Clinical Psychology Update

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce our new Clinical class. We were able to accept eight new students this year, and had one person transfer from Austin Peay State University. Overall, they had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.54, GRE Verbal score of 469, GRE Quantitative score of 551, and a total GRE score of 1020. Two of the students had at least one presentation and/or publication. Six of the students are home-grown–they have ties to WKU, either graduating from here or attending for a while. Four of the students graduated from other universities (one student attended WKU for a while, graduated from another university and liked us so much that she came back for graduate study). We are very excited to have such quality students begin the program and look forward to working with them over the next two years.

2002 Entering Clinical Class

Amanda (Wade) Grubbs. Amanda graduated from Western, following stops at Campbellsville University and Tennessee Technological University. Her advisor here was Dr. Donald Speer in the Music Department. Amanda’s passion is music and she would love to become a music therapist in the near future. Long-term goals include working in a medical setting, such as a rehabilitation center or psychiatric ward of a hospital. Currently, she is interested in how the environment influences the behavior of children, but she could be persuaded to become interested in another topic. Amanda also got married over the summer, and is still adjusting to the new last name (and sitting in the front of the class rather than the back...)

Crystal Henson. Crystal graduated from Austin Peay State University, where her advisor was Dr. LuAnnette Butler. She also attended one year of the Clinical Psychology Master’s program there. She transferred to Western as Bowling Green is much closer to her home than is Clarksville. Crystal is interested in continuing her education at a Ph.D. program, and hopes to have her doctorate by the time she is 30(ish). She says that, after her experience with Honors Research, she has no interest in ever doing research again. However, since she knows she will have to do some research (a thesis and dissertation at a minimum), she is trying to find a topic area that is exciting for her. She has presented her research on the effects of television viewing on relationship satisfaction at a local and a regional conference.

Kristy Jones. Kristy graduated from WKU, with a stop at Campbellsville University. Her advisor was Dr. Retta Poe. While she has not had any psychological research experience, Kristy did do some work in biology on Alanthis Altissima (I’ll let you ask her about it...). She does, however, have clinical experience from working on a psychiatric unit for two years as well as currently working at an outpatient facility. These experiences have, in the true scientist-practitioner fashion, shaped her research interests. Kristy is interested in investigating the success rate of outpatient clinics and the rate of re-admittance to inpatient psychiatric hospitals. She would like to jump directly from Western to a doctoral program and then, when she has completed her doctoral degree, work in a counseling setting.

Cori Marie Nicholson. Cori graduated from Western Kentucky University, where her advisors were Dr. Clint Layne and Dr. Retta Poe. Her long-term goal is to complete her training to become either a licensed clinical psychologist, or maybe a psychiatrist. Her current research interests include Bipolar Disorder in teens and the effect of cognitive stress on physiological symptoms. When she is not at school, Cori can be found riding horses, or reading everything she can get her hands on, or working hard at Hobby Lobby.

Robert Parker. Robert matriculated from Lipscomb University where his advisor was Dr. Roy Hamley. Robert has a wealth of research experience, including examining correlations of Type A personality and perfectionism, demographic research in regards to homeless persons, and examining alcohol and drug addictions in London, England. Currently, he is interested in examining adolescent self-esteem and social adjustment, evaluating the development from adolescence to adulthood. His long-term goals include being a university professor of psychology and performing adolescent counseling.

Kelly Scott. Kelly is also a WKU grad.. Her advisor was Dr. Elizabeth Lemerise. After she completes her master’s degree, Kelly might be interested in continuing on to obtain her doctoral degree. Whether she does or not, she would like to eventually work with children. Her current research interests include stress and “something to do with children and adolescents.”

Steven Smith. Steven comes to us from Brescia University, where his advisor was Dr. Vicki Tinsly. His career goals include becoming licensed as soon as possible after graduation and, perhaps at a later date, pursuing a Psy.D. degree. His research interests lie in the area of addictions, and he is interested in Humanistic and Existential therapeutic approaches. In his free time, Steven likes to spend as much time as possible with his wife and beautiful 18-month-old daughter.

Laura Strain. Laura is another Western alum, and her advisor was Dr. Katrina Phelps. Laura has worked with a number of WKU faculty members (i.e., Dr. Sam McFarland, Dr. John Bruni, Dr. Sharon Mutter) on a number of projects which have culminated in two presentations. Her current research interests include areas of life functioning and internalized homophobia. Her goal is to obtain her doctoral degree and secure a faculty position at a four-year institution. You may have seen Laura around; she has already completed six hours toward her degree as she took graduate courses as an undergraduate last spring.

Stephanie Wilkerson. Stephanie graduated from Lindsey Wilson College, but did spend some time here at WKU. She wants to obtain an Ph.D. in clinical psychology, but is not necessarily sure what she wants to do with it just yet. Her research interests lie in the area of childhood and childhood disorders. Stephanie stays busy when not in school working at Lake Cumberland Head Start and helping her husband run their business.

Please join me in welcoming these folks to Western Kentucky University.

Rick Grieve, Ph.D.

Coordinator, Clinical Psychology Master’s Program