August 31, 2010
With its
focus on student success through mentoring and research, St. John’s
is among the leading universities whose faculty, students and
alumni were accepted to present or speak at the 2010 American
Psychological Association (APA) Convention in August.
Held in San Diego, CA, from August 12 to 15, the APA’s 118th annual convention
drew more than 13,000 practitioners, researchers, educators and
students from around the world. The APA is the world’s largest
association of psychology professionals.
Seven professors, 23 students and six alumni represented St. John’s
Department of Psychology. Two graduate students and a faculty
member won awards. “It’s a banner year,” said
Raymond DiGiuseppe, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of Psychology.
“Our department has a tradition of strong APA participation because
we actively encourage students to join professional organizations
and to pursue research partnerships with professors.”
“The work of our faculty and students is historically well-regarded
at APA and in the field generally,” added
Mark Terjesen, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology. “The
acceptance and recognition at the conference reflects the
consistently high quality of the faculty and students our
department attracts.”
St. John’s professors and students participated in nearly 50
sessions. As President of Division 52 (International Psychology),
John D. Hogan, Ph.D., delivered the keynote address at its
opening session. Alumna Carolyn Waldecker ‘09G, who received her
Psy.D. at St. John’s, addressed the Student Affiliates in School
Psychology (SASP). Kelly Barker, a doctoral candidate in the Psy.D.
program, served as SASP’s Convention Chair.
Beverly Greene, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, received the
Laura S. Brown Award from the Society for the Psychology of Women,
a division of the APA. Adrian Chiu ‘10G, a Ph.D. student in
Clinical Psychology, and Robin Sakakini ‘11G, a doctoral
candidate in
School Psychology, each won a Student Paper Travel Award.
“My mentor, Dr. Wilson McDermut, pushes students to be active in
research,” said Adrian, who earned his bachelor’s degree at Notre
Dame.
Guided by Dr. Terjesen, Psy.D. candidate Tara McCluskey ‘14G
presented her study on “Measuring Irrationality Among School-Aged
Children in Ireland.” Strong faculty advisement drew Dana Anderson
‘13G, a doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology. “I knew there
were notable professors,” said Dana, who earned her B.A. at the
University of Pennsylvania and two master’s degrees at Teachers
College, Columbia University. “But I was really impressed by the
way they support student research.”
Learn more about student, alumni and faculty achievements in the
Department of Psychology at St. John’s. Contact Raymond Raymond
DiGiuseppe, Ph.D., Professor and Chair: (718) 990-1955; digiuser@stjohns.edu.