Carolyn is a senior Psychology major. She has been working for the past year in the Sexual Health Research Clinic at the University of Vermont where she helps running psychophysiological assessments of women with and without a history of child sexual abuse. Recently, Carolyn received the Undergraduate Research Endeavors Competitive Award to investigate the mediation of norepinephrine and dopamine on the relationship between stages of love and physiological sexual arousal in women. The results of this study can increase our understanding of the biological aspects of sexual problems that emerge in long-term relationships. Carolyn is a non-traditional student that, after supporting her two sons to get accepted to college, decided to pursue a higher education. She accidentally discovered her interest for research which nicely complements her desire to learn about empirically validated treatments like behavioral and cognitive-behavioral therapies.
Ali Kosak
Ali, a senior Psychology major, has worked in Dr. Kelly Rohan's lab since fall 2006, assisting with a randomized clinical trial comparing the short- and long-term efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy and light therapy in community adults with seasonal affective disorder. In this work, Ali has learned a great deal about the assessment and treatment of adult depression and the complexities of executing a clinical trial. Through this experience, Ali has also come to appreciate the importance of taking a long-term perspective for depression treatment outcomes with regard to preventing depression recurrence. Ali is currently completing her Honors Thesis project, with Dr. Rohan as her advisor, examining whether UVM students who report mood sensitivity to pollen (i.e., the perception that one's mood deteriorates under conditions of high pollen count) demonstrate a seasonal pattern in their moods, energy, sleeping and eating habits, weight, and social
activities that corresponds to months of elevated vs. minimal pollen. The results of her study could inform novel treatment and prevention efforts that would benefit people with depression as well as those at increased risk for depression.
Sarah Roberts
Sarah is a sophomore psychology major. She spent her second year at UVM working with Dr. Mike Zvolensky in the Anxiety Health Research Laboratory. That research examined the relationship between nicotine use and anxiety. Starting in the summer of 2008, Sarah will begin a new area of inquiry. She will assist Dr. Alessandra Rellini in research focusing on women's sexual functioning. Sarah plans for this to serve as the foundation to her own Undergraduate Honor's Thesis. Her work with Dr. Rellini is supported by the prestigious McNair Scholars Program. After UVM, Sarah intends to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology with an emphasis on women's emotional and sexual health.
Sarah Shackett
Sarah has been working in Dr. Heather Bouchey's lab (Relationships and Achievement Center, RAC) since the fall of 2007. Sarah is a research assistant (RA) on a longitudinal project examining how middle school students' perceptions of others' judgments influence their self-perceptions and math/science achievement outcomes. Sarah's contributions this year include second authorship on a poster presented at the Gender Development Research Conference. Sarah was recently accepted into the Counseling Program at UVM and she will begin her graduate work in the fall of 2008.
Carolyn is a senior Psychology major. She has been working for the past year in the Sexual Health Research Clinic at the University of Vermont where she helps running psychophysiological assessments of women with and without a history of child sexual abuse. Recently, Carolyn received the Undergraduate Research Endeavors Competitive Award to investigate the mediation of norepinephrine and dopamine on the relationship between stages of love and physiological sexual arousal in women. The results of this study can increase our understanding of the biological aspects of sexual problems that emerge in long-term relationships. Carolyn is a non-traditional student that, after supporting her two sons to get accepted to college, decided to pursue a higher education. She accidentally discovered her interest for research which nicely complements her desire to learn about empirically validated treatments like behavioral and cognitive-behavioral therapies.
Ali, a senior Psychology major, has worked in Dr. Kelly Rohan's lab since fall 2006, assisting with a randomized clinical trial comparing the short- and long-term efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy and light therapy in community adults with seasonal affective disorder. In this work, Ali has learned a great deal about the assessment and treatment of adult depression and the complexities of executing a clinical trial. Through this experience, Ali has also come to appreciate the importance of taking a long-term perspective for depression treatment outcomes with regard to preventing depression recurrence. Ali is currently completing her Honors Thesis project, with Dr. Rohan as her advisor, examining whether UVM students who report mood sensitivity to pollen (i.e., the perception that one's mood deteriorates under conditions of high pollen count) demonstrate a seasonal pattern in their moods, energy, sleeping and eating habits, weight, and social
activities that corresponds to months of elevated vs. minimal pollen. The results of her study could inform novel treatment and prevention efforts that would benefit people with depression as well as those at increased risk for depression.
Sarah is a sophomore psychology major. She spent her second year at UVM working with Dr. Mike Zvolensky in the Anxiety Health Research Laboratory. That research examined the relationship between nicotine use and anxiety. Starting in the summer of 2008, Sarah will begin a new area of inquiry. She will assist Dr. Alessandra Rellini in research focusing on women's sexual functioning. Sarah plans for this to serve as the foundation to her own Undergraduate Honor's Thesis. Her work with Dr. Rellini is supported by the prestigious McNair Scholars Program. After UVM, Sarah intends to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology with an emphasis on women's emotional and sexual health.
Sarah has been working in Dr. Heather Bouchey's lab (Relationships and Achievement Center, RAC) since the fall of 2007. Sarah is a research assistant (RA) on a longitudinal project examining how middle school students' perceptions of others' judgments influence their self-perceptions and math/science achievement outcomes. Sarah's contributions this year include second authorship on a poster presented at the Gender Development Research Conference. Sarah was recently accepted into the Counseling Program at UVM and she will begin her graduate work in the fall of 2008.