Student Advisory Board
Student Advisory Board
The Student Advisory Board (SAB) is a group of students who are chosen to represent the student membership within Division 54. The SAB is made up of four committees: Advocacy & Service, Communication, Membership, and Program Committees. This board works with the Student Representative to promote student interests in division programming, structure, and training, and to encourage other students to get involved.
Student Representative
Perry Catlin, Marquette University (2023-2024)
Student Advisory Board Members
Advocacy & Service Committee
- Ariel O. Blakey, Boston University (2023-2024)
- Kirby-Estar Laguerre, West Virginia University (2024-2025)
- Brooke Greenberg, Nova Southeastern University (2024-2025)
- Annisa Ahmed, Texas A&M University (2024-2025)
Communication Committee
- Ashley Lahoud, Kent State University (2023-2024)
- Katie Davis, Boston University (2024-2025)
- Meghan Howe, Rosalind Franklin University (2024-2025)
Membership Committee
- Amanda Flagg, SUNY University at Albany (2023-2024)
- Taylor Gates, University of Cincinnati (2024-2025)
- Cecily N. Conour, West Virginia University (2024-2025)
Programming Committee
- Isabelle (Isa) Sereno, Northeastern University (2023-2024)
- Ellison (Ellie) Choate, Palo Alto University (2023-2024)
- Mariela Monzalvo, Wright State University (2024-2025)
Student Representative
Perry A. Catlin, M.S. (he/him)
SPP Student Representative & SAB Chair
spp.studentrep@gmail.com
Perry Catlin is a fourth-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Marquette University. Perry’s research program focuses on understanding the psychosocial aspects of pediatric chronic illness management, and identifying factors that influence shared decision-making processes and outcomes. He is also interested in bringing attention to the underlying mechanisms that lead to health disparities, and addressing these issues via community-academic partnerships. As the 2023-2024 SPP Student Representative, Perry chairs the Student Advisory Board (SAB) by coordinating and overseeing all SAB-related activities, and supporting SAB members with their respective duties. In addition, Perry is a voting member of the Division’s Executive Board, where he assists with planning SPPAC and the APA convention, and advocates for programing and services that address trainee needs.
Advocacy & Service Committee
Ariel O. Blakey, MA (she/hers)
Advocacy and Service Committee, Service Co-Chair
Ariel Blakey is a fourth-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Boston University under the mentorship of Dr. Kristin Long. Ariel’s research interests center around optimizing psychosocial outcomes and improving access to equitable care for medically complex pediatric patients of underserved and marginalized backgrounds. Ariel's current research specifically investigates the role of social determinants in disease management and overall quality of life amongst pediatric patients with sickle cell disease. In her role on the Advocacy & Service Committee, Ariel assists with planning and executing the off- and on-site service events occurring during SPPAC.
Kirby-Estar Laguerre, B.S., B.A. (she/her/hers)
Advocacy & Service Committee, Service Co-Chair
Kirby-Estar Laguerre is a 3rd-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program (Clinical Child Psychology Training Area) at West Virginia University, under the mentorship of Dr. Christina Duncan. Throughout graduate school, Kirby's research has focused on medication adherence and transition readiness in adolescents and young adults with epilepsy. However, she is also interested in evidence-based interventions that improve stress management and coping behaviors and the impact of socioeconomic factors on pain management and health outcomes within pediatric populations.
Brooke Greenberg, B.A. (she/her)
Advocacy & Service Committee, Advocacy Co-Chair
Brooke Greenberg is a third-year clinical psychology PhD Student at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida under the mentorship of Dr. Jessica Valenzuela. Brooke's research and clinical interests focus on the intersection of disordered eating through the lens of pediatric chronic medical conditions (i.e., diabetes, pain). Brooke is also interested in advocacy in the pediatric psychology space. Through serving the Advocacy and Service Commitee in her role as the Advocacy Co-Chair, Brooke is involved with coordinating advocacy service opportunities for members of Division 54.
Annisa Ahmed, B.A. (she/her)
Advocacy & Service Committee, Advocacy Co-Chair
Annisa Ahmed is a second-year graduate student in the Clinic Psychology Ph.D. Program at Texas A&M University under Dr. Idia Thurston and Dr. Noni Gaylord-Harden. Her current research interests lie in health equity—more specifically, understanding familial and systemic-level factors that impact disease management for historically underserved youth and their families. Annisa also aspires to work closely with children and adolescents impacted by chronic pain. In her role on the Advocacy and Service Committee, Annisa assists with the coordination of training opportunities centered on advocacy.
Communication Committee
Ashley Lahoud, MA (she/hers)
Communication Committee, Podcast Co-Chair
Ashley Lahoud is a fourth-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Kent State University in Ohio. She works under the mentorship of Dr. Christopher Flessner in the Pediatric Anxiety & Allergy Research Clinic. Ashley’s clinical and research interests focus on the impact of social factors (i.e., friendship, family support) and policies (i.e., restaurant, school, state, community) on a child’s anxiety, social functioning, and quality of life, particularly within food allergy populations. Furthermore, she is interested in the discrepancy in health care access, utilization, and outcomes among families of diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Ashley serves as a Podcast Co-chair. In her role she aims to feature new research in pediatric psychology on The Pediatric Psychology Podcast and highlight the current initiatives of Division 54.
Katie Davis, MA (she/her)
Communication Committee, Podcast Co-Chair
Katie Davis is a 5th year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Boston University. Under the mentorship of Dr. Kristin Long, Katie’s doctoral research focuses on improving sibling psychosocial adjustment to pediatric cancer through identifying and addressing multi-level barriers to care. In addition to her sibling-focused work, Katie is interested in the relationship between family processes, chronic emotion dysregulation, and functional neurological disorders and chronic pain in children and adolescents. As Podcast Co-Chair on the SAB Communications Committee, Katie is enthusiastic about disseminating new pediatric psychology research, amplifying the voices of experts and trainees, and highlighting Division 54’s initiatives through The Pediatric Psychology Podcast.
Meghan Howe, M.S. (she/her/hers)
Communication Committee, Student Spotlight Chair
Meghan is a 4th year student at Rosalind Franklin University under the mentorship of Rachel Neff Greenley, Ph.D. Her research interests include identifying processes by which child- and family-level factors confer risk or promote resilience in children diagnosed with chronic medical conditions and the psychometrics of existing pediatric psychology assessment tools. Her long-term goals are to conduct collaborative research and clinical work to improve psychosocial outcomes in children and families coping with chronic illness.
Membership Committee
Amanda M. Flagg, MA (she/hers)
Membership Committee, Network of Campus Representatives Co-Chair
Amanda Flagg is a fourth-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at the University at Albany (SUNY) under the mentorship of Dr. Betty Lin. Broadly, her research interests focus on the significance of early experiences, including adversity, stress, the in-utero environment, and caregiving behaviors on child development, physiological reactivity, and health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. Clinically, Amanda enjoys providing culturally responsive, evidence-based therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapies and family-based interventions among pediatric populations and those with complex medical or comorbid developmental conditions and associated emotional and behavioral difficulties to promote psychosocial adjustment. Amanda particularly values conducting neurodevelopmental evaluations and assessments to further understand presenting symptomologies and to provide focused recommendations. Amanda co-leads the National Campus Representatives (NCR) program which is aimed to increase awareness of and enthusiasm for pediatric psychology across the United States.
Taylor Gates, M.A. (she/her/hers)
Membership Committee, Network of Campus Representatives Co-Chair
Taylor Gates is a fourth-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at the University of Cincinnati. Taylor works under the mentorship of Dr. Cathy Stough in the Healthy Bearcat Families Lab. Broadly, Taylor’s research interests involve improving the psychosocial outcomes for children and adolescents with chronic illness through intervention development and community-based participatory research strategies. She is also interested in researching the influence of family factors (e.g., caregiver mental health, family functioning) on child psychosocial functioning among pediatric populations. Clinically, Taylor is passionate about providing evidence-based and culturally responsive treatment to diverse pediatric populations. Taylor is the Co-Chair of the Network of Campus Representatives (NCR), which aims to increase awareness of the field of pediatric psychology across the country.
Cecily N. Conour, M.S. (she/her)
Membership Committee, Training Program Dissemination Chair
Cecily Conour is a third-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at West Virginia University under the mentorship of Dr. Christina Duncan. Cecily’s research and clinical interests include adolescents’ self-management of chronic conditions, as well as the transition of care for youth with chronic illnesses, with a particular focus in chronic pain. As the Training Program Dissemination Chair, Cecily edits and distributes training resources, including lists of graduate programs, internship sites, and post-doctoral fellowships with opportunities in pediatric psychology.
Programming Committee
Isabella (Isa) Sereno, MA,
Programming Committee, Mentoring Chair
Isabella (Isa) Serenois a Ph.D. Candidate in Counseling Psychology at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. She previously earned a master’s degree in Counselor Education, Clinical Mental Health Track, from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. Isa is currently a Fellow for the Behavioral Health Integrated Resources for Children (BIRCh) Project in partnership with UMass Boston, UMass Amherst, and Boston Children’s Hospital. She is also a Clinical Fellow at Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance hospital where she is training in the Child and Adolescent Assessment Inpatient Units. Isa completed her previous clinical training at Boston Children’s Hospital/Martha Eliot Health Center. Isa’s research experience includes investigations into the psychological needs of advanced-cancer patients and their caregivers at the Massachusetts General Hospital. For her dissertation, she is exploring the coping strategies and barriers to engagement among underrepresented minority caregivers of infants and toddlers during long-term post-acute hospitalizations. She is also an active member of SPP’s Caregiver Wellbeing SIG. Isa looks forward to serving as the Mentoring Chair for the Student Advisory Board (SAB) by seeking ways to promote trainee professional development through successful mentorship matches.
Ellison S. Choate, B.S. (she/her)
Programming Committee, Networking Chair
Ellison (Ellie) Choate is a third-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology program at Palo Alto University. Ellie works under the mentorship of Dr. Laura Simons in the Biobehavioral Pediatric Pain Lab at Stanford University and the mentorship of Dr. Robert Friedberg in the Center for the Study and Treatment of Anxious Youth at Palo Alto University. Ellie’s research centers around pediatric chronic pain and evaluating person-specific factors to understand what treatment is most effective and enhance treatment matching. Within the SAB, specifically the programming committee, Ellie is responsible for organizing the Society of Pediatric Psychology Annual Conference Student Social Event, which is a social event with the aim of connecting trainees across the organization.
Mariela Monzalvo, Psy.M (she/her/ella)
Programming Committee, Professional Development Chair
Mariela Monzalvo is a third year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at The School of Professional Psychology at Wright State University in Dayton, OH under the advisement of Dr. Janeece Warfield. Mariela’s areas of research interest include examining pediatric health disparities in underserved and marginalized populations, reconciling these disparities from the voices of these communities, and delivering remote interventions on pain management for youth with functional abdominal pain and anxiety. Mariela’s clinical interests include pediatric pain management, primary care, and GI issues. Mariela looks forward to the privilege of being part of the Student Advisory Board (SAB) as the Programming Chair.
We would also like to recognize the students who have completed their terms. Thank you for your excellent work and valuable contributions to the SAB and SPP students and trainees!
Kelsey L. Jong (2022-23)
Rachel S. Fisher (2022-23)
Samantha Scott (2023)
Karen Dimentstein (2022-23)
Caitlyn E. Maye (2022-23)
Jennifer A. Kelleher (2022-23)
Mycah L. Ayala-Brittain (2022-23)
Yael Gross (2022-23)
Sahar S. Eshtehardi (2021-22)
Melissa L. Engel (2021-22)
Alix M. McLaughlin (2021-22)
Erin L. Moorman (2021-22)
Nicole M. Ruppe (2021-22)
Clarissa Shields (2021-22)
Social Media
Join the SPP Facebook Group
Student Listserv
SPP student members can join the student listserv by emailing SPP.StudentRep@gmail.com
Graduate Programs, Pre-doctoral Internships, and Fellowships in Pediatric Psychology
Check out our training resources page for lists of APA-accredited graduate programs, APA-accredited internships, and fellowships with an emphasis on pediatric psychology.
APA/APAGS Statement
SPP and the SAB would like to encourage its student members to join the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS). There are many benefits to individual student members, including periodicals focused on graduate student issues, research grants, travel funding, reduced conference registration, scholarships, and the opportunity to serve professional psychology at the national level through APA/APAGS governance.
Learn more about APAGS