Roanoke College Psychology Department

Category: Uncategorized

  • D.C. Semester Highlight: Gabrielle Lirosi

    Gabrielle Lirosi ’24 is spending a semester participating in the Lutheran College Washington Semester (LCWS). Gabrielle originally hails from Jackson, New Jersey and is a current junior at Roanoke College. She majors in Psychology with a minor in Sociology and a concentration in Crime, Deviance, and Social Control.

    I interviewed Gabrielle to learn more about what she’s doing during her semester away!

    Lirosi visiting The View of D.C. in Arlington, Virginia

    This spring, Gabrielle is working for Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR) as a Post-Release Intern. OAR works to “create a community where those impacted by the legal system enjoy equal civil and human rights.” Gabrielle’s team specifically works with people who have recently been released from incarceration to help them transition back into the community.

    Describing her work, Gabrielle says, “some days I am booked with appointments working with our participants to find housing, arrange community service, build job applications, practice interviews, and so much more!” Her team communicates with probation/parole officers, group home mentors, and family members of participants to help build their support system. Gabrielle also frequently attends court to stay up-to-date with participants and share OAR resources with recently-released individuals.

    Positively impacting people’s lives while gaining high-level professional experience is an average day for an LCWS student. This semester, Gabrielle has been assigned the designated point-person for a large project in which OAR is assessing their recidivism rates.

    Gabrielle Lirosi walks through the Federal Triangle

    Gabrielle is putting her psychology background to work in the professional world! She says psychology students must consider participating in LCWS.

    “So many focus on DC as the capital only seeing politics and ignoring the social sciences that reside in such a complex society! I’ve applied endless amounts of psychology work into analyzing the culture of DC and understanding my work at OAR! There are ample opportunities for any major, including psychology.”

    According to Gabrielle, the networking and mentoring opportunities available for all students in D.C. are invaluable.

    Gabrielle Lirosi ’24 with roommates Sierra Smith (Augustana University ’23. left) and Natalie Webster (Roanoke College ’25, right)

    When she isn’t in class or working at OAR, Gabrielle is soaking up the culture of the nation’s capital! She loves making spontaneous plans with her roommates (pictured above). “There has never been a dull moment exploring the city,” she says, but it’s easy to find peace and quiet in one of D.C.’s many parks.

    When I asked Gabrielle what her favorite memory from the semester so far is, she said, “seeing the cherry blossoms at sunrise was surreal, they are a token of DC and are in peak bloom right now.” But the famous cherry blossoms are tied with the interactive art of the Artech House for most memorable to Gabrielle.

    Want to learn more about LCWS? Visit https://www.washingtonsemester.org/ or contact Dr. Todd Peppers (peppers@roanoke.edu) for more information!

    Get Connected!

  • D.C. Semester Highlight: Megan Onofrei

    Megan Onofrei ’24 is spending her semester in the U.S. capital by participating in the Lutheran College Washington Semester (LCWS) program. A junior from Mesa, Arizona, Onofrei majors in Political Science with a minor in Psychology. Outside of the classroom, she plays defense for Roanoke College Women’s Soccer.

    Megan Onofrei ’24 enjoys time on the National Mall

    The Lutheran College Washington Semester allows Roanoke students to live and study in Washington D.C. while gaining professional experience through an internship. Onofrei is currently interning at the Normandy Group, a government relations firm.

    Onofrei describes her internship as “well organized but also flexible and highly interactive.” Interning at the Normandy Group, Onofrei is “involved in all aspects of the firm’s responsibilities” but she notes that “I also retain the opportunity to attend Congressional hearings or networking events throughout the day that are related to the clients and projects that I am a part of.” This keeps her days “exciting and busy!”

    Onofrei and roommate Jocelyn Snader ’24 attend the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

    Onofrei’s time in D.C. has been saturated with politics, but her psychology studies have been relevant throughout. She says,

    “the concepts that I have learned about in Social Psychology apply directly to the interactions that I have with work colleagues or other professionals. On a larger scale, I have seen the reality of psychological phenomena that is a driver for certain decisions made by Congress.”

    The Washington semester is open to students from any major, and any type of internship can can be completed for credit! Onofrei says “psychology students should definitely consider participating in the Washington Semester because there is a lot of networking and interpersonal interaction available here!” This experiential learning and career experience will set any student apart as they prepare for graduate school or the workforce.

    Onofrei and fellow LCWS students on a field trip the the Library of Congress

    Professional experiences abound at LCWS! On a recent LCWS field trip, Onofrei and other students toured the Library of Congress, pictured above. Onofrei has also attended hearings of the House Oversight Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee. She says, “I have plans to sit in a Supreme Court Oral Argument later on in the semester, an opportunity that I am extremely excited for!”

    Outside of the work day, LCWS provides ample opportunity to explore the nation’s capital. Onofrei has enjoyed exploring monuments and memorials, taking in the architecture of D.C., and hitting up the culinary scene by trying new coffee shops and restaurants. But her favorite recreation so far has been visiting D.C. suburbs like Alexandria and Georgetown, “it is very relaxing to walk along these long brick-lined streets, full of shops and beautiful architecture.”

    Want to learn more about LCWS? Visit https://www.washingtonsemester.org/ or contact Dr. Todd Peppers (peppers@roanoke.edu) for more information!

    Get Connected!

     

  • Job Opportunity: Strategic Therapy Associates

    Attention upcoming graduates and recent alumni! If you are seeking employment that would lead towards licensure and are enthusiastic about working with children and families, Strategic Therapy Associates has position openings you may be eligible for.

    Strategic Therapy Associates provides family therapy services to at-risk children and their families across Central and Southwest Virginia. We have offices in Lynchburg, Farmville Richmond, Danville, Halifax, Martinsville, Roanoke, Lexington and Wytheville, Virginia. They are seeking candidates who have completed or will soon complete a master’s degree in Counseling, Social Work or Marriage & Family Therapy.  All clinicians offered employment must be able to register as a Resident in Counseling, Resident in Marriage & Family Therapy or Supervisee in Social Work with the VA Board of Health Professionals to receive clinical supervision towards professional licensure as an LPC, LMFT or LCSW.

    They use a Strategic Family Therapy systems approach in our work with clients and are seeking therapists who are interested in learning solution-focused interventions.  Applicants should be interested in working with at-risk children and families in their homes where they will learn how to uncover the family’s strengths and abilities to solve their own problems, where our therapist motivates clients to implement positive changes. All therapists receive extensive training and weekly supervision.

    Here is a link to the company page and a list of open positions:

     https://s614510739.initial-website.com/

  • Congratulations to Cody Dillon-Owens ’19, Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand, and Dr. Buchholz on recent publication

    Congratulations to Cody Dillon-Owens ’19, Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand, and Dr. Buchholz on recent publication

    Alum Cody-Dillon Owens ’19, Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand, and Dr. Buchholz recently had their research published in an article titled Early Adolescent Cognitive and Affective Empathy – you can read the full article here. Congratulations!

  • New Disabilities Studies Concentration

    This year, Roanoke College has expanded their academic catalog by launching a new concentration in Disability Studies.

    “the concentration was designed with an interdisciplinary approach that reflects the truth that disabilities are woven into every aspect of society.” –Roanoke College

    The interdisciplinary team of faculty directing the concentration include Dr. Teresa Milbrodt, Assistant Professor of English & Communication Studies; Mrs. Frances McCutcheon, Lecturer in Biology; and Dr. Andréa Burchfield, Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology.

    Required courses for the concentration focus on disability theory, the lived experience of people with disabilities, elective units, and a capstone consisting of an internship or independent study.

    Dr. Burchfield shares that Disability Studies “prepares students for careers in the human services where they are likely to encounter people with disabilities.” Students who aim to attend graduate programs for special education, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology, and applied behavior analysis will especially benefit from completing the concentration.

    Dr. Andréa Burchfield, Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology, Coordinator for Disability Studies

    The concentration is also aimed at providing students with disabilities at Roanoke College a means to “better understand themselves, their disability communities, and what to expect from the world at large, while also deepening their support network here on campus.”

    Prior to teaching at Roanoke College, Dr. Burchfield worked in the field by providing behavior therapy, disability education and consultation, and disability accommodation training. Her past research focused on children with autism.

    She says,

    “I’m motivated to educate students about disabilities after years of witnessing the systemic isolation, negative stigmas, and obstacles to accessing services that people with disabilities face. People without disabilities lack a general awareness about the challenges the disability community faces; I’d like to reduce that gap in awareness.”

    Through disability studies, Dr. Burchfield hopes that students will create “positive changes for people with disabilities on campus and in their communities” and that current and prospective Roanoke students with disabilities will benefit from a stronger sense of community and belonging on campus.

    The Psychology Department is excited that this valuable field of study is now represented on campus.

    Get Connected!

  • Lecture Today!

    Psychology students are invited to attend the lecture titled “Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience in the Era of Big Data” hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC. On February 9th at 5:30pm, Damien Fair, PA-C, Ph.D. will be speaking on this topic.

    The lecture will be broadcast on Zoom and is free to attend! Click here to join the webinar.

    Read on, or visit the event page for more details!

    “Developmental cognitive neuroscience is being pulled in new directions by network science and big data. Brain imaging (e.g. functional MRI, functional connectivity MRI), analytical advances (e.g. graph theory, machine learning), and access to large computing resources have empowered us to collect and process neuro-behavioral data faster and in larger populations than ever before. The clinical and translational potential from these advances is unparalleled, as a better understanding of complex human brain function is best grounded in the onset of these functions during human development. Here Dr. Fair examines the state of developmental cognitive neuroscience in the era of networks and ‘big data’ and highlight the solid footing we can take forward into future discovery and real world applications.”

    Get Connected!

  • Dr. Powell appears in docuseries about ghosting

    Dr. Powell appears in docuseries about ghosting

    Our very own Dr. Powell recently appeared as an expert commentator on ghosting in relationships in the Swiss docuseries “La science das coeurs brises” or “The science of broken hearts.” You can read more about Dr. Powell’s research in ghosting and her appearance in this docuseries in this article.

  • Fall ’22 Poster Session

    On Thursday December 8th, the Roanoke College community gathered to see psychology students present their latest research and internship experiences. This event is held at the end of every semester and always draws a crowd. As usual, Fintel library was packed with students, staff, and faculty alike to celebrate the hard work of driven psychology students.

    Scroll through the photos below to see how our students enhance their learning beyond the classroom!

    Fintel buzzes with excitement as students present research and internships
    Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand and students listen to a presentation.
    Kelsey McCown and Devin Brown speak about their recent internships.

    Research

    Psychology students love research! Senior seminar, honors in the major, and independent studies are just a few of many ways students conduct research under the supervision of faculty. These experiences are all presented at the poster session as seen in the pictures below.

    Seminar students (left to right) Avery Jackson, Jackson Shumate, James Orphanos, Lindsay Jones, and Casey Bowles present their capstone project.
    Seniors (left to right) Daniel Jewell, Morgan Bamrick, Kirra Eveland, Madison Dorn, and Allison Verbeke present their capstone project.
    Seminar students (left to right) Sadie Wallace, Karen Kohler, Caroline Powell, and Mia Clary present their capstone project.
    Maryam Nishtar presents her project conducted with Dr. Nichols, Physical Changes in the Brain as a Function of Clinical Dementia Ratings in Women with Alzheimer’s Disease.
    Jarod Le presents his research conducted with Dr. Nichols titled Decoding the Temporal and Spatial Frequency of Time Varying Stimuli Points to Utility of Complex Cells.

    HNRS 260 Projects

    This semester, Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand taught an Honors-260 course titled The Psychology of Aggression. For their final project, students in the class worked in groups to create informational brochures or flyers summarizing practical applications of the topic they studied throughout the semester. In this course, students from a variety of academic backgrounds learned about the discipline of psychology and its applications.

    HNRS 260 students present Psychopathology in Crime and Drug Use
    HNRS 260 students present their brochure on intimate partner violence.
    HNRS 260 students present Gender Differences in Aggression.
    HNRS 260 students enjoy pizza while sharing their brochure about psychopathy in children.

    Internships

    Many students also shared the workplace experience they gained through internships during the summer or school year. A broad range of internships qualify for academic credit and prepare students for the workforce after graduation.

    Morgan Michallef presents her fashion internship at Amiee Lynn in Manhattan
    Logan Pasley presents her work at Youth Connect
    Devin Brown presents her work at Mainstream Mental Health in Roanoke, VA

    Get Connected to RC psychology!

  • Kiah Coflin (’19) Honors in the Major Project Published

    Kiah Coflin ’19

    Kiah Coflin (’19) recently had her Honors in the Major project published in the Journal of Couple and Family Psychology. The article, titled “Comparison of emerging adults’ bid responses based on their gender and attachment” examines how individual differences in bid responses (i.e. turning toward, turning away, and turning against)  effect relationship quality and duration.

                Kiah completed this project under Dr. Darcey N. Powell, who she credits with encouraging her to become involved in research. She __ that the experiences that she gained from research – including presenting at research conferences, May Term, and the Honors in the major process were both fun and useful for her future beyond Roanoke

    “It was an incredibly fun and enlightening time that shaped my undergraduate career, and certainly helped as I continued on into graduate school for my Masters.” – Kiah Coflin ’19

                After graduation, Dr. Powell continued to support her through the publication process, as they worked together to edit and create manuscripts and submit for publication at various journals. Kiah graduated from Boston College with her Masters in School Counseling in Spring 2021, and has been working as a School Adjustment Counselor with hopes to continue to grow in the profession.

    “I’m continually in awe of the opportunities Roanoke College has been able to provide myself and fellow graduates, and consider myself lucky to continue to have the support and guidance of the Psychology Department years beyond my leaving campus.” – Kiah Coflin ’19

    Here’s the abstract for the paper:

    This project explored individual differences in bid responses, focusing specifically on participant gender and attachment. Bid responses (i.e., turning toward, turning away, and turning against) have been demonstrated to predict relationship quality and duration. However, to date, individual differences have not been explored. A pilot study of college-enrolled emerging adults (N = 51) demonstrated variability in responses to the created vignettes about hypothetical interactions with a romantic partner. Participants in the main study (N = 172) were emerging adults recruited from Prolific who responded to the finalized vignettes, as well as attachment and demographic questions. Turning toward was the most endorsed response type, and participants’ responses did not differ based on their gender. Bid responses did differ based on their romantic attachment, but not on their friend or family attachments. The results reiterate that practitioners should consider clients’ romantic attachment when discussing their interactions in romantic relationships and suggest additional research examining individual differences in bid responses is warranted.

    Citation is: Coflin, K., & Powell, D. N. (2022). Comparison of emerging adults’ bid responses based on their gender and attachment. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000236

    Get Connected!

    Blog:  https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology

    Twitter: @RC_Psychology

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about

    Website: https://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology

    Instagram: rcpsychology

  • RC Psychology Alum in the News

    Stephanie Walsh ’14 was sworn in as a police officer in Vinton and was recently highlighted in Vinton’s weekly newspaper, which you can read here. Congratulations Stephanie!

    .

    .

    Get Connected!

    Blog:  https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology

    Twitter: @RC_Psychology

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about

    Website: https://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology

    Instagram: rcpsychology