Team

Starlie Belnap (2019)
Major Professor: Robert Lickliter
Dissertation: The influence of maternally regulated prenatal sensory experience on postnatal motor coordination in neonatal bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus)
Position: Clinical Research Administrator, Baptist Health South Florida

Sandy Gonzalez (2019)
Major Professor: Eliza Nelson
Dissertation: Motor-language cascades: How fine motor relates to language outcomes across early development
Position: Senior Research Associate, Nicklaus Children's Health System

Carla Abad (2018)
Major Professor: Shannon Pruden
Dissertation: The Development of Early Spatial Thinking 
Position: Psychology Instructor, Florida International University

Alejandro Diaz (2018)
Major Professor: Anibal Gutierrez
Dissertation: An Efficiency Evaluation of Procedures to Evoke Vocalizations in Children With Autism 
Position: Senior Behavior Analyst, Positive Behavior Supports Corp

Rosalie Odean (2018)
Major Professor: Shannon Pruden
Dissertation: The Development of Spatial Vocabulary 
Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, The Ohio State University

Jessica Saunders (2018)
Major Professor: Asia Eaton
Dissertation: Social Comparison in Eating Disorder Recovery: A Mixed-Methodological Approach 
Position: Assistant Professor, Georgia College

Adam Zimmerman (2017)
Major Professor: Dionne Stephens
Dissertation: Impact of Anonymity and Social Modeling: Online Aggression in Emerging Adults and Their Religious and Political Ideologies
Position: Interim Associate Director for Analysis and Information Management, Florida International University

Iris Broce (2016)
Major Professor: Anthony Dick
Dissertation: Brain Networks Supporting Literacy Development 
Position: Research Scientist, University of California, San Diego

Elaine Espanola (2015)
Major Professor: Anibal Gutierrez
Dissertation: A Randomized Comparison of Two Instructional Sequences for Imitation Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Alina Nazareth (2015)
Major Professor: Shannon Pruden
Dissertation: Factors Affecting Adult Mental Rotation Performance 
Position: Researcher, Facebook

Logan McDowell (2015)
Major Professor: Anibal Gutierrez
Dissertation: Video Modeling for Teaching Imitation to Young Children With Autism: A Treatment Comparison and Analysis of Potential Predictors of Success

Laura Oramas (2015)
Major Professor: Dionne Stephens
Dissertation: The Influence of Parental Aggression and Cultural Gender Role Beliefs on Hispanic College Women's Experiences with Psychological Aggression 
Position: Assistant Professor, Gwinnette Community College 

Desiree Sepulveda (2015)
Major Professor: Anibal Gutierrez
Dissertation: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Discrete Trial Procedures for Teaching Receptive Discrimination to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Michael Suarez (2015)
Major Professor: Robert Lickliter
Dissertation: Effects of Prenatal and Early Postnatal Exposure to Aversive Stimuli on Fearfulness and Exploratory Behavior in Bobwhite Quail Neonates (Colinus virginianus)

Hod Tamir (2015)
Major Professor: Dionne Stephens
Dissertation: Romantic Relationships and Adjustment in Early Adulthood: The Role of Cross-sex Experience in the Context of Social Norms and Support 
Position: Psychologist, WĪSR

Jessica Weber (2015)
Major Professor: Anibal Gutierrez
Dissertation: Evaluating the Role of Social Approach Behaviors in Children with Autism
Position: Clinical Director, Up, Up & Away ABA Therapy LLC

Ileana Hernandez (2014)
Major Professor: Jeremy Pettit
Co-Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: Cognitive behavior therapy for anxiety disorders in youth: Treatment specificity and mediation effects

Joshua Herrington (2014)
Major Professor: Robert Lickliter
Dissertation: Elevated Progesterone In Yolk As a Moderator of Prenatal and Postnatal Auditory Learning in Bobwhite Quail 
Position: Psychology Instructor, Mount Hood College

Vanessa Madrazo (2014)
Major Professor: Mary Levitt
Dissertation: Identity, Purpose, and Well-Being Among Emerging Adult Hispanic Women 
Position: Adjunct Professor, ASA College

Andre Maharaj (2014)
Major Professor: Anibal Gutierrez
Dissertation: Exploring The Development of Social Responses in Children with Callous and Unemotional Traits: An Examination of The Impact of Hypothesized Reinforcing and Aversive Stimuli
Position: Lecturer and Graduate Program Director of Applied Behavior Analysis for Special Populations Certificate, University of Massachusetts Boston

Alan Meca (2014)
Major Professor: Dionne Stephens
Dissertation: Ethnic and American Identity Development: A Developmental Systems Approach 
Position: Associate Professor, University of Texas-San Antonio

Briana O'Dowd (2014)
Major Professor: Robert Lickliter
Dissertation: The Effect of Prenatal Auditory Enrichment on Perceptual Narrowing in Bobwhite Quail Neonates 
Position: Professor, Doral College

Shannon Quintana (2014)
Major Professor: Dionne Stephens
Dissertation: Parental and Cultural Influences on Hispanic College Women's Verbal Intimate Partner Violence Victimization: An Examination of Within-Group Differences
Position: Associate Professor, Miami Dade College

Namitha Raju (2014)
Major Professor: Robert Lickliter
Dissertation: Effects of Altered Prenatal Sensory Stimulation on Postnatal Contingency Learning in Bobwhite Quail Neonates (Colinus Virginianus)

Tara Sheehan (2014)
Major Professor: Mary Levitt
Dissertation: The Effects of Paternal and Maternal Nurturance and Involvement on Young Adult Academic Outcomes 
Position: Clinical Supervisor, Nova Southeastern University

Jessica Dahan (2013)
Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: Individual child cognitive behavioral treatment versus child-parent cognitive behavioral treatments for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents: Comparative outcomes 
Position: Mental Health Therapist, Jewish Community Services

Paloma Rodriguez (2013)
Major Professor: Anibal Gutierrez
Dissertation: Operant and Respondent Procedures to Establish Social Stimuli as Reinforcers in Children with Autism
Position: Clinical Director, First Steps Interventions and Visiting Professor, FIU

Maria Pienkowski (2013)
Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: The Impact of Maternal Acculturation, Youth Age, Sex and Anxiety Sensitivity on Anxiety Symptoms in Hispanic Youth

Arlene Garcia (2012)
Major Professor: William Kurtines
Dissertation: Evaluating the effects of initial participation in the group therapy process
Position: Instructor, Florida International University

Tracey Garcia McCue (2012)
Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: Evaluating heavy episodic drinking effects on educational attainment
Position: Assistant Professor, Murray State University

Ayse Cici Gokaltun (2012)
Major Professor: Mary Levitt
Dissertation: The impact of friends on newly immigrant children's emotional and behavioral adjustment
Position: Postdoctoral Resident, WES HEALTH SYSTEM

Brent Maximin (2012)
Major Professor: William Kurtines
Dissertation: Cognitive Competence and Life Course Change in Multi-Problem Adolescents
Position: Adjunct Assistant Professor, Brooklyn College

Beverley McDermott (2012)
Major Professor: Mary Levitt
Co-Major Professor: Jonathan Tubman
Dissertation: Promoting Positive Development: Family Processes and Risk Behavior Among Adolescents

Luci Motoca (2012)
Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: Treatment moderation and secondary outcomes: Results from a randomized clinical trial

Jimena Vaillant-Mekras (2012)
Major Professor: Robert Lickliter
Dissertation: Tests of the Intersensory Redundancy Hypothesis across Early Postnatal Development 
Position: Program Director, Behavior Analysis, Inc.

Rebecca Wang (2012)
Major Professor: Leslie Frazier
Dissertation: The impact of social comparison processes on hoped-for possible selves, self-regulatory processes, and mental health outcomes in young adults

Irina Castellanos (2011)
Major Professor: Lorraine Bahrick
Dissertation: Infants’ Selective Attention to Faces and Prosody of Speech: The Roles of Intersensory Redundancy and Exploratory Time 
Position: Assistant Professor, The Ohio State University

Irina Fredericks (2011)
Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: An evaluation of functional impairment among children with anxiety disorders
Position: Adjunct Professor, Florida International University and Psychotherapist (Private Practice)

Mariana V. Molina (2011)
Major Professor: Lorraine Bahrick
Dissertation: The Role of Contingency and Gaze Direction in the Emergence of Social Referencing 
Position: Assistant Professor, Miami Dade Colleg

Maria L. Reid (2011)
Major Professor: Gordon Finley
Dissertation: The Effects of Parental Nurturance and Involvement on Peer Relationships and Psychosocial Functioning of Young Adults
Position: Psychology Instructor, FIU

Roberto Rinaldi (2011)
Major Professor: William Kurtines
Dissertation: A Developmental Intervention Science Outreach Research Approach to Promoting Positive Youth Development
Position: Assistant Professor, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine

Rachel Ritchie (2011)
Major Professor: William Kurtines
Dissertation: Investigating positive identity development in a school-based youth development project
Position: Senior Instructor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Florida International University

Melissa Argumosa (2010)
Major Professor: Lorraine Bahrick
Dissertation: Development of Face Recognition: Infancy to Early Childhood
Position: Clinical Therapist, FIU CAPS/Private Practice

Sabrina E. Des Rosiers (2010)
Major Professor: Jonathan Tubman
Dissertation: Examination of Personality, Social and Cognitive Factors on the Co-Occurrence of Health Risk Behaviors among Multi-Problem Youth: The Utility of An Integrative Framework
Position: Associate Professor, Barry University

Kyle Eichas (2010)
Major Professor: William Kurtines
Dissertation: An Investigation of Multiple Pathways of Developmental Intervention Change
Position: Associate Professor, Tarleton State University

Carla E. Marin (2010)
Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: Parental Involvement and Group Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Treatment Specificity and Mediation Effects
Position: Associate Research Scientist, Yale School of Medicine

Kristin Nichols-Lopez (2010)
Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: Anxiety Sensitivity’s Facets in Relation to Anxious and Depressive Symptoms in Youth 
Position: Associate Chair of Psychology, FIU

Yasmine Rey (2010)
Mentors: James Jaccard and Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: Evaluation of the internal structural validity of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) anxiety disorders in children and adolescents
Position: Research Scientist, Florida International University

Sandra Williams (2010)
Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: Mediational Effects in Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents
Chief Executive Officer, Q-Q Research Consultants, LLC

Chrysalis Wright (2010)
Major Professor: Mary Levitt
Dissertation: Parental Absence and Academic Achievement in Immigrant Students
Position: Associate Lecturer, University of Central Florida

Michelle Barreto Wilson (2009)
Major Professor: Leslie Frazier
Dissertation: Examining the Effects of Epiphanies on Possible Selves
Position: Associate Professor, Pine Manor College

Rona Carter (2009)
Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: Effects of Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, Pubertal Development, and Interpersonal Relationship Satisfaction on Sexual Risk Behaviors in Adolescent Romantic Couples 
Position: Associate Professor, University of Michigan

Calonie Grey (2009)
Major Professor: Marilyn Montgomery
Dissertation: An Investigation of the Relationship Between Maltreatment and Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Use Among African-American and Hispanic Adolescent Girls
Position: Senior Social Scientist Research Analyst, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation

Christopher Harshaw (2009)
Major Professor: Robert Lickliter
Dissertation: Contingency, contiguity, and the development of auditory preferences in bobwhite quail chicks
Position: Assistant Professor, University of New Orleans

Ananth Kanaparthi  (2009)
Major Professor: Jonathan Tubman
Dissertation: Relations between acculturation and alcohol use among international students
Position: Senior Data Warehouse Analyst, CaptialOne

Assaf Oshri (2009)
Major Professor: Jonathan Tubman
Dissertation: Maltreatment, Psychiatric Symptoms and Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Sexual Transmitted Infection Risk Behavior Among Youth with Alcohol and Other Drug Use Problems: A Person-Centered Analysis
Position: Associate Professor, University of Georgia

Melody Whiddon (2009)
Major Professor: Marilyn Montgomery
Dissertation: Parent emotional functioning, parent responsiveness, and child adjustment

Claudio Ortiz (2008)
Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: Predicting posttraumatic stress reactions in children prior to traumatic exposure
Position: Science Officer, Goldbelt Frontier

Richard Albrecht (2007)
Major Professor: William Kurtines
Dissertation: A model of self-transformative identity development in troubled adolescent youth

Lynn Hernandez  (2007)
Major Professor: Marilyn Montgomery
Dissertation: Identity as a moderator of guided self change treatment outcomes with adolescents

Mark Jaime (2007)
Major Professor: Robert Lickliter
Dissertation: The Role of Temporal Synchrony in the Facilitation of Perceptual Learning during Prenatal Development
Position: Associate Professor, IUPUC

Michelle Hospital (2006)
Major Professor: Marilyn Montgomery
Dissertation: The development and testing of a multivariate model of differentiation of self among Hispanics
Position: Position: Research Associate Professor, Florida International University

Anthony Burrow (2005)
Major Professor: Jonathan Tubman
Dissertation: On the developmental continuity/discontinuity of early adolescent patterns of racial identity salience : relations with later identities and psychosocial adjustment
Position: Associate Professor, Cornell University

Armando A. Pina  (2005)
Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: Child parent dyadic treatment for anxiety disorders in youths
Position: Associate Professor, Arizona State University

Sara Swenson (2004)
Major Professor: William Kurtines
Dissertation: Participation in a positive youth development program and multi -problem alternative high school students' transformative goals: An investigation of the theoretical and methodological utility and validity of the Transformative Goal Attainment (TGAS)

Lisa Lewis Arango (2003)
Major Professor: William Kurtines
Dissertation: The utility of an integrated qualitative/quantitative data analytic strategy (IQ-DAS) to evaluate the impact of youth development interventions to postive qualitve change in the life course

Maricel Cigales (2003)
Major Professor: Jacob Gewirtz
Dissertation: Vicarious reinforcement is a result of earlier learning
Position: Associate Dean, FIU

Maria Shpurik (2003)
Major Professor: Christian Meissner
Dissertation: Perceptions of alibi evidence as a function of the strength of incriminating evidence
Position: Senior Lecturer, Florida International University

Lisa Waid (McKenna) (2003)
Major Professor: Marilyn Montgomery
Dissertation: Mentoring and Minority Student Development
Position: Senior Lecturer, Florida International University

Gastón Bustos (2002)
Major Professor: Mary Levitt
Dissertation: Social support, risk, and adjustment of immigrant preadolescents
Position: Clinical Counseling Therapist, Memorial Healthcare System

Yuan-Yu Chiang (2002)
Major Professor: Gordon Finley
Dissertation: Adoption status: a risk factor or protective factor for children of divorced families

Noel Crooks (2002)
Major Professor: Mary Levitt
Dissertation: Compensatory effects of parent and peer support on well-being and achievement during pre-and early adolescence
Behavior Analyst, Ideal Behavioral Services, Inc

Avidan Milevsky (2002)
Major Professor: Mary Levitt
Dissertation: Sibling relations in preadolescence and adolescence: Compensatory and buffering effects
Position: Research Scientist, Ariel University

Yasmin LaRocca (2001)
Major Professor: Jacob Gewirtz
Dissertation: Two-way direction of influence in mother-infant interaction as denoted by concurrent reciprocal learning processes
Position: Director of Institutional Research, Florida International University

Delight Carmichael (2000)
Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: Parental behaviors in child anxiety: An observational study
Position: Behavior Analyst, The Behavior Doctor

Hiselgis Perez (2000)
Major Professor: Jacob Gewirtz
Dissertation: Types and amplitudes of touch as reinforcing stimuli in operant conditioning of infant behavior
Position: AVP Analysis & Info Management, Florida International University

Seth J. Schwartz (2000)
Major Professor: William Kurtines
Dissertation: The exploration enhancement workshop: An exploration-based approach to facilitating identity formation in young adults
Position: Professor, University of Miami

Paige Telan (2000)
Major Professor: Mary Levitt
Dissertation: Teacher-student relationships and the link to academic adjustment and emotional well-being in early adolescence
Position: Associate Teaching Professor, Florida International University

Carolyn Cass Lorente (1999)
Major Professor: William Kurtines
Dissertation: Building better relationships workshop: An intervention fostering identity formation and interpersonal development in middle adolescents

Karin Galliano (1999)
Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: Childrens' perceptions of marital conflict, parent-child relations and anxiety in children: a proposed systemic model
Position: Clinical Psychologist, Peace River Psychology Center

Carl Weems (1999)
Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: Anxiety sensitivity in children and the development of panic and anxiety in adolescents: A prospective study
Position: Professor and Chair, Iowa State University

Alan M. Berman (1998)
Major Professor: William Kurtines
Dissertation: Fostering the development of identity and intimacy during late adolescence

Irene Bravo (1998)
Major Professor: Wendy Silverman
Dissertation: Assessment of anxiety sensitivity in depressed, older patients and its relation to hypochondriacal concerns
Position: Dean of Academic Affairs, Albizu University - Miami Campus

Laura Ferrer-Wreder (1998)
Major Professor: William Kurtines
Dissertation: Making Life Choices Program: A psychoeducational intervention for promoting critical cognitive and affective competencies in adolescents at-risk for problem behaviors
Position: Associate Professor, Stockholm University

Xiaohui Guo (1998)
Major Professor: Joan Erber
Dissertation: Perceivers’ impressions of self-presentation tactics: The effects of age and gender

Ervin Briones (1997)
Major Professor: William Kurtines
Dissertation: Social and cultural influences in the formation of identity: a cross-national/cultural study
Position: Associate Professor, Middle Georgia State University

Ondina Arrufat (1997)
Major Professor: William Kurtines
Dissertation: The role of exploration and critical decision making and problem solving in making life choices

Steven L. Berman (1996)
Major Professor: William Kurtines
Dissertation: Making life choices: facilitating identity formation in young adults
Position: Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Central Florida

Cherie Clark (1995)
Major Professor: Mary Levitt
Dissertation: The effect of age of analyst and reform of data on the results of focus groups with older persons
Position: Professor, Queens University of Charlotte

Irene Prager (1995)
Major Professor: Joan Erber
Dissertation: Age differences and conformity in juror decision-making

Anne Dickerson (1994)
Major Professor: Mary Levitt
Dissertation: The effect of familiarity of task and choice on the functional performance of young and old adults
Position: Professor, East Carolina University

Mary Emerson Etheart (1994)
Major Professor: Joan Erber
Dissertation: The influence of perception on forgetting and gender, ethnicity, and closeness on likelihood of caregiving

Maria Hernandez-Reif (1994)
Major Professor: Lorraine Bahrick
Dissertation: Infants’ Perception of Amodal and Arbitrary Visual-Tactual Relations at 4- and 6-Months of Age 
Position: Professor, University of Alabama

Martha Pelaez (1992)
Major Professor: Jacob Gewirtz
Dissertation: Infants learning to reference maternal emotional cues
Position: Professor, Florida International University

Jeffrey Pickens (1990)
Major Professor: Lorraine Bahrick
Dissertation: Perception of Bimodal Distance Relations by 5-Month-Old Human Infants
Position: Professor and Chair, Biscayne College at St. Thomas University
*First Developmental PhD Recipient*

Lenore Szuchman (1990)
Major Professor: Joan Erber
Position: Professor Emerita, Barry University