From February 14-17, school psychology students and faculty attended the National Association of School Psychology annual conference in New Orleans, La. The theme this year was “A Season For Champions.” The keynote address was given by Gaelin Elmore, a retired professional NFL athlete, who discussed his personal experiences with trauma and abuse and the school professionals who instilled a sense of belonging in him.
Many Georgia State school psychology students presented at the conference this year:
- Gina Norman and Dr. Tamika La Salle on School Climate and the Role of Relationships: A Qualitative Study
- Stephanie Slaven-Ruffing, Kimberly Simpson, and Dr. Kris Varjas on Getting a Foot in the Door: Initiating Juvenile Justice Research
- Kris Varjas, Dr. Tamika La Salle-Finley, and Carrie Lorig on International School Psychology: Contemporary Issues
- Allison Wayne, Dr. Andrew Roach, and Dr. Stephen Truscott on Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: Leadership for School Psychology Students
- Devon Slaughter, Dr. Chavez Phelps, and Dr. Joel Meyers on Group Mentoring At-Risk Youth
- James Pooley, Dr. Joel Meyers, and Dr. Catherine Perkins on School-Based Interventions for Youth Affected by Caregiver Substance Use
- Chavez Phelps on Culturally Responsive Trauma-Informed Care for Black Students
- Jhanelle Adams, Dr. Andrew Roach, Dr. Chavez Phelps, and Emily Graybill on A District-Level Mindfulness Initiative to Improve Teacher Efficacy and Well-Being
- Carrie Lorig, Dr. Kris Varjas, and John Horgan on School-Aged Youth and Violent Extremism
- Carrie Lorig on Enacting Socially Just Mixed Methods Research and Practice
- Kimberly Simpson and Dr. Kris Varjas on Motivating Incarcerated Youth for Reading and Writing
- Carrie Lorig on Cultivating Inclusive Training for Sexual & Gender Minority Graduate Students
- Tamika La Salle-Finley on Why Do The Stay?: School Climate for Marginalized Students
- Karl Prevost, Dr. Andrew Roach, Dr. Chavez Phelps, and Emily Graybill on Enhancing K-12 Student Social-Emotional Well-Being Through a District-Developed Mindfulness Program
- Carrie Lorig and Dr. Kris Varjas on What About Us: When School Psychologists Experience Mental Health Crises
- Mychal Anderson, Jessica Knowles, and Dr. Chavez Phelps on LGBTQIA Youth Ethical and Legal Considerations for School Psychologists
- Ravea Rodriguez, Carrie E. Lorig, Aleksandra Krupina, Emily G. Brown, Dr. Chavez Phelps, and Dr. Kris Varjas on Caring for Queer Youth: How Trauma-Informed Care Supports LGBTQ+ Students
As you can see, Georgia State school psychology students represented this year at NASP! Way to go students and faculty. Among the presentations, Dr. Chavez Phelps and Dr. Tamika La Salle-Finley were featured presenters this year.
In addition, two of our students received awards of scholarship from NASP and were celebrated this year at the conference.
Ellen Zhang Jhanelle Adams
Ellen Zhang, a second-year Ed.S. student received the 2024 NASP-ERT Minority Scholarship, which was founded to ease financial barriers facing some minority graduate students embarking on a Specialist Degree in school psychology. Zhang states that she “hopes to bring a critical lens to her practice that incorporates community building by establishing the capacity for change and self-sufficiency in marginalized communities.” Her passion is in decolonization and working with global communities impacted by colonization and imperialism that manifest in our education system.
Jhanelle Adams, a Ph.D. student, was awarded the 2024 Paul H. Henkin Memorial Scholarship, which recognizes excellence in applied research or program design. Adams is passionate about advocating for racially and ethnically minoritized students as well as programs and policies that promote student mental health, school climate and equitable access to high-quality educational experiences. Her current research focuses on the school climate perceptions of Black girls.
Way to go, school psychology!