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!
Deanna Rumble
Publication – 12/5/2024
Rumble and colleagues have a new paper accepted for publication. Check out the write-up on our very own Dr. James Wages on the Association for Psychological Science web page.
Miller, M., Kissi, A., Rumble, D., Hirsch, A., Vervoort, T., Crosby, L., Madan-Swain, A., Lebensburger, J., Hood, A., Trost, Z. (2024). Pain-related Injustice Appraisals, Sickle Cell Stigma, and Racialized Discrimination in the Youth with Sickle Cell Disease: A Preliminary Investigation. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-024-02247-y
Vincent Medina
Presentation – 11/25/2024
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
- 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!
- 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!
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Instructor, Deven Dyer and Dr. Art Gillaspy
Congratulations to the 2022 Student Recognition Ceremony award winners! Olyvia Gonzalez, Pearl McGowan-Hanna, Dylan Garrison, department chair Dr. Art Gillaspy, Greta Hacker, Chelsey Bull, Merritt Tate.
Billy and Terry Smith Outstanding Graduate Student in Mental Health Counseling, Faith Reynolds and Dr. Kevin Rowell
Dr. Ron Bramlett and Billy and Terry Smith Outstanding Graduate Student in School Psychology, Lorianne Graves
Dr. Bill Lammers and Richard Allen Scott Outstanding Psychology Student Finalist Ryan Liew
Dr. Bill Lammers and Richard Allen Scott Outstanding Psychology Student Finalist Sage Wilson
Dr. Bill Lammers and Richard Allen Scott Outstanding Psychology Student Cassandra Alise Holloway
Richard Allen Scott Outstanding Psychology Students Ryan Liew, Cassandra Alise Holloway, and Sage Wilson