Lab Alumni

Where are they now?

Select a map pin to read details about our Alumni.

Past PsyD Graduate Research Assistants

Shannon Hiscock

Shannon Hiscock, B..A.

(she/her)

Shannon is a doctoral student who joined the team in Fall 2020. She graduated from WCU in the summer of 2020 with a B.A. in psychology. Both her clinical and research interests include the intersection between the criminal justice system and clinical psychology. Her goal is to study and implement various evidence-based therapies within the setting of correctional facilities, with a particular emphasis on helping incarcerated individuals heal from trauma. Her long-term goal is to work full-time as a clinician in a correctional facility, providing therapies and walking alongside this under served, stigmatized, but still very deserving population.

Rosa Boniface

Rosa Boniface, M.A.

(she/her)

Rosa is a doctoral student who joined the lab in Fall 2018. Rosa graduated with her master’s degree in clinical psychology from WCU in 2014. Since then, she has been practicing in the field providing individual and family therapy to children and families. Her clinical practice has honed in on the specific areas of childhood trauma due to abuse and neglect; family attachment through theraplay techniques; and adoption services through state-level child protection services. Throughout her doctorate program, Rosa wishes to pursue research examining the impact of complex trauma on childhood development. Rosa’s long-term goal is to begin a non-profit agency, helping to increase public understanding and evidenced-based clinical treatment of children and families impacted by complex trauma.

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Emily Hershorin, B.A.

(she/her)

@EHershorin

Emily is a doctoral student who joined the lab in Fall 2019. Emily graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Binghamton University in 2018. Emily was a member of the Level II Student Conduct Board, as well as the Title IX Conduct Board while at Binghamton. Since graduating, Emily has worked with eating disorder patients, helping them start their recovery process. Her research interests are focused on treating anxiety, depression, and trauma through mindfulness activities and atypical exercise such as horseback riding. Emily’s long-term goals include helping to fight against the stigma of mental health and having a private clinical practice to help people of all ages overcomes anxiety, depression, trauma, and all of the symptoms and challenges that come with these.

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Caroline Guzi, M.A.

(she/her)

@Caroline Guzi

Caroline is a doctoral student who joined the lab in Spring 2019. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Temple University in 2015. Caroline’s professional background has largely been in early childhood education, where she developed the belief that all children deserve to be heard and feel safe while learning and exploring the world around them. Her past research has included the impact of Head Start programs and arts and mindfulness interventions on preschool- and elementary school-aged children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Her personal research interests include exploring the social constructs of modern parenting. Caroline is currently a student clinician at WCU’s Community Mental Health Services Clinic, where she works collaboratively with families, children, college students, and adults. She has run therapy groups for local high schoolers and local parents. In the future, she hopes to work with children, adolescents and families.

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Fabianne Blake, M.A.

(she/her)

Fabianne is a doctoral student who joined the lab in Spring 2020. She has previous graduate studies in developmental and clinical psycholog.y Before her doctoral studies, she provided psychological services in Trinidad at a Child Guidance Clinic. The clinic was one of two in the country, so Fabianne gained experience working with a wide variety of cases including children and families who had expierneced trauma and faced socioeconimc difficulties that heightened their risk for problematic family functioning and psychopathology. This honed an interest in working with marginalized children and families. In her doctoral career, Fabianne has been engaged in research and clinical work on developmental psychology, attachment-based interventions, home-visitng, dissemination and implementation of evidence-based intervents and trauma-focused psychotherapy. She also works as a clinical supervisor and trainer of the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catchup intervention. Fabianne's goals include working towards improving access to evidence-based treatmetns for marginalized populations.

Brian Wiley, M.S. Ed.

Brian is a doctoral student who joined the team in Fall 2019. Brian graduated with his master’s degree in school and mental health counseling from the University of Pennsylvania in 2017. Since then, Brian has been practicing family based therapy, utilizing Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy, in southeastern Pennsylvania and southern Florida. His primary clientele were children and adolescents who have been self-referred, or court mandated to therapy for Emotional/Behavioral disorders or truancy. While pursuing his doctorate, Brian wishes to research the effects of trauma on an individual’s emotional and mental development; and understanding how a caregiver’s trauma can impact a child or adolescent. Brian’s long term goal is to start a group home for children who have experienced trauma, and provide therapeutic services that help them to process and heal from the pain they have experienced.

Past Master's Graduate Research Assistants

Evan Jacoby Headshot Photo

Evan Jacoby, B.A.

Evan is a master's student who joined the team in Summer 2020. He graduated from Kutztown University with his B.A. in General Psychology in Spring 2017. Since graduating, Evan has worked with juvenile males with problematic sexual behavior in a residential setting. He works in collaboration with clinical professionals and co-workers to rehabilitate clients into becoming a successful part of the community. Following his masters degree, Evan would like to transition into a clinical doctoral program to continue researching and assisting troubled youth.

Cassidy Tennity Headshot Photo

Cassidy Tennity, M.A.

Cassidy graduated WCU's general Psychology master's program in Spring 2020. She graduated from the University of Delaware in 2018 with her B.A. in Psychology where she assisted in conducting research on peer relations in middle-childhood and interpersonal stress generation in adolescents. Cassidy's research interests lie in implementing and evaluating evidence-based clinical programs for at-risk and detained youth in juvenile detention and community settings. She is particularly interested in post-traumatic stress, substance use, and externalizing behaviors. After receiving her master's degree from WCU, Cassidy will be attending the University of Southern Mississippi pursuing her PhD under the advisement of Dr. Nora Charles.

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Taylor Aves, B.A.

Taylor was a research assistant in our lab from August 2018-August 2019. Taylor graduated in May 2018 from West Chester University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Psychology. Her research interests center around child and adolescent mental health, particularly with regards to depression, anxiety, suicidology, trauma, and autism spectrum disorder. After gaining some more research and clinical experience, she hopes to be accepted into a Clinical Psychology PhD program focusing on child and adolescent mental health through one of her research interests. Her end goal is to combat the mental health issues that many children and adolescents experience in an effort to lower suicide risk and save lives.

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Angela Dorsey, B.S.

Angela graduated in Winter 2019 with a B.S. in Psychology. Angela hopes to attend graduate school and become a school psychologist. She is interested in somatic therapies for children and hopes to participate in research exploring them.

Sarah Hammaker, B.S.

Sarah earned her BS in Psychology and BA in Sociology from Penn State University. She currently volunteers in the RAISE lab and works in the community as a Crime Victims Counselor/Advocate. Sarah plans to earn her Master’s of Social Work degree, specializing in working with at-risk youth and families. Her goals are to develop and implement more effective and sustainable mental health treatment models, especially for underserved populations. She aims to continually advocate for social equity and a stigma-free, high quality, affordable system of mental healthcare.

Grace Norris, B.A.

(she/her)

Grace is a Master’s student and joined the lab in Fall 2025. She graduated with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies from The College of New Jersey. Grace has previous experience studying Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI), specifically Animal Assisted Counseling, at a special education school, and evaluating why therapy animal handlers volunteer. She is interested in increasing mental health resources and implementing evidence-based practices for children and adolescents in need. Her long-term goals include getting a doctoral degree to continue her research interests and becoming a therapy animal handler.

Seth Krier Headsgot Photo

Seth Krier, B.S.

Seth Krier served as an undergraduate and graduate research assistant from 2019 to present, pursuing his B.S. and M.S. in Psychology at West Chester University. Although Seth has assisted on multiple lab projects, he primarily worked on project 2Gen during his undergraduate studies. Additionally, Seth has worked as an RBT administering ABA therapy to teen and youth populations in varied settings. His major interests include anxiety and depressive disorders as well as the phenomenology of meaning. Seth hopes to pursue his interests in addition to a doctorate in clinical psychology.

Rochelle Blignaut

Rochell is an international graduate student pursuing a Master's in General Psychology from South Africa. She possesses a keen interest in outdoor activities and meaningful social interactions. Exploring diverse cultures and traditions captivates her, and she is particularly passionate about working with children. Rochell's primary focus lies in the realm of trauma and PTSD, as she endeavours to raise awareness about the significance of mental health.

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Megan Newman, B.S., B.A.

Megan is pursuing a Master's in General Psychology and joined the team Spring 2025. She graduated from Allegheny College in 2020 with a B.S. in neuroscience and B.A. in Spanish. Her research interests include treatment-resistant depression and pervasive loneliness. After over a decade of studying Spanish media, she's grown passionate about how culture shapes our minds and lives. She aims to investigate how cultural consideration could improve mental health treatments for Hispanic populations.