Director: Eric R. Dahlen, Ph.D.
Current Students
Graduate Students Working in the Lab
Liz joined us in the Fall of 2024 and is our newest doctoral student. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Rowan University in New Jersey, where she was part of research labs addressing aggression, substance use, and sexuality. Liz is interested in a career in correctional psychology and is now working on selecting her thesis topic.
Spencer Shumate
Spencer joined us in the Fall of 2024 as a new master's student. He completed his undergraduate work at Brigham Young University - Idaho. He is also interested in gaining research experience to support his applications to Counseling Psychology doctoral programs.
Yuxuan (April) Yang
April joined us in the Fall of 2023 as a new doctoral student. She completed her undergraduate work in Psychology and Criminology at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls, where she gained research experience in multiple faculty labs. April is interested in learning more about dark personality traits and how they connect with aggression. She successfully proposed her thesis and will soon begin data collection.
Summer Steely
Summer joined us in the Fall of 2022 as a new doctoral student. She completed her B.A. in Psychology at Wheaton College (IL) and has experience working in a residential treatment program. She is interested in a career working in a forensic treatment setting and has research interests consistent with our work. Summer will soon defend her thesis.
Summer Boggs
Summer joined us in the Fall of 2020 as a new doctoral student. She completed her bachelor’s in Psychology at Kent State University where she worked with Dr. Ben-Porath. Summer defended her master's thesis in the Summer of 2023 and is finishing her dissertation proposal.
Jacq Strowd
Jacq joined us in the Fall of 2019 as a new master’s student. She completed her B.S. in Psychology from Erskine College and her M.S. in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University. She is interested in trauma, victimization and resiliency, and dark personality traits. Jacq accepted an offer of admission to our doctoral program to begin in the Fall of 2021, completed her master's project in the Summer of 2022, and proposed her dissertation in the Spring of 2023, completed data collection, and is analyzing her findings. Erica is completing her predoctoral internship at the Medical College of Georgia/Charlie Norwood VA in Augusta.
Erica Van Overloop
Erica joined us in the Fall of 2019 as a new doctoral student. She completed her B.A. in Psychology from South Florida and her M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Auburn University at Montgomery. She has experience working as a youth and family services counselor in Florida and is interested in examining trauma in relational aggression and victimization. Erica is completing her predoctoral internship at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in Little Rock. She successfully defended her dissertation in the Summer of 2024.
Pictured here are Jacq Strowd and April Yang standing next to their poster at the 2023 Mississippi Psychological Association conference in Tupelo, MS.
Undergraduate Students Working in the Lab
Francesca Mattus
Francesca is a Psychology major at the University of Southern Mississippi who joined us in the Fall of 2024. She is interested in gaining research experience to better understand the process and support her applications to graduate programs.
Maggie Kelly
Maggie is a Psychology major at the University of Southern Mississippi who joined us in the Fall of 2023. She hopes to gain research experience and shares a number of interests with the lab (e.g., personality disorders, dark personality traits, and peer victimization).
Makaila Belk
Makaila is a Psychology major at the University of Southern Mississippi who joined us in the Fall of 2023. She is interested in gaining research experience and sees the lab as being a good fit with her interests and career goals.
Kalisha Barber
Kalisha is a Psychology major at the University of Southern Mississippi who joined us in the Spring of 2023. She is interested in better understanding aggressive behavior and associated personality traits. She hopes to pursue a doctoral degree in counseling psychology.
Francesca is a Psychology major at the University of Southern Mississippi who joined us in the Fall of 2024. She is interested in gaining research experience to better understand the process and support her applications to graduate programs.
Maggie Kelly
Maggie is a Psychology major at the University of Southern Mississippi who joined us in the Fall of 2023. She hopes to gain research experience and shares a number of interests with the lab (e.g., personality disorders, dark personality traits, and peer victimization).
Makaila Belk
Makaila is a Psychology major at the University of Southern Mississippi who joined us in the Fall of 2023. She is interested in gaining research experience and sees the lab as being a good fit with her interests and career goals.
Kalisha Barber
Kalisha is a Psychology major at the University of Southern Mississippi who joined us in the Spring of 2023. She is interested in better understanding aggressive behavior and associated personality traits. She hopes to pursue a doctoral degree in counseling psychology.