promise of becoming one of the country’s leading researchers at the intersection of science and policy in the areas of breastfeeding and motherhood during the first years of infants’ lives. Her unwavering commitment to understanding the lives of young mothers and developing evidence-based advocacy methods for their and their children’s well-being, coupled with her commitment to diversity, a range of methods, and a social justice and feminist perspective, make her an ideal candidate for the Raymond Weiss scholarship.
Excellence in Fieldwork This award given to a BS student in recognition of their outstanding commitment, engagement, and growth at their fieldwork site.
Jennifer Schild (APUG)*: Jennifer has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to her field site, Kurtz Psychology Consulting (KPC), a practice dedicated to providing children and their families with evidence-based treatments for a variety of conditions, including selective mutism. Jennifer is truly passionate about KPC’s mission and has approached her volunteer work with maturity, professionalism, compassion, and utmost dedication. In acknowledgment of her exceptional work, both the Undergraduate Program and Dr. Kurtz believe that she is deserving of the Excellence in Fieldwork award.
Adrian Levy Scholarship This scholarship is given to help support Master’s Counseling students who have committed to working with individuals with disabilities (e.g., physical, developmental, cognitive).
* Denotes graduating student
Ashish Thakur*(CMHW): Ashish has a strong commitment to working with people with disabilities. He is interested in the ways in which cultural perceptions and stereotypes about disabilities impact mental health outcomes and service delivery. Ashish also seeks to understand the ways in which cognitive disabilities can result from trauma. He is presently working at the Crime Victims Treatment Center at Mount Sinai and St. Luke’s Hospital, where his focus is on individuals who develop cognitive and developmental difficulties as a result of trauma and as a by-product of PTSD.
Outstanding School Counseling Service
Bernard R. Ackerman Scholarship (cont.)
This award is given in recognition of outstanding work in support of the goals of school counselors the promotion of academic, career, personal/social development, equity and success for all students.
This scholarship is given to students in the Human Development and Social Intervention (HDSI) and Psychology and Social Intervention (PSI) programs, who display exceptional ability and promise in the areas of research, advocacy, and activism.
Ryan Small* (CNGU): Ryan has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to the role of school counselor. He is committed to the promotion of equity and success for all students. In addition to his internship, Ryan’s dedication to the field is evident in his work as a youth mentor at Bushwick High School for Social Justice as he assists students in learning leadership skills. He has worked extensively with students with disabilities requiring testing accommodations at the Moses Center here at NYU. Ryan has also worked with families to improve student achievement as the Family Support and Engagement Coordinator at Teacher’s College.
Outstanding Clinical Service This award is given to students who demonstrate outstanding skills in the area of clinical practice.
Brittany Dalbow (CMHW)*: Brittany is completing her internship at the Calvary Hospital – Brooklyn/Manhattan. She provides grief and bereavement services for terminally ill clients and loved ones, primarily in a small group or individual format. Brittany is insightful, thoughtful, and kind. She cares an enormous amount about her patients, and it is clear from her presentations that they feel this and are bolstered by her support. She brings a social justice-oriented stance and has a deep knowledge about trauma, which informs her work. Her service has been deemed helpful to clients concerning their outcomes. Stephanie Wong (CNPS): Stephanie entered our doctoral training program with a strong interest and commitment to engagement in both clinical practice and research. She is currently a psychology extern at St. Barnabas Hospital where she is working with individuals struggling with chronic and persistent mental health conditions. Through her skills, curiosity, and intellect, Stephanie is both meeting and exceeding expectations. She has been responsible for providing an array of treatments to individuals with complex diagnostic presentations. Overall, Stephanie’s evaluations speak to the strength of her clinical skills, work ethic, commitment to clinical practice, and character.
Bernard R. Ackerman Scholarship This scholarship is given to students in the Human Development and Social Intervention (HDSI) and Psychology and Social Intervention (PSI) programs, who display exceptional ability and promise in the areas of research, advocacy, and activism.
Mishel Bunkley (HDSI)*: Mishel has demonstrated a commitment and dedication to immigrant and refugee children. As a scholar, she is interested in approaching communities and individuals with respect and representing their perspectives and experiences authentically and ethically. In her work, she is willing to challenge stereotypes and increase understanding about the complex structures that create and maintain systems of inequity in domestic and international contexts.
Millie Symns (HDSI)*: Millie is interested in early childhood education. She currently works with NYU’s Child and Family Policy Center, where she supports Universal Pre-K educators in NYC and areas in NYS with implementing authentic assessment in their classrooms. These assessments help educators monitor children’s learning progress throughout the year and are used to inform their practice. Through her work and her support of educators, Millie aims to affect real change in students’ early educational experiences.
Natalia Rojas (PSI): Natalia’s work combines research, activism, and advocacy. For the past year and a half, she has worked with the New York Immigration Coalition. Her work with NYIC involves obtaining data from parents of the top 5 immigrant groups in NYC about their experiences with communications from the schools. She has conceptualized and conducted a large number of focus groups on this topic. She has also played a leading role in NYU’s input into the NYC Universal Pre-K program by conducting a literature review which resulted in the city adopting several evidence-based curricula as professional development “lanes” within the UPK program. Tess Yanisch (PSI): Tess has an impressive record of academic excellence, advocacy, and policy work. As a project manager for the Civic Engagement research team, she advocated for projects that would have applications in the realm of social justice and policy. Recently, she worked at the public engagement nonprofit Public Agenda, where she organized and interpreted data on participatory budgeting-- the process by which citizens propose and vote on the allocation of discretionary funds.
Felix Warburg Memorial Award This scholarship is given to students who have demonstrated academic excellence and commitment to the Dept.
Mirla Jimenez (APUG)*: Mirla is interested in conducting research and developing interventions that increase the educational opportunities and success for Latino youth. Under the mentorship of Dr. Gigliana Melzi, Mirla is conducting a research project that seeks to explore the family resources available to academically successful Latino students, in order to identify factors that contribute to academic achievement. She hopes her research can guide the development of interventions that can reduce the racial and ethnic disparities in educational attainment. Cassandra Malack (APUG)*: Cassandra is passionate about exploring the correlation between mental health and social issues in poverty concentrated areas. As a double major in Applied Psychology and Sociology, Cassandra seeks to understand mental health in a broader way that captures both the individual experiences of those diagnosed with mental health conditions, as well as the wider set of social factors that set the stage for mental illness to occur.
Bethanie Railling (APUG)*: Bethanie is an outstanding student with an impressive academic record. With the mentoring of Dr. Erin Godfrey, Bethanie will be researching the disadvantages that deter community college transfer students from succeeding at NYU. Using that information, she intends on creating an intervention system that can help transfer students succeed.
Gee Salas (CNGU)*: Gee is passionate about social justice and has focused her efforts on improving the lives of undocumented students. Her academic work has been outstanding as she conveys her ideas well in both oral and written formats. Gee actively engages as President of the Steinhardt Counseling Association and Vice President of the Graduate Student Organization. In these roles, she represents the needs of master’s students and is instrumental in planning activities and developing community among our diverse student body.
Felix Warburg Memorial Award (cont.)
Distinguished Service Award
This scholarship is given to students who have demonstrated academic excellence and commitment to the Dept.
This award is given to graduating BS students for dedication and service to the Department of Applied Psychology.
Megan Granski (CNPS): As demonstrated by her research and training, Megan is committed to serving marginalized communities. She is especially adept at using creative methods to engage difficult to reach populations. Additionally, she is skilled at blending her knowledge of research with her clinical skills. Incredibly, she has already engaged in direct service, policy work, research, and advocacy. She is a phenomenal collaborator and works well in individual and team contexts. Sophia Hwang (PSI)*: Sophia is interested in understanding and promoting youth development in urban school-community contexts, with an equal focus on youth development and school-community contexts. Through integrative writing and quantitative analysis, Sophia has produced research that is both policy-relevant and theoretically rooted. In addition to her academic excellence, Sophia’s generous service to the Department of Applied Psychology and her commitment to her fellow students’ academic success makes her a deserving recipient of this award. Andrew Ribner (DEV): Throughout his academic career at NYU, Andrew has demonstrated academic excellence and commitment to the Applied Psychology department. He currently organizes the departmental colloquium series and helps to organize program events. He works with two laboratories (Blair & Tamis-LeMonda), where he is involved in several research projects on early math language and cognition, and executive function. Professors have praised Andrew for his impressive academic and research track record, his motivation to establish programmatic research in the area of math cognition, and his high level of professionalism and ambition.
Bernard Katz Award
This award is given to students for their helpfulness, congeniality, and dedication to their program and peers.
Poom Chotikavan (APUG)*: Poom’s positivity and participation in APUG curricular activities help strengthen community for students and further emphasize his overall commitment to his program. He organizes his peers into action and communicates the needs, desires, and concerns of his fellow students to APUG’s leaders. For example, during the hiring of the Assistant Director for the APUG program last year, Poom was instrumental in communicating the concerns of his fellow students to APUG faculty and staff and single-handedly led students in a coordinated action to voice their opinions. Jacqueline Hwang (APUG)*: Jacqueline Hwang has been an active member of the Applied Psychology Department for many years, dedicating her time and effort to giving back to both the APUG community as well as New York City. As a sophomore, Jacqueline worked as a Welcome Week leader, where she took APUG Club’s Midnight Run. It is for this dedication and commitment, we believe Jacqueline Hwang is an excellent candidate for the Bernard Katz Award. Kaleigh Maines (CNGU)*: Kaleigh has been an active leader in the MA programs in counseling. Her academic performance and commitment to the school counseling profession are exceptional. Kaleigh serves as the Vice-President of the Student Counseling Association. In this role she organizes the peer mentorship program for first-year students in the MA program, pairing them with second-year students in both the School Counseling and Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness Programs. The mentorship program has received high praise from first-year students as it helps them to adjust to graduate school and diverse aspects of the academic and clinical training features of the program.
Julia Acker (APUG)*: Julia is Co-editor-in-Chief for OPUS, a position she has approached in a competent and dedicated manner. Julia reviews all submissions to the publication and guides students through the revision process. Her dedication to the Department extends beyond OPUS; for example, she uses her writing skills to assist other APUG students with their writing. She has also helped organize an APUG-wide event aimed at building community and inclusion, participated in the APUG Midnight Run, and was a student leader for Inside Scoop’s “How to Succeed in APUG” event and Study Abroad Workshop. Ashlie Pankonin (APUG)*: Ashlie is Co-editor-in-Chief for OPUS. Ashlie reviews all submissions to the publication and guides students through the revision process. She also makes herself available to her peers for guidance. Not only has Ashlie dedicated herself to OPUS, but she has also served as a Welcome Ambassador/Move-In Crew for Freshman Move-In and has been involved in Steinhardt’s Welcome Week activities, Steinhardt Days of Service, and the APUG club’s Midnight Run. She has often shared her experiences at APUG events.
Distinguished Teaching Award This award is given to a Ph.D. student who demonstrates excellence in the area of teaching.
Christopher Stults (CNPS): Chris has been an outstanding adjunct instructor and course assistant for the APUG program. He has been the instructor for Research Methods I (Fall 2016) and II (Spring 2017), both of which are large (50+ students) lecture style courses, and he has also supervised the lab recitation component for both courses. Chris is a warm, compassionate, and knowledgeable instructor who connects with his students in and outside of the classroom. His approachable and personable demeanor makes learning easy for students while still pushing the boundaries of their learning. He uses real life experiences to apply the different concepts he covers in class while using creative ways to explain complex material. As a result, Applied Psychology students are more engaged in his class and always look forward to learning from him. Chris’ combination of rigor and approachability, and content and application are extremely effective pedagogical tools that are rare to find in a doctoral-level teacher.
Linda & Arthur Carter Family Scholarship This scholarship is given to graduate students who are conducting empirical research related to child development.
Yeshim Iqbal (PSI): Yeshim has consistently demonstrated academic excellence at NYU and has used the knowledge and skills she has gained here to affect change in international settings. In addition to collaborating with faculty on existing research projects, Yeshim pioneered a study examining mass violence in an international context. Specifically, the study examines the acknowledgment and denial of historical injustices from the perspective of victim groups, and the consequences such acknowledgment or denial have on the psychological well-being of victim group members and inter-group reconciliation. Corianna Sichel (CNPS): Corianna’s scholarship and intervention efforts have resulted in the implementation of social justice and anti-oppression interventions in six different youth detention facilities, resulting in services for over 300 incarcerated boys and girls. In her interventions with incarcerated youth, Corianna has developed a curriculum focused on teaching about oppression in creative and engaging ways. As a research supervisor, she has been exceptional in educating her peers and helping to advance their abilities to engage in innovative scholarship and practice.
Linda & Arthur Carter Family Scholarship (cont.) This scholarship is given to graduate students who are conducting empirical research related to child development.
Esther SIn (DEV): Esther is a thoughtful and insightful scholar with a passion for applied research. Esther is currently working on Dr. Selcuk Sirin’s New York City Academic and Social Engagement Study (NYCASES), a three-wave mixed methods longitudinal study of urban youth and the role of ethnic identity on social justice. Esther has been praised for her scholarly productivity and work ethic. She has consistently demonstrated strong writing skills, the ability to synthesize new areas of research and produce high-quality work. Daniel Suh (DEV): Daniel has demonstrated an enormous dedication to child development research and an unparalleled skill in conducting rigorous, quality research. In his first year at NYU, he designed an innovative cross-cultural study to examine early parenting influences on the spatial skills of South Korean and U.S. preschoolers. Daniel is also interested in expanding his research to include an understanding of how everyday experiences in the home environment can promote specific types of spatial development. In each of his scholarly pursuits, he has consistently shown initiative, professionalism and a high level of talent and ability.
Steinhardt Endowed Scholarship
This scholarship is given to students whose work displays interdisciplinary perspectives to solve applied problems.
Jessica Mar (APUG)*: Throughout her time in the APUG program, Jessica has demonstrated a strong interest in working with vulnerable populations and understanding the intersection between physical illnesses and their mental health implications. In pursuing these interests, Jessica has volunteered as a crisis counselor, took part on a research team investigating intervention methods for people with co-occurring mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders, and is currently volunteering with Dr. Selcuk Sirin’s research lab which studies the mental health outcomes of Syrian refugee children.
Social Justice Award This award is for students for their contribution to improving the life conditions of vulnerable individuals or communities.
The Phillip J. Zlatchin Memorial Award This award, established in honor of Professor Zlatchin, a member of the faculty from 1947 to 1959, will be awarded to graduate students for their contributions to improving the life conditions of vulnerable individuals or communities.
Megan Barton (CMHW)*: Megan is committed to providing long-term, culturally-informed, therapeutic care to the LGBT community. Her career goals and the trajectory of her academic pursuits demonstrate her dedication to creating safer spaces for LGBT individuals as well as advocating for this population.
Pilar Victoria (HDSI)*: Pilar’s record demonstrates a clear commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable individuals and communities. Pilar is an advocate in the Resilience, Opportunity, Safety, Education, Strength (ROSES) research lab, where she works with juvenile justice-involved girls to help them achieve their goals, connect with community resources, and become self-advocates. Additionally, this past summer, Pilar led an initiative to examine local child welfare data to examine disparities in the treatment of LGBTQ youth. Esther Burson (PSI): Esther conducts rigorous, innovative research that is aligned with Professor Zlatchin’s goal to support the work of students that improves the lives of vulnerable individuals and communities. Esther examines the conditions under which members of different marginalized groups create solidarity and work together for social change. Additionally, Esther studies the features of juvenile justice settings (their physical characteristics, rules and policies, and social processes) that affect the mental health and recidivism of youth in those contexts. . Ming-Che Tu (CNPS): Ming’s research interests are focused on Asian American mental health, with a specific attention to the adjustment process for immigrant families and adolescents. He is particularly interested in designing culturally appropriate mental health interventions and preventions for Asian American immigrants, as this population’s mental health needs often go unmet and are invisible to the professional community. As such, he has served in a leadership role on several research projects, mentoring both master’s and undergraduate students and producing meaningful and empowering research.
Gilbert Trachtman Award Zoe Siegel (APUG)*: Zoe has demonstrated compassion, creativity, and a commitment to bettering the lives of others. In the summer of 2016, Zoe volunteered in Uganda at the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) under the supervision of Dr. Ryan Carroll. She worked directly with the head pharmacist at the Mbarara Regional and Referral Hospital to propose a new pharmaceutical drug tracking system to prevent drug shortage. Her investment in improving people’s lives and her dedication to reforming healthcare makes her a worthy recipient of this award. Dejana Mladenovic (HDSI)*: Dejana is a tireless advocate for the transgender community, especially as it relates to healthcare. She is actively engaged in social justice activities intended to remove the stigma that compromises the health and well-being of transgender individuals. For her thesis, Dejana wrote an in-depth publishable position paper that argues the need for developing trans-inclusive policies that promote equitable health care. Upon graduating from the HDSI program, Dejana will enter a law program where she will further her advocacy on behalf of underserved populations.
This scholarship is given to students for their contributions to serving children, parents, and teachers and being agents of change.
Lilibeth Chauca (CMHW)*: Lilibeth is dedicated to the well-being of children and families. Her commitment to change is exemplified by her dedication to The Committee for Hispanic Children and Families (CHCF), where she worked with more than 2,000 families throughout NYC who struggled to obtain childcare services. As a Parent Educator, Lilibeth is passionate about connecting families with the best possible childcare resources and instructing them on how to effectively communicate with childcare providers. Amrantha Kalra (CMHW)*: Amrantha is a tireless advocate for both her fellow students and for children. Within NYU Amrantha works with the Student Counseling Association, where she advocates on behalf of her fellow students. Amrantha exudes a profound drive to improve the lives of those around her. In a field where counselors are expected not only to demonstrate intelligence, research prowess, and clinical skill, but to also act as social justice advocates, Amrantha’s actions show her outstanding talent and dedication.
Acknolwedgements
Outstanding Research Contribution This award is given to students whose research demonstrates excellence and originality.
Page Spears (APUG)*: Page excels as a research assistant for Dr. Anil Chacko. Incredibly invested in the work, Page consistently approaches each of her numerous research tasks in a diligent and dedicated manner. Furthermore, Page’s work on her honors thesis highlights her commitment to learning and growing as a researcher. Throughout the process, she has demonstrated her intellectual curiosity and desire to understand her findings not only statistically, but also theoretically and conceptually. Moreover, she handles critique and suggestions with an impressive level of maturity. Her outstanding independent and collaborative research endeavors make her a truly worthy recipient of this award. Stephanie Custode (HDSI)*: Throughout her time in the HDSI program, Stevie has demonstrated her commitment to research as a member of Dr. Catherine Tamis-Lemonda’s lab. Stephanie is an outstanding researcher who goes beyond the call of duty in generating innovative ideas and cutting-edge questions around learning and development, and she follows through with the kind of rigor that is unparalleled by even senior scholars in the field. After graduating from the HDSI program this May, Stevie will continue her skyrocketing research trajectory as a doctoral student in the Ph.D. developmental psychology program at the University of Miami. Ashley Turbeville (CNPS)*: Ashley’s dissertation, “A Bioecological and Multidimensional Model for Conceptualizing and Measuring Childhood Economic Well-Being in South Africa” is outstanding for multiple reasons. Dr. Turbeville conducted rigorous and groundbreaking analyses of the multiple economic factors associated with childhood deprivation in South Africa. Not only was Dr. Turbeville instrumental in conducting the study from and gathering data, but she also was critical in articulating the meaning of the findings for the South African children who were the participants. Taken as a whole, her dissertation contributes to our theoretical and empirical understanding of the complex situations these families and their communities’ experience. generative in proposing and getting funding for these major research projects.
Monroe Stein Memorial Fellowship This award is given to a graduate student who can demonstrate a need as well as a commitment to his/her career to bettering the lives of children.
Ivonne Monje (HDSI)*: Ivonne is committed to scholarship that serves to improve educational opportunities for other students and families from educationally-at-risk communities. She is currently a senior member of Dr. Jennifer Astuto’s playLab, which strives to produce actionable research and develop collaborations that can be used to empower and strengthen the lives of young children through education and policy. Ivonne sees access to high-quality education as a basic human right, despite one’s “legal” status. She wants to dedicate her career to developing and evaluating intervention programs for low-income, immigrant communities. Chloe Greenbaum (CNPS): Chloe demonstrates a seamless integration of research and service in her work. She has created a curriculum for a creative writing and expression group for incarcerated youth in New York City’s juvenile justice system called WRITE ON. The program integrates evidence from empirically-supported, writing-based programs and incorporates youth-centered and strengths-based intervention approaches. Chloe conceptualized the WRITE ON curriculum and theory of change and helped to make the program available and accessible to youth detention facilities. Through this experience, Chloe has demonstrated excellence in delivering services directly to adolescents with complex trauma histories.
Special thanks to the families and friends who support our students in these endeavors and who were able to attend tonight. Thank you to all the presenters, for taking the time to help us celebrate our stellar students. The Awards Committee would also like the thank the following individuals who helped organize and made this night possible: Anthony Alexis Amanda Holda Lise Landeau Karina Melendez Sincerely the Awards Committee, Erin Godfrey (Chair) Alisha Ali Jennifer Astuto Erika Jackson Jordan Morris Mary Sue Richardson