Departmental Scholarships and Awards
- The Student Research and Travel Support Awards (SRTSA) is for students conducting research, or presenting at, or attending, conferences or professional training/workshops, etc., may qualify for departmental funds to offset some of their expenses. Funds are awarded competitively based on each applicant's year in program, nature, and appropriateness of the request, type of presentation, authorship sequence, previous receipt of funds, and several other factors. Our department is committed to promoting diversity and actively supporting an anti-racist agenda. Requests from marginalized groups or projects that align with these goals will receive priority although all requests will be considered. Please visit the website for more information. The SRTSA Application can be found here.
- The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Award promotes the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice while encouraging student activism and career aspirations in these areas. Self-nominations are encouraged, as are nominations of students from faculty or peers. Any student (undergraduate or graduate) currently enrolled in a degree program within the Department of Psychological Science and Counseling is eligible to apply. Please visit the website for more information.The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Award can be found here.
DEI Awards & Grants
Student DEI Award
Brian Peters (PsyD student):
Brian H. Peters, M.S. was the recipient of the graduate student Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Award for his advocacy, services, and research that promotes neurodiversity affirming practices and autistic rights to reduce harm that comes to autistic people through stigma, stereotyping, marginalization, and ableist practices. Brian provides multiple types of evidence-based services to autistic people and their families for years. He has also been instrumental in expanding services to more broadly meet the needs of autistic people in neurodiversity affirming ways that work to reduce stigma, stereotyping, and over-pathologizing of autistic people while supporting autistic health and wellness. Brian describes his wor by saying “My commitment to [champion diversity, promote equity, and advocate for inclusion on different levels, across multiple systems] has led me to celebrate and promote autistic people, culture, and voices. It has been a privilege to engage in this work and increase acceptance, inclusion, and social justice for neurominorities in their homes, schools, and communities.”
Roxanne Hallisey (COUN student)
Roxanne Hallisey is a dedicated ally and advocate for underserved and marginalized populations that include BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, womxn, neurodivergent, and military communities. Her work at Hampton House Counseling, the Nashville Psychedelic Center, and transgender and nonbinary support group Love and Lifted exemplify her commitment to lifting up and providing equitable access to counseling services through culturally competent and trauma-informed care. Additionally, this year she was a presenter at the Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) convention in New Orleans for Military and Veteran Perceptions of Psychedelics, and her work in this realm includes ketamine-assisted therapy for which she received training, and serving as co-author of and program coordinator for the Psychedelic Support Diversity Scholarship. Roxanne’s clinical lens includes feminist and liberation theory, as well as person-centered therapy. In her own words, her constant aim is to “hear, lift up, and hold in empathy and compassion the voices, stories, pains, and triumphs of those who are stifled from speaking by systems rooted in Colonialism and White Supremacy; to honor the common thread of humanity and celebrate the unique cultural identities between myself and others. It is my aim to decolonize my practice and foster culture humility in myself and the field of counseling as I continue to serve others.”
SRTSA Funding
Spring 2023 SRTSA Recipients who all attended the Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) Conference in New Orleans, LA in March:
Kari Barnes (PsyD in Counseling Psychology)
Roxanne Hallisey (M.S. in Counseling)
Jordana McLaughlin (PsyD in Counseling Psychology)
Brian Peters (PsyD in Counseling Psychology)
Emerson Ryder (M.S. in Counseling)
Tyler Tims (PsyD in Counseling Psychology)
Fall 2023 SRTSA Recipients who attended the 19th Annual River cities I-O (RICO) Psychology Conference in October:
Jessica Mann (MSIO)
Joseph Rosario (MSIO)