Highlighting the research and work of CYFS Student Affiliates.
Henry Bass, a fourth-year doctoral student in school psychology, has a passion for helping youth navigate one of life’s most challenging periods: adolescence.
Bass recently received news that the Society for the Study of School Psychology will award funding for his dissertation project, which focuses on identifying the extent to which family-school partnerships improve long-term outcomes for children as they become adolescents.
Name: Madison Atwater
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Program: School Psychology
Year: First-year doctoral student
Project: Concussion Management Grant
What kind of work have you been doing with the project?
I am currently learning about concussions/mTBIs and how to properly care for children — particularly in schools — who have suffered them. I learn by reading a lot about these subjects, doing a literature review and coming together with others in my grant to discuss what we’ve learned. Next year, we will be able to use these skills in school practicums.
Name: Kailee Groshans
Hometown: Doniphan, Nebraska
Program: School Psychology
Year: First year
Project: Training Program for Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder
What kind of work have you been doing with the project?
As a trainee on this project, I’ll be traveling to the Autism Care for Toddlers Clinic in Omaha to attend seminars and observe toddlers during treatment. I’m reading literature on toddlers with autism spectrum disorder and am excited to get more involved in the clinic. I also work with my mentor, Dr. Edward Daly, and his research team, as well as help out with a math intervention project in the Department of Special Education.
Name: Rae Bullinger
Hometown: Minnetonka, Minnesota
Program: School Psychology
Year: First year
Project: Specialization in Toddlers with ASD Program
What kind of work have you been doing with the project?
I’m just starting on the project, but I am excited to learn more about diagnosing ASD and how to implement treatments in the coming semesters.
Name: Emily Camp
Hometown: St. Louis
Program: Counseling Psychology
Year: First-year doctoral student
Project: Coaching Science Inquiry
How did you become interested in your field?
I became interested in the field of psychology, generally, after being a Jumpstart tutor through AmeriCorps my freshman year of college. I worked with a student who faced several barriers to education, some of which were related to his experiences in foster care. I became curious about how the cultural, social and familial contexts of learners impact their academic experiences and well-being in the long-term. This experience led me to pursue jobs within schools, group homes and other care facilities, both nationally and internationally, as I developed an interest in the effect of trauma on individuals.
The Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research has developed a new online resource for faculty and students involved in early childhood research across the University of Nebraska system.
The Student Research Opportunities website enables NU faculty to advertise opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students seeking work experience in early childhood research. Students can browse available positions and filter them by campus location, academic level (i.e., graduate or undergraduate), position type (e.g., assistantship, paid, volunteer) and the age group being researched.
Name: Cassie Hermiller
Hometown: Ottawa, Ohio
Program: School Psychology
Year: First year (just completed)
Project: Concussion and mTBI Management Traineeship
What have you been doing with the project?
With the traineeship, I have been learning about various aspects of concussions and accommodations in school for kids with concussions. We visited the Brain Injury Conference in Kearney and spoke with concussion and TBI survivors and other practitioners in the field, and learned what it was like to live or work with survivors.
Name: Renata Trefiglio Mendes Gomes
Hometown: São Paulo, Brazil
Program: Early Learning Network
Year: First year (just completed)
Project: My Ph.D. project is “Professores e Pais como Parceiros: A Cross-cultural Adaptation and Implementation Effectiveness of the Teachers and Parents as Partners Program to a Brazilian sample.” As a graduate research assistant, I am supporting both the Early Learning Network and the Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research.
