Roanoke College Psychology Department

Category: Job

  • Alumni Update: Sebastian Pena

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    “Since graduation, I have been working at different research positions at Georgetown University and the Johns Hopkins University. At Georgetown I am currently working in two positions. I am the lab manager for the Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition in the Department of Neuroscience. In this lab I am involved in facilitating and conducting studies involving tinnitus, neuroplasticity, music, and neuroimaging (fMRI). I am also a research assistant in a lab that studies opioid addiction in the School of Nursing and Health Studies. My work in this lab includes recruitment, administering questionnaires to patients, and supporting the effort of our clinical trial.

    At Johns Hopkins I am a research program coordinator in the School of Medicine working for two doctors that study HIV and substance use disorders. I conduct interviews with patients in the hospital for a research study that is investigating how to incorporate a computerized survey as part of the regular care of our medical staff’s substance use consultation visits. I am also assisting with writing a paper about HIV medication adherence that we hope to submit for publication soon. In the next couple of months I will begin to interview patients and staff at our HIV clinic as part of a research study investigating retention.

    I plan to use all these experiences to pursue a Ph.D in neuroscience and/or to apply to medical school. Hopefully I’ll soon figure out exactly what I want my next step to be!”

    • Sebastian Pena

    Congratulations Sebastian and keep up the good work!

  • Update from Alum and Psych Minor, Jordan May

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    In her own words:

    Jordan May Roanoke College, 2013

    B.S. Health and Exercise Science

    Minor: Psychology

    Soccer. Travel. More soccer. More travel.

    Since graduating from Roanoke in 2013, the past 2 plus years have been a whirlwind. The summer after graduation I relocated to Lewiston, Maine to start my position as an Assistant Women’s Soccer coach at NCAA Division III institution, Bates College. My day-to-day tasks consist of helping our head coach, Kelsy Ross (Roanoke College ’05), with practice planning, facilitating team communication, coordinating community events and community service, coaching in training sessions, recruiting, scouting opponents, and taking care of travel arrangements, as well as game-day responsibilities. In addition to my duties at Bates, in our collegiate off-season, I help out at a local club, Seacoast United Maine, in various aspects of trainings with kids as young as 7 up to 18. To say I had no idea how much thought, time, and energy it takes to help run a collegiate athletics program (or even just a 2 hour training session), is an understatement. To be on the other side of the lines is truly an eye opening, humbling experience. My four years at Roanoke as a student-athlete was is a time that I reflect upon on a daily basis. My writing and critical thinking skills were really formed during that time and help to analyze and dissect the good and the bad of our squad, routinely. Being a coach isn’t just about teaching the X’s and O’s and developing players in practice, but also about forming bonds and relationships with your them to understand what makes them tick. Figuring out that what works best for one player, might not be the same for another, and so on, is a real challenge!

    In the future, I hope to go back to school to obtain a masters degree in the field of Sports Management or Sports Psychology while also continuing to coach.

    Jordan, we are proud of what you have achieved and are pleased your degree is serving you well. Keep us updated! We know you’ll be successful obtaining your Masters.

     

  • Hazel Smitson completes Master’s degree

    Hazel Smitson and Devin DobynsHazel Smitson (B.S in Psychology with concentration in Neuroscience, 2013 cum laude) completed her master’s degree at the University of Indianapolis this July. Her degree is in Clinical Psychology with a track in mental health counseling. She will be working as an outpatient therapist at Meridian Health Services in Muncie, Indiana. Hazel looks forward to (finally) working with people as a therapist. We are very happy for her!

  • Alum Ethan Littman Now Analyst at R3 Government Solutions in DC

    “After graduating from Roanoke I stayed in Salem for two years working as a community based counselor for the National Counseling Group. Then, I moved back home to DC and have been working for the past two years as an Analyst/Human Capital Consultant for a company called R3 Government Solutions.”

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  • Congrats to Kayla Paxton on her job at Family Links!

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    Kayla Paxton is now working as a service facilitator and office manager at Family Links! It is so rewarding to see our alum actively making a difference in the lives of others.

  • Featured Alum: Yuki Yamazaki

    Alumna Yuki Yamazaki (’13) recently graduated from Columbia University Teachers College after earning her Ed.M. & M.A. in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Mental Health Counseling.

    Since graduation, Yuki has started working as a Field Researcher for the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development in their Housing and Neighborhood Study which looks at how housing, communities, and neighborhoods impact individual New Yorkers health- physical, mental, and emotional- as well as overall wellbeing.

    Yuki would like to also thank the Roanoke Psychology Dept for their unwavering support, listening ear, and unnerving dance abilities through all of the milestones she’s completed so far.

    yuki

     

  • Congrats to Kacy Dillon on her new job!

    Kacy Dillon has accepted a position as a therapeutic day treatment counselor at Intercept Youth Services. She starts next week. Congrats, Kacy!

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  • Living & Working Abroad Post-Graduation

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    Katy Hurst (B.S., Psychology, 2013) spent the past two years living in Antigua, Guatemala where she worked at the newly established Antigua International School (AIS). AIS is a college preparatory K-12 school that serves nearly 200 students from diverse cultural, linguistic, and ethnic backgrounds. It is the first school of its kind in Guatemala, combining a world-class, internationally accredited education with an unprecedented financial aid program and curriculum centered around service. Katy’s role in the school was as both an Admissions and Development Officer. As part of the development team, Katy worked to procure the funds for the scholarship program that served 50% of the student population including many students from rural villages. She also helped to establish the school’s admissions process and policies and especially enjoyed using her psychology background to assess social, emotional, and academic readiness to ensure that each student was placed in an environment in which he or she could thrive. Katy loved watching students develop a new language and experience learning on deeper levels than ever before. She will most certainly draw on this experience as she begins work on her Master of Education degree in Human Development Counseling at Vanderbilt University next fall.

  • Congrats to Ashley Johns – Case Worker at LOA

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    Ashley has accepted a case worker position with the Local Office on Aging (LOA) in Downtown Roanoke. Her primary responsibilities are to help aging individuals maintain as much independence as possible and to avoid early institutionalization.

  • Ashley Johns accepts position at Intercept Youth Services

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    Ashley Johns (’15) accepted a position as a residential counselor at Intercept Youth Services. She reports loving the job and says the kids keep her busy! Congratulations, Ashley.