Director: Eric R. Dahlen, Ph.D.
Jacq Strowd Matched for Internship
02/21/24
Jacq Strowd, an advanced doctoral student working in the lab, applied for a predoctoral psychology internship this year. We are happy to announce that she successfully matched and will complete her internship next year at the Medical College of Georgia/Charlie Norwood VA in Augusta, GA. Consistent with her professional interests, Jacq will be completing the trauma psychology track.
Congratulations to Jacq on the successful match!
Congratulations to Jacq on the successful match!
Erica Van Overloop Is Heading to Little Rock for Internship
02/20/23
Erica Van Overloop, an advanced doctoral student working in the lab, applied for a predoctoral psychology internship this year. Last week we learned that she successfully matched and will complete her internship next year at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in Little Rock, AR.
One of our alumni, Dr. Niki Knight, completed her internship at the same site and had positive things to say about it.
Congratulations to Erica on the successful match!
One of our alumni, Dr. Niki Knight, completed her internship at the same site and had positive things to say about it.
Congratulations to Erica on the successful match!
Congratulations to Our Newest PhDs
12/16/22
Our graduating class of doctoral students was smaller than usual in 2022, with only three students from Counseling Psychology. Here are Drs. Savannah Merold, Michael Lester, and Philip Stoner shortly before the beginning of the commencement ceremony. Philip and Savannah are our two newest lab alumni, and it was great to catch up with them. Congratulations, graduates!
Lab Welcomes Summer Steely
08/22/22
The Anger and Traffic Psychology Lab is happy to welcome our newest doctoral student: Summer Steely. Summer was admitted to the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program at the University of Southern Mississippi and joined us in the Fall of 2022. She completed her bachelor's degree in Psychology at Wheaton College (IL). Summer obtained research experience at Georgia State University and the University of Wisconsin.
Summer discovered an interest in both research and clinical interventions while working in a residential treatment program for women. She is interested in working with forensic populations as part of her career, and her research interests include antisocial behavior, pathological personality traits, and aggression.
Congratulations to Summer on her admission to the doctoral program! We are looking forward to working with her.
Summer discovered an interest in both research and clinical interventions while working in a residential treatment program for women. She is interested in working with forensic populations as part of her career, and her research interests include antisocial behavior, pathological personality traits, and aggression.
Congratulations to Summer on her admission to the doctoral program! We are looking forward to working with her.
Riley Davis Defends Dissertation
03/04/22
Riley Davis, an advanced doctoral student in her final year before internship, successfully defended her dissertation this week. Riley was an active member of Dr. Ashley Batastini’s Correctional & Forensic Psychology Lab before Dr. Batastini took a position at the University of Memphis, and Dr. Batastini has continued to supervise Riley’s dissertation work. Riley’s dissertation, “Race, risk, and confinement: An examination of offender race on post-conviction placement and mandated treatment decisions within the context of an actuarial violence risk assessment,” was an ambitious study on which Riley did an outstanding job. After finalizing her dissertation for submission to the Graduate School, Riley is looking forward to submitting it for publication.
Congratulations to Riley on an impressive defense and on completing this important milestone!
Congratulations to Riley on an impressive defense and on completing this important milestone!
Alison and Riley Matched for Internship
02/18/22
We have two advanced doctoral students in the lab who applied for predoctoral psychology internship sites this year, and both successfully matched. Alison Poor will be completing her internship at the Southeast Louisiana Veteran’s Healthcare System in New Orleans, LA. Riley Davis will be completing her internship at the Federal Correctional Complex Allenwood in Allenwood, PA.
Congratulations to Riley and Ali on the successful match!
Congratulations to Riley and Ali on the successful match!
Alison Poor Wins Research Award
12/03/21
We just learned that Alison Poor, an advanced doctoral student in the Anger and Traffic Psychology Lab, won a Peggy Jean Connor Research Award that will provide her with $960 to support her dissertation. Ali’s dissertation, “Predictors of Relational Aggression in Women Across Adulthood” will use MTurk to recruit participants, and this award should cover her payments to participants.
The Peggy Jean Connor Research Award is given annually by the University of Southern Mississippi’s Committee on Services & Resources for Women to promote research on gender issues by faculty and graduate students and professional development activities for staff. As part of the award, Ali will present her research in March.
Congratulations, Ali!
The Peggy Jean Connor Research Award is given annually by the University of Southern Mississippi’s Committee on Services & Resources for Women to promote research on gender issues by faculty and graduate students and professional development activities for staff. As part of the award, Ali will present her research in March.
Congratulations, Ali!
Lab Welcomes Nicole Kollmann and Terrina'Za Myles
05/19/21
The Anger and Traffic Psychology Lab in the School of Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi is happy to welcome two new students who will be entering the Counseling Psychology Master’s Program in the fall. Terrina’Za Myles completed her undergraduate work at Alcorn State University and is interested in anger management, aggression, and college mental health. Nicole Kollmann completed her undergraduate work at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. She is interested in dark personality traits and their application in correctional settings. Clearly, both have research interests that are a great fit for the work that we do.
Congratulations to Nicole and Terrina’Za on their admission to the MS program! We are looking forward to working with you both.
Congratulations to Nicole and Terrina’Za on their admission to the MS program! We are looking forward to working with you both.
Lab Welcomes Jacq Strowd
04/28/21
Prior to joining our MS program, Jacq graduated with a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University. She is interested in a career as a practicing psychologist in a setting that allows her to work with a diverse clientele, and she is particularly interested in both Veterans and offenders in the process of reentry. She also hopes to provide training and supervision to counseling professionals, so she has not ruled out obtaining an adjunct position at a university where she could be involved in practicum training.
Congratulations to Jacq on her admission to the doctoral program! We are excited to continue working with her.
Taylor Nocera Accepts Postdoc at Palo Alto VA
03/26/21
Taylor Nocera, an advanced doctoral student currently completing her predoctoral internship at the Orlando VA, recently let us know that she has accepted a postdoc position focused on PTSD at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System in Palo Alto, CA.
Congratulations to Taylor!
Congratulations to Taylor!
Savannah and Philip to Complete Prison Internships
02/19/21
Congratulations to Savannah and Philip on the successful match!
Riley Davis Proposes Dissertation
12/14/20
Riley’s dissertation will build on her master’s thesis and aims to extend the literature on how race may influence legal decisions involving post-conviction placement and perceived risk based on information about dangerousness.
Congratulations to Riley on her successful dissertation proposal!
Lab Welcomes Hailee Buras
04/29/20
Congratulations to Hailee on her admission to the Counseling Psychology Master's Program! We are looking forward to continuing to work with you.
Lab Welcomes Summer Boggs
04/08/20
Summer's research background includes work on self-esteem as a moderator of the relationship between perfectionism and demoralization. She is interested in risk factors for mental illness, including the identification of personality and individual difference variables that may contribute to an understanding relational aggression among emerging adults.
Congratulations to Summer on her admission to the doctoral program at the University of Southern Mississippi! We are looking forward to working with her.
Taylor Bolton Will Complete Her Predoctoral Internship at the Orlando VA
02/22/20
Taylor Bolton, an advanced doctoral student working in the Anger and Traffic Psychology Lab who recently defended her dissertation, will be completing her predoctoral internship next year at the Orlando VA Medical Center. This site was Taylor’s top choice.
Congratulations to Taylor on the successful internship match!
Lab Represented at APA
08/12/19
Philip’s poster was based on his master’s thesis and described his finding that emotion regulation moderated the relationship between vulnerable narcissism and self-criticism. Hailee’s poster, which also utilized data collected as part of Philip’s thesis project but not used in his thesis, described her finding that anxiety moderated the relationship between peer exclusivity and relational aggression among college students.
Hailee is completing her honor’s thesis in the lab, and this was her first professional conference. She received a Discovery Scholar Research Grant from the Honors College at the University of Southern Mississippi, which supported her travel to Chicago.
Congratulations on a successful conference!
Lab Welcomes Amanda Dortch and Jacq Strowd
05/03/19
Congratulations to Jacq and Amanda on their admission to the master's program! We are looking forward to working with you.
Lab Welcomes Erica Van Overloop
03/24/19
Erica’s clinical work with children and families sparked an interest in trauma. She has some great ideas for how she might incorporate this interest in our work on relational aggression and victimization.
Congratulations to Erica on her admission to the doctoral program at the University of Southern Mississippi! We are looking forward to working with her.
Lab Welcomes A. J. Qureshi
07/16/18
The Anger and Traffic Psychology Lab is pleased to welcome Afzal “A. J.” Qureshi, a student who will be entering the Counseling Psychology Master’s Program at the University of Southern Mississippi this Fall. A. J. completed his B.A. in psychology at the University of Florida. He has obtained research experience in multiple faculty labs, and his interests in aggression and intimate relationships make him a good fit for the lab. He’s interested in an academic/research-oriented career and hopes to pursue a doctorate in Counseling Psychology.
Congratulations to A. J. on his admission to the master’s program! We are looking forward to working with you.
Congratulations to A. J. on his admission to the master’s program! We are looking forward to working with you.
Lab Welcomes Alison Poor
03/23/18
Alison is completing her B.S. in Psychology at Louisiana State University. During her undergraduate career, she was an ASPIRE Scholar and worked in Dr. Paul Frick's Developmental Psychopathology Lab. She is interested in juvenile corrections, working with mentally ill offenders, dark personalities, and relational aggression.
Congratulations to Alison on her admission to the doctoral program! We are looking forward to working with you.
Two New Ph.D.s
12/12/17
I also had the pleasure of hooding Dr. Dave Gavel, a Ph.D. student of Dr. Jon Mandracchia, a former Southern Miss faculty member who is now at Missouri Western State University.
It was great to see all three of them again. Something tells me their graduation will prove to be more memorable than it might have otherwise been due to the chaos caused by 6 inches of snow in South Mississippi!
Congratulations, graduates!
Personal Statement Advice
10/25/17
We are interested in learning about how your interests fit with ours and the sort of research you’d like to pursue during your graduate training. While providing a brief summary your prior research experience can be helpful, most of this information is likely to be reflected in your CV and letters of recommendation. Thus, we encourage you to use your answer to this question to demonstrate your fit with the lab.
Due to the competitive nature of the admissions process, the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program asks applicants to identify more than one faculty member they would be interested in working with. This is what the part of the question asking about one’s flexibility with one’s 2nd choice faculty member refers to. Applicants who clearly demonstrate fit with their 2nd choice faculty member are likely to be evaluated more positively by that faculty member. In some cases, this can increase the chances of that applicant being interviewed and ultimately receiving an offer of admission.
To sum up, applicants interested in being considered by our lab are encouraged to describe how their research interests fit with ours. Those with diverse interests who would be open to working in another lab are also encouraged to address how their interests may fit with another faculty member.
Opportunities for Students to Present and Publish Their Work
09/25/17
So while these opportunities are available, how many of our students actually take advantage of them? Not surprisingly, this depends on each student and his or her professional goals. Most of our doctoral students present work based on their master’s thesis and/or dissertation at professional conferences. Some go beyond this and present the results of collaborative research projects, literature reviews, or more clinically focused work as well. With more available conferences than any of us have the time or money to attend, these opportunities are plentiful. Similarly, most of our doctoral students will submit manuscripts based on their master’s thesis and dissertation for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Students seeking academic or other research-oriented careers will typically be involved in additional research projects that aim to produce publishable manuscripts.
Similar opportunities exist for master’s students; however, their condensed time frame is often a limiting factor. Because master’s students have a shorter program of study and do not have the same research requirements as doctoral students, it is less likely that they will complete independent research projects comparable to a thesis. For most master’s students, getting involved in collaborative research projects makes more sense and can still result in presentation and/or publication opportunities. For especially talented master’s students aiming to apply to doctoral programs, independent research projects can sometimes be arranged based on fit and available resources.
Daniel Deason Accepts Job at Ole Miss
07/10/17
We are currently working on a paper based on Daniel’s master’s thesis that examines the contribution of social anxiety to the Five Factor Model (Costa & McCrae, 1992) of personality in understanding relational aggression in college students.
Congratulations to Daniel on the new job!
Lab Welcomes Morgan Lowe
05/30/17
The Anger and Traffic Psychology Lab is pleased to welcome Morgan Lowe, a student who will be entering the Counseling Psychology Master’s Program at the University of Southern Mississippi this Fall. Morgan completed her B.S. in psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi, so she is already familiar with the area. Her interests in forensic psychology, relational aggression, and anger make her a great fit for the lab. Her future career plans include working with juvenile offenders, and she hopes to pursue a doctorate in Counseling Psychology.
Congratulations to Morgan on her admission to the master’s program! We are looking forward to working with you.
Congratulations to Morgan on her admission to the master’s program! We are looking forward to working with you.
Welcoming Taylor Nocera-Bolton to the Doctoral Program
05/24/17
This announcement is long overdue, but we are pleased to welcome our newest doctoral student for the Fall 2017 term, Taylor Nocera-Bolton. Taylor has already been working with us during her time in the Counseling Psychology master’s program and had plans to pursue her doctorate. We were happy that she decided to apply to our program. As a doctoral student, Taylor plans to continue her research on cyber aggression.
Congratulations to Taylor on the admission!
Congratulations to Taylor on the admission!
Philip Stoner Proposes Thesis
04/21/17
Philip Stoner, a first-year student in the Counseling Psychology doctoral program at the University of Southern Mississippi, successfully proposed his master’s thesis today. Philip’s thesis will examine the relationship of vulnerable narcissism and emotion dysregulation in self-injurious behavior and self-criticism.
Both vulnerable narcissism and emotion dysregulation have been linked to suicidality in previous studies; however, relatively little is known about the relationship of these factors to self-injurious behavior and self-criticism in non-clinical settings. Philip’s study will use a college student sample and is anticipated to generate some useful information about the important topic of college student mental health.
Congratulations to Philip on the successful proposal!
Both vulnerable narcissism and emotion dysregulation have been linked to suicidality in previous studies; however, relatively little is known about the relationship of these factors to self-injurious behavior and self-criticism in non-clinical settings. Philip’s study will use a college student sample and is anticipated to generate some useful information about the important topic of college student mental health.
Congratulations to Philip on the successful proposal!
Caitlin Clark Accepts Postdoc at Houston VA
02/27/17
Caitlin Clark, an advanced doctoral student currently completing her predoctoral internship at the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System in Florida, just let us know that she has accepted a postdoc position at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston. Specifically, she will be completing the Trauma/Anxiety Disorders postdoctoral fellowship, which was her top choice.
Congratulations to Caitlin!
Congratulations to Caitlin!
Niki Knight Matches at Central Arkansas VA
02/17/17
Today is the day when doctoral students in applied psychology programs learn whether they matched with the predoctoral psychology internship sites they have ranked following a competitive application and interview process. We just learned that Niki Knight, a fourth-year doctoral student working in the Anger and Traffic Psychology Lab, will be completing her predoctoral internship next year at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in Little Rock.
Congratulations to Niki on the successful match!
Congratulations to Niki on the successful match!
Lab Welcomes Adijah Battle
07/01/16
The Anger and Traffic Psychology Lab is pleased to welcome Adijah Battle, a student who will be entering the Counseling Psychology Master's Program at the University of Southern Mississippi and joining us in the lab this fall. Adijah completed her B.S. in psychology at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Her interests in personality and psychopathology should make her a good fit for the lab.
Congratulations to Adijah on her admission to the master's program! We are looking forward to your arrival next month.
Congratulations to Adijah on her admission to the master's program! We are looking forward to your arrival next month.
Lab Welcomes Two New Doctoral Students
04/09/16
Savannah Merold will be graduating this spring with a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi. At Southern Miss, Savannah worked as a research assistant in Dr. Sacco's Social Psychology Lab. She completed an independent project focusing on how social and emotional intelligence moderated the relationship between psychopathic personality traits and social perception.
Philip Stoner will be graduating this spring with a B.A. in Psychology and English from Mississippi University for Women. During his undergraduate career, Philip worked as a research assistant in the Clinical Studies Lab at Mississippi State University, where he obtained research experience in areas such as aggression, alcohol use, narcissism, and sleep.
Congratulations to Savannah and Philip on their admission to the doctoral program! We are looking forward to working with you both.
David Boudreaux Accepts Position at Tampa VA
03/04/16
David is almost finished preparing a manuscript based on his dissertation, which should soon be ready to submit for publication. He plans to take the EPPP exam for licensure this summer.
Congratulations to David on the job!
Students Heading to Bay Pines VA and University of Memphis Counseling Center
02/19/16
Today is APPIC Phase I Match Day, the day where doctoral students in applied psychology programs across the U.S. who applied for predoctoral internships in psychology find out whether they have matched with internship sites. Two doctoral students working in the Anger and Traffic Psychology Lab applied for predoctoral internships this year, and we just learned that both of them matched. Not only that, but both matched with their first choices!
Caitlin Clark will be completing her predoctoral internship at the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System in Bay Pines, FL.
Daniel Deason will be completing his predoctoral internship at the Counseling Center at the University of Memphis in Memphis, TN.
Congratulations to Caitlin and Daniel!
Caitlin Clark will be completing her predoctoral internship at the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System in Bay Pines, FL.
Daniel Deason will be completing his predoctoral internship at the Counseling Center at the University of Memphis in Memphis, TN.
Congratulations to Caitlin and Daniel!
Congratulations to Dr. Emily Prather
12/17/15
It is fairly common for current doctoral students to have a hard time imagining that there will be a day when they reach the end of their graduate training. I certainly remember feeling that way. But like Emily just showed us, it really does happen. The classes, examinations, and dissertation writing do not last forever.
It was great to see Emily again for commencement and meet her family. Congratulations to Emily on the completion of her doctorate! Please stay in touch and let us know what is next for you.
Lab Welcomes New Master's Students
07/30/15
Congratulations to Taylor and Michael on their admission to the master's program! We are looking forward to their arrival in Hattiesburg.
Upgrading Our Lab Space
07/01/15
Almost a year ago, we gained some lab space that we share with Dr. Madson's College Alcohol Research Team. Now that we have had this space for some time, we are developing a better sense of what we might do with it in the future and how to make it even more useful.
Over the summer, I was able to replace our ancient lab computer with a newer one that should be far more usable since it can run current software and connect to the Internet. I think we could also use this computer as a central hub for storing shared resources (e.g., electronic copies of journal articles, examples of successful IRB proposals, completed theses and dissertations, electronic copies of research questionnaires).
Dr. Madson and I are hoping to clear out some of the unnecessary furniture soon and hope to make some additional upgrades in the months ahead.
Over the summer, I was able to replace our ancient lab computer with a newer one that should be far more usable since it can run current software and connect to the Internet. I think we could also use this computer as a central hub for storing shared resources (e.g., electronic copies of journal articles, examples of successful IRB proposals, completed theses and dissertations, electronic copies of research questionnaires).
Dr. Madson and I are hoping to clear out some of the unnecessary furniture soon and hope to make some additional upgrades in the months ahead.
Lab Welcomes Skylar Hicks
05/06/15
Skylar completed her bachelor's degree in psychology at the University of New Orleans, where she worked in Dr. Monica Marsee's Youth Social and Emotional Development Lab. She has been working as a research associate in the Department of Psychiatry at the LSU Health Sciences Center. Her interest and experience in overt and relational aggression make her an excellent fit for the lab.
Congratulations to Skylar on her admission! We are looking forward to working with you in Hattiesburg.
New Look for Lab Website
04/27/15
I have updated the software I used to develop and maintain the website (Rapidweaver) to the most current version, and I am using a new design template from ThemeFlood. As time permits, I hope to add more pictures and try to streamline the organization of the site a bit.
If you encounter any problems or find things that are not working as they should, please let me know.
David Boudreaux Matches at Tampa VA
02/20/15
Today is APPIC Phase I Match Day, the day when doctoral students in applied psychology programs who have applied for predoctoral internships learn whether they have matched with internship sites. David Boudreaux has matched at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, FL.
Congratulations, David!
Congratulations, David!
New Lab Space
08/29/14
We received some great news at the beginning of the Fall academic term. The Anger and Traffic Psychology Lab has gained access to some recently vacated lab space in our building, which we will share with Dr. Madson's College Alcohol Research Team.
This lab space should provide students with some quiet workspace, a place for graduate students to meet with undergraduate research assistants without disrupting others, and facilitate access to shared research materials. It will take some time and effort to organize the space effectively and figure out how best to use it, but it will be very helpful as we move into a busy semester with multiple projects underway and a few more about to begin.
This lab space should provide students with some quiet workspace, a place for graduate students to meet with undergraduate research assistants without disrupting others, and facilitate access to shared research materials. It will take some time and effort to organize the space effectively and figure out how best to use it, but it will be very helpful as we move into a busy semester with multiple projects underway and a few more about to begin.
Lab Member Heading to Wellspan Behavioral Health for Internship
03/24/14
Congratulations to Emily Prather, an advanced doctoral student working in the Anger and Traffic Psychology Lab, who recently learned that she matched successfully for a predoctoral internship at Wellspan Behavioral Health in York, PA.
This site should be a great fit with Emily's interests in behavioral medicine. We're proud of you, Emily!
This site should be a great fit with Emily's interests in behavioral medicine. We're proud of you, Emily!
Lab Welcomes Two New Doctoral Students
02/18/13
The Anger and Traffic Psychology Lab is pleased to welcome two new doctoral students for the Fall 2013 academic term.
Caitlin Clark is a master's student currently working in the lab who joined us in 2011 from Georgia College & State University. She plans to continue her research on aggression and hopes to broaden her focus beyond parenting-related variables. Niki Knight is completing her bachelor's degree at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Her interests make her a good fit for the lab.
Congratulations to Caitlin and Niki! We look forward to working with you.
Caitlin Clark is a master's student currently working in the lab who joined us in 2011 from Georgia College & State University. She plans to continue her research on aggression and hopes to broaden her focus beyond parenting-related variables. Niki Knight is completing her bachelor's degree at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Her interests make her a good fit for the lab.
Congratulations to Caitlin and Niki! We look forward to working with you.
Lab Member Heading to Texas State University - San Marcos for Internship
02/25/11
Congratulations to Kate Czar, an advanced doctoral student working in the Anger and Traffic Psychology Lab, who learned today that she matched successfully in the predoctoral internship match process.
Kate has been interested in working at a university counseling center for some time, and she is excited to have a position at her top choice: the Texas State University - San Marcos Counseling Center. We’re proud of you, Kate!
Kate has been interested in working at a university counseling center for some time, and she is excited to have a position at her top choice: the Texas State University - San Marcos Counseling Center. We’re proud of you, Kate!
Congratulations to Two New Lab Alumni
12/19/10
Michelle Augustin and Greg Futral both graduated with their doctorates in Counseling Psychology this month. They were valuable members of the lab, and their contributions will be missed even as we wish them the best moving ahead with their careers.
Michelle's dissertation, "A Psychometric Investigation of the Young Adult Social Behavior Scale (YASB)," was a confirmatory factor analysis and validation of a self-report measure of relational aggression suitable for college students. Greg's dissertation, "Increasing Readiness to Change Anger: A Motivational Group Intervention," involved a treatment study in which a brief motivational enhancement group was compared with a no-treatment control.
Michelle's dissertation, "A Psychometric Investigation of the Young Adult Social Behavior Scale (YASB)," was a confirmatory factor analysis and validation of a self-report measure of relational aggression suitable for college students. Greg's dissertation, "Increasing Readiness to Change Anger: A Motivational Group Intervention," involved a treatment study in which a brief motivational enhancement group was compared with a no-treatment control.