Diana Robinson
Email: drobinson@niu.edu
Curriculum Vita
Diana is a seventh-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Northern Illinois University. She earned her B.A. in Psychology in 2014 from California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). Her undergraduate research focused on intimate partner violence and sexual assault prevention education.
After receiving her B.A., Diana continued her education and earned her M.A. in General Experimental Psychology in 2017 from California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). Her Master’s thesis focused on female-perpetrated intimate partner violence among college women.
Diana’s overarching research interests include racial trauma, interpersonal violence, and resiliency. Specifically, her interests include understanding the psychological impacts of racial trauma, developing interventions to address the negative outcomes of racial trauma, and identifying and understanding cognitive and behavioral factors that contribute to intimate partner violence (e.g., emotion regulation, substance use).
Email: drobinson@niu.edu
Curriculum Vita
Diana is a seventh-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Northern Illinois University. She earned her B.A. in Psychology in 2014 from California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). Her undergraduate research focused on intimate partner violence and sexual assault prevention education.
After receiving her B.A., Diana continued her education and earned her M.A. in General Experimental Psychology in 2017 from California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). Her Master’s thesis focused on female-perpetrated intimate partner violence among college women.
Diana’s overarching research interests include racial trauma, interpersonal violence, and resiliency. Specifically, her interests include understanding the psychological impacts of racial trauma, developing interventions to address the negative outcomes of racial trauma, and identifying and understanding cognitive and behavioral factors that contribute to intimate partner violence (e.g., emotion regulation, substance use).
Kyla Leonard
Email: kleonard1@niu.edu
Curriculum Vita
Kyla is a sixth-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Northern Illinois University. Kyla earned her M.A. at Northern Illinois University in 2022. Her research and clinical interests are broadly focused on interpersonal trauma, shame, PTSD, self-compassion, and the LGBTQIA+ community.
Her master’s thesis was focused on sexual satisfaction and dysfunction in female survivors of sexual violence and the moderating effect of sexual motivations. Her dissertation is examining the impact of a self-compassion intervention for shame in trauma-exposed gender and sexual minorities.
Email: kleonard1@niu.edu
Curriculum Vita
Kyla is a sixth-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Northern Illinois University. Kyla earned her M.A. at Northern Illinois University in 2022. Her research and clinical interests are broadly focused on interpersonal trauma, shame, PTSD, self-compassion, and the LGBTQIA+ community.
Her master’s thesis was focused on sexual satisfaction and dysfunction in female survivors of sexual violence and the moderating effect of sexual motivations. Her dissertation is examining the impact of a self-compassion intervention for shame in trauma-exposed gender and sexual minorities.
Allie Jessen
Email: Z1901015@students.niu.edu
Curriculum Vita
Allie is a fourth-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Northern Illinois University. She earned her M.A in Psychological Sciences at Northern Arizona University in 2018. Her research experience has focused on the perception and use of novel substances among undergraduate students. Her Master's thesis examined short term interventions to reduce workplace stress in employees at the university.
Following graduation, Allie worked as a case manager in an integrated health clinic for individuals diagnosed with a serious mental illness and as a crisis responder for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Allie's specific research interests are in the responses to trauma exposure in public safety personnel and the effects of peer support programs in addressing their stress-related symptomatology.
Email: Z1901015@students.niu.edu
Curriculum Vita
Allie is a fourth-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Northern Illinois University. She earned her M.A in Psychological Sciences at Northern Arizona University in 2018. Her research experience has focused on the perception and use of novel substances among undergraduate students. Her Master's thesis examined short term interventions to reduce workplace stress in employees at the university.
Following graduation, Allie worked as a case manager in an integrated health clinic for individuals diagnosed with a serious mental illness and as a crisis responder for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Allie's specific research interests are in the responses to trauma exposure in public safety personnel and the effects of peer support programs in addressing their stress-related symptomatology.
Jennifer Valentine
Email: [email protected]
Curriculum Vita
Jen is a third-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Northern Illinois University. She earned her M.A. in Psychology at Stony Brook University in 2019. Her research experience has focused on posttraumatic stress and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in first responders to the World Trade Center attacks on September 11th, 2001.
Her current research interests center on racial trauma, primarily identifying risk and protective factors, the impact of intersectionality, and implications for psychological interventions. Additionally, Jen is interested in examining the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological well-being.
Email: [email protected]
Curriculum Vita
Jen is a third-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Northern Illinois University. She earned her M.A. in Psychology at Stony Brook University in 2019. Her research experience has focused on posttraumatic stress and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in first responders to the World Trade Center attacks on September 11th, 2001.
Her current research interests center on racial trauma, primarily identifying risk and protective factors, the impact of intersectionality, and implications for psychological interventions. Additionally, Jen is interested in examining the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological well-being.
Peter Tappenden
Email: [email protected]
Curriculum Vita
Peter Tappenden is a third-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Northern Illinois University. He earned his B.A. in Psychology from Colgate University in 2018. His undergraduate honors thesis investigated the relationship between narrative processing of highly stressful military service events and current psychological functioning for US military veterans. Following graduation, Peter worked as a research coordinator on a clinical trial of a novel psychotherapy for moral injury at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center.
His current research interests focus on experiences of moral injury in first responders. He is also interested in psychosocial factors that influence risk and resilience to PTSD in first responders and military veterans.
Email: [email protected]
Curriculum Vita
Peter Tappenden is a third-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Northern Illinois University. He earned his B.A. in Psychology from Colgate University in 2018. His undergraduate honors thesis investigated the relationship between narrative processing of highly stressful military service events and current psychological functioning for US military veterans. Following graduation, Peter worked as a research coordinator on a clinical trial of a novel psychotherapy for moral injury at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center.
His current research interests focus on experiences of moral injury in first responders. He is also interested in psychosocial factors that influence risk and resilience to PTSD in first responders and military veterans.
Email: [email protected]
Curriculum Vita
Ashley Horodyski is a first-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Northern Illinois University. She earned her M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Towson University in 2021. Her Master's thesis examined the relationship between social support, self-blame, and depressive and PTSD symptom severity among exonerees. Following graduation, she worked as a project coordinator at a non-profit organization for several studies assessing interventions for justice-involved individuals with opioid use disorder.
Her current research interests are broadly focused on risk and protective factors such as trauma disclosure responses, social support, betrayal, shame, and coping strategies, particularly among survivors of interpersonal violence.
Curriculum Vita
Ashley Horodyski is a first-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Northern Illinois University. She earned her M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Towson University in 2021. Her Master's thesis examined the relationship between social support, self-blame, and depressive and PTSD symptom severity among exonerees. Following graduation, she worked as a project coordinator at a non-profit organization for several studies assessing interventions for justice-involved individuals with opioid use disorder.
Her current research interests are broadly focused on risk and protective factors such as trauma disclosure responses, social support, betrayal, shame, and coping strategies, particularly among survivors of interpersonal violence.