Student and Faculty Presentations at 2023 WPA Convention

April 28, 2023
WPA 2023
 
Nearly 40 Palo Alto University (PAU) faculty members, students, and alumni participated in this year's Western Psychology Association (WPA) Convention. Participants convened in Riverside, California from April 27-30, 2023.
 
"It is wonderful to see so many PAU students and faculty presenting their research at WPA," said professor Lisa Brown, PhD. "This year's theme, 'Cultural, Diversity, and Health' offered numerous opportunities for people at all stages of their careers to interact and discuss these worthy issues."
 
Additionally, Liz McConnell, PhD, Assistant Professor and Director of the Sexual and Gender Identities Clinic was awarded the Enrico E. Jones Award for Research in Psychotherapy and Clinical Psychology! The Award recognizes the scholarship of a WPA member who is an early career researcher (10 years or less post-doc), whose research in clinical psychology has applications to the practice of psychotherapy. 
 
The following symposia, posters, and papers were presented by PAU community members. The full program can be found here. Additionally, members of Psi Chi, PAU's Psychology Honor Society, organized a speed mentoring event for student participants.
 
WPA 2023

Symposia

 
Liberation Psychology in Praxis: Pedagogy, Practice, and Participatory Research
 
Applications of Liberation Psychology in Education
Selena Saad
Alexa Wright
Akemi Kawano
Maya Wong
 
Applications of Liberation Psychology in Clinical Practice
Alexa Wright
Jose Ramirez
Akemi Kawano
Maya Wong
 
Applications of Liberation Psychology in Research
Akemi Kawano
Maya Wong
 
Training in Early Intervention for Traumatic Stress: Model for a Clinical Lab
 
The Early Intervention Clinic: History, Curriculum, and Areas for Growth
Tani Polansky
Josephine Sanchez
Kathryn Moody
Maddison Romo
 
Research Training with Survivors of Recent Trauma
Elisha Johnson
Lauriane Gutierrez
Taylor Dichsen
Tani Polansky
 
Training in Early Trauma Assessment and Intervention
Ayushi Jain
Monae Weathington
Ellie Dicker
Kaitlin Snyder
Josephine Sanchez
 
Personal, Professional, and Cultural Training for Work with Recent Trauma Survivors
Lauriane Gutierrez
Taylor Dichsen
Ayushi Jain
Monae Weathington
Monet Fairley
 
Clinical and Research Training with Recent Survivors of Traumatic Loss
Ellie Dicker
Kaitlin Snyder
Monet Fairley
Kathryn Moody
Maddison Romo
 
WPA 2023

Posters

 
The Relationship of Marital and Parentage Status and COVID Safety Behaviors
Wen Guo
Yuanzhi Qin
 
An Exploration of Risks, Comorbidities, and Functional Consequences of Daily Internet Gaming
Kayla Hernandez
 
The Role of Coping Self-Efficacy and Symptom Expression in Response to Traumatic Events
Julia Weinman
Daya Grewal
Naomi Gupta
 
Interpersonal Valence of Borderline Rage 
Meghri Sarkissian
 
Depression and Isolation Among Religious/Spiritual First Responders in a Residential Treatment Program
Colin Simsarian
Sam Loomis
Roshni Joseph
 

Papers

To Affinity and Beyond: Integrating Affinity Groups into Pedagogical Practice
Sana Arastu
Sylvia Ofodu