News & Events Blog

PSYCH SIGNS (Significant and Good News) is a platform for publicizing the good work and accomplishments of Psychology and Counseling students, faculty, alumni, and staff. PSYCH SIGNs will be shared within the UCA community and externally on social media. All submissions will be reviewed by the Department Chairperson before distribution. Submit your good news here!

Yeseul Nam

Publication – 11/11/2024

Three undergraduate students’ research projects, supervised by Dr. Nam, have been accepted in the Journal of Psychological Inquiry. The project began in the Research Methods Lab class, and the manuscript was completed in the Apprenticeship 2 class.

 

Will Brock

Award/Accolade – 11/4/2024

Congratulations to Counseling Psychology doctoral student, Will Brock, for being awarded a VA Health Professionals Scholarship. The scholarship will cover tuition, fees, books, and provides a stipend; recipients must commit to working at a VA facility post-graduation. This program not only supports students financially but also addresses VA staffing needs by ensuring participants fulfill a

service obligation at a VA healthcare facility for 18 months per year of scholarship support. Way to go, Will!

 

Christina Jeffrey

Publication – 10/30/2024

Our team’s article on the training of the thematic mapping method was accepted into the Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice.

Jeffrey, C. E., Ridley, C.R., Quintana, N., & Terrebonne, T. (2024) Training counselors in clinical case formulation: A proof of concept of the thematic mapping method. Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice. In press.

 

Seungyeon Lee

Internal Grant – 10/24/2024

Dr. Lee (Co-Investigator, Department of Psychology & Counseling), Dr. Thao (Principal Investigator, Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders), and Dr. Stephanie White (Co-Investigator, Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders) received a UCA Foundational Grant this year to support their community service project.

 

Project Title: Collaborative Advocacy in Action: Empowering Families and Training Future Speech-Language Pathologists through Interprofessional Collaboration

 

Christina Jeffrey

Presentation – 10/12/2024

Division 2 Society for the Teaching of Psychology Conference Symposium

Jeffrey, C. E., Watkins, L., Hammond, M., & Armstrong, K. (2024, October). Faculty 

feelings of preparedness, challenges, and personal experiences in integrating diverse 

perspectives in class spaces: Ideas for a liberation pedagogy. Symposium presented at 

Division 2 Society for the Teaching of Psychology Annual Conference on Teaching, 

Louisville, KY.

 

Seungyeon Lee

Publication – 10/10/2024

Three brilliant minds, one incredible achievement! Drs. Lee, Wages, and Nam are thrilled to announce that their collaborative research has been accepted for peer-reviewed publication!

Lee, S., Wages, J. E., & Nam, Y. (Accepted). Perceptions of student learning 

effectiveness: Exploring active versus passive learning in the psychology classroom. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching [Scheduled for publication in 2025].

 

Aaron McLaughlin 

Publication – 9/25/2024

A few fun wins in the transition

1. McLaughlin, A. T., Davis, D. E., Shannonhouse, L. R., Cowart, H. M., Hsu, L. C., Gazaway, S., … & Annan, K. (2024). Development and testing of the spiritual first aid curriculum for training disaster care providers: An initial pilot effectiveness study. Spirituality in Clinical Practice 11(3), 315-327. doi: 10.1037/scp0000361

– This was a project we began working on a couple years ago for Spiritual First Aid and it was fun to see this special issue cross the finish line!

 

2. McLaughlin, A. T., Davis, D. E., Lee, Y., Woo, H. C., Coleman, J., Bulbulia, J., … & Sibley, C. G. (2024). Are there potential costs for humility in a pluralistic democracy?: A longitudinal investigation of immigrants in the New Zealand attitudes and values study. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1401182. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1401182. 

– This one was a revamp of my dissertation project and a great opportunity to work with some strong scholars in New Zealand.

 

Deanna Rumble

Publication – 9/24/2024

Dr. Rumble and colleagues have published a peer-reviewed paper in Pain Reports!

Antoine, Lisa H.; Watts, Kristen Allen; Rumble, Deanna D.; Buchanan, Taylor; Sims, Andrew; Goodin, Burel R. (2024). Weight, height, waist circumference: association with knee osteoarthritis findings from the osteoarthritis initiative. PAIN Reports 9(5):p e1187. | DOI: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000001187

 

William Owens

Presentation – 9/24/2024

William Owens, ASMSA class of 2017, will open the Alumni Pathways Speaker Series on Thursday September 26th 2024

 

Art Gillaspy

Award/Accolade – 9/17/2024

Congratulations to Mei Ishimura, who recently received a Global Citizen Scholarship! Well done, Mei!

Mei Ishimura – MISHIMURA1@cub.uca.edu

 

Seungyeon Lee

Publication – 9/17/2024

Dr. Seungyeon Lee, Dr. Sunjung Thao and her former UCA students at the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders published a manuscript in Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties.

Thao, S. K., Lee, S., Rains, A., & Butler, A. (in press). Exploring digital literacy challenges: A comparative study of online inquiry skills among college students with reading difficulties. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties.

 

Aaron King

Publication – 8/29/2024

Alumni’s recent publication in an international peer reviewed journal.

King, A. M., Davis, C. J., Darby, C., Proudfoot, D., & Burrow, A. L. (2024). The identity disclosure matrix: A conceptual framework for why and how we share our identities. Identity, 1–15.

 

Art Gillaspy

Award/Accolade – 8/21/2024

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Varghese for being a finalist for the university’s External Funding Impact Award! Way to go! 

 

Art Gillaspy

Award/Accolade – 8/21/2024

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Elson Bihm for being awarded Fellow Status by the Arkansas Psychological Association! 

 

Dr. Bihm has been a stalwart of the Psychology Community in Arkansas for over 30 years. He has trained countless mental health professionals (psychologists, psychological examiners, licensed professional counselors, etc.) and continues to make significant contributions to psychology through research, supervision, and teaching. 

 

Congratulations!

 

Femina Varghese

Research Presentation – 8/19/2024

Woker, H. *, Alexander, M. *, Varghese, F., Christie, C., & Bihm, E.  (2024). A Qualitative Study of Detained Male Youth: Attitudes Toward Work and Career. Poster Presented at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association: Seattle Washington

 

Allen, C. *, Penny, P. *, May, M. *, & Varghese, F. (2024). A Qualitative Study of Detained Male Youth: Attitudes Toward Work and Career. Poster Presented at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association: Seattle Washington

 

DiBenedetto, M. *, Alexander, M. *, and Varghese, F.P.  (2024). A Qualitative Study of Detained Male Youth: Attitudes Toward Work and Career. Poster Presented at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association: Seattle Washington

 

Art Gillaspy

Dissertation Defense Completed – 8/19/2024

Congratulations to Beth Rachlin for successfully defending her dissertation titled “THE RELATIONSHIP OF STATE HOPE, TRAIT HOPE, CONNECTEDNESS, AND POSITIVE RELIGIOUS COPING WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WITH AND WITHOUT TRAUMA SYMPTOMS”  on August 15, 2024! Well done!

 

Art Gillaspy

Research Presentation – 8/14/2024

UCA Psychology students and faculty presented research at the 2024 American Psychological Association convention in Seattle, Washington.

 

Gillaspy, J. A. (2024, August). Masters-level Psychology Practice in Arkansas: Attitudes and Implications. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Seattle, WA.

 

Simmons, J. & Gillaspy, J. A. (2024, August). Preliminary Measurement Development of the Fixing Reflex in Motivational Interviewing. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Seattle, WA.

 

Anna Park

Award/Accolade – 8/6/2024

Dr. Park is one of three finalists for the university’s Teaching Excellence Award. The winner will be announced at the Fall Convocation. 

 

Aaron King

Peer-Reviewed Publication – 7/12/2024

Recent publication from alumni in peer-reviewed Identity journal.

 

King, A. M., Davis, C. J., Darby, C., Proudfoot, D., & Burrow, A. L. (2024). The Identity Disclosure Matrix: A Conceptual Framework for Why and How We Share Our Identities. Identity, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/15283488.2024.2361896

 

Art Gillaspy

Dissertation Defense Completed – 7/10/2024

Congratulations to Victoria Philippon for successfully defending her dissertation titled “A Qualitative Study on the Factors of Job Maintenance on Desistance: Among Justice-Involved Males,” on July 9, 2024! Well done!