Students and Faculty Attend National Conference for School Psychologists
Eleven graduate students and three faculty from the Utah State Psychology Department’s School Psychology Program attended and presented research at the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Annual Convention in Baltimore, Maryland in February. NASP is the world’s largest organization of school psychologists, and their mission is to advance effective practices to improve students’ learning, behavior, and mental health. The NASP Convention brings together graduate students, professionals, and school psychologists from around the word.
USU School Psychology professors Greg Callan, Maryellen McClain Verdoes, and Tyler Renshaw attended this year’s conference with eleven students from their PhD and EdS programs to present research on topics including mindfulness- and app-based interventions and measuring reading motivation.
Doctoral student David Longhurst said, “This experience was valuable for me because I was able to present research and make connections as well as learn from other presenters. They helped me expand my clinical and research interests and to get me excited about my future career in psychology.”
“I met incredible scholars, gained insights for my own research, grew closer to my cohort, and toured the beautiful sights of Maryland,” said Caleb Farley, a doctoral student.
The Psychology Department offers financial support to graduate students for research as well as travel funding to attend events and conferences. Attending conferences and participating in national associations offers faculty and graduate students the opportunity to network and build connections with individuals outside of their geographic location and university.
“NASP was a solid, well-rounded professional development experience for our lab,” said Dr. Tyler Renshaw, Director of the School Psychology Program. “We presented a handful of posters and papers, attended many research practice sessions, and networked with students and faculty from across the country.”
Student Research Presented at NASP 2020:
- A Systematic Review of American Indians in School Psychology Research by Kandice Benallie, Megan Golson, Tyus Roanhorse, and Maryellen McClain Verdoes.
- American Indians’ Perceptions of Disabilities: A Review by Tyus Roanhorse, Kandice Benallie, Cassity Haverkamp, and Megan Golson.
- An App-Based Early Academic Skills Intervention for Children with ASD by Cassity Haverkamp, Megan Golson, and Maryellen McClain Verdoes.
- Analyzing Life Satisfaction in Children With and Without Disabilities by Kaelah Bakner, Kandice Benallie, Chandler Benney, and Maryellen McClain Verdoes.
- App-Based Mindfulness Interventions for Students With and Without Disabilities by Chandler Benney, Megan Golson, and Maryellen McClain Verdoes.
- Developing Self-Regulated Learning in Classrooms by David Longhurst, Greg Callan, Molly Johnson, and Anthony Ariotti.
- Knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among School-Based Professionals by Megan Golson, Kandice Benallie, Chandler Benney, and Maryellen McClain Verdoes.
- Measuring Reading Motivation With Microanalysis by David Longhurst, Chandler Benney, Gregory Callan, and Maryellen McClain Verdoes.
- Meta-Analysis of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy With Youth by Sean Weeks, Tyler Renshaw, Siri Sedgwick, and Caleb Farley.
- Meta-Analysis of Behavioral Activation With Youth by Stephanie Vinal, Tyler Renshaw, Sean Weeks, and Thomas K. Franzmann.
- Meta-Analysis of Dialectical Behavior Therapy With Youth by Siri Sedgwick, Tyler Renshaw, John Barr, and Thomas K. Franzmann.
- Meta-Analysis of Mindfulness-Based Interventions With Parents by John Barr, Tyler Renshaw, Sean Weeks, and Caleb Farley.
- School-Based ASD Assessment of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students by Maryellen McClain Verdoes, Cassity Haverkamp, Kandice Benallie, and Chandler Benney.
- Screening for the Good Stuff: Models and Measures of Well-Being by Tyler Renshaw and Tony Roberson.
- Single-Case Design in School Psychology Journals: 2010-2018 by Cassity Haverkamp, Chandler Benney, Maryellen McClain Verdoes, and Tiffany Otero.
