On May 19, 2023, the PAU Stars shone brightly as we celebrated the outstanding accomplishments of our students, faculty, and student organizations.
A list of awardees, and their nominators’ comments, is below:
Excellence in Research
Sabrin Ghuman
Sabrin has been volunteering in two research labs:
Advancing Design and Delivery of Responsive, Effective, and Sustainable Services for Mental Health Lab under
Dr. Alayna Park at the University of Oregon and the
Aging, Neuropsychology, and Depression Lab under
Dr. Rowena Gomez at Palo Alto University. In the ADDRESS Lab, she systemizes mental health resources by the mental health topic and the type of resource. In the AND Lab, she has been assisting with graduate students’ research projects. Through her hard work as a co-author, she has a poster that was accepted on “Disseminating evidence-based mental health resources” to the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Dissemination, and Implementation Science Conference. She also recently submitted as a co-author on “Depression and Negative Symptoms Predicting Memory and Verbal Fluency in Psychotic Major Depression” for the 2023 National Academy of Neuropsychology Conference.
Academic Excellence
Giselle Mendoza
Giselle achieved academic excellence through maintaining a high GPA, showing their dedication to academics, a passion for learning, and persistence. The student stayed on top of their work and they keep themself in great academic standings throughout the program.
Lisna Octavanti
Lisna achieved academic excellence through maintaining a high GPA, showing their dedication to academics, a passion for learning, and persistence. The student maintained great communication with the program success team and continuously turned in great quality work.
Elaina Yip
Elaina achieved academic excellence through maintaining a high GPA, showing their dedication to academics, a passion for learning, and persistence. Elaina continuously took initiative to lead discussions in class, submitted high quality work and maintained open communication to develop her academic excellence throughout the program.
Kimberly Garvin
Kimberly achieved academic excellence through maintaining a high GPA, showing their dedication to academics, a passion for learning, and persistence. Kimberly maintains to be an active member in the field of mental health.
Excellence in Service
Abbey Sowatzke
Abbey is an incredible leader and student. She is involved in
Chi Sigma Iota and she is a teaching assistant for faculty in the counseling department. Abbey is patient, kind, and always willing to step up to support others.
Academic Excellence
Helen Vallaeys
Helen consistently excels at integrating theoretical material for clinical practice; her in-class questions reveal ongoing grappling with material to assure she is proactively prepared to serve her clients at the highest level. She lends her considerable experience with administrative and business endeavors to improve student networking for PAU in support of streamlining pipeline development for bilingual clinicians. Helen's level of engagement sets the tone for each class, and classmates know to follow her lead with reflexive application of course material on self-of-the-clinician work. Helen is prepared, hard-working, and humble.
Excellence in Research
Wen Guo
Wen always seeks opportunities to advance her research skills and experience. She expresses her passion in advocating for Asian immigrants' mental health. She has collaborated with faculty in conducting a research study exploring Asian immigrant parents’ perceptions of their teens’ social media usage and online aggression and racism. She has assisted in grant writing, data collection, and the data analysis process, presenting on this research topic at WACES. Wen is also supporting initiatives related to PAU's bilingual certification,
AANAPISI Task Force and course development, and will be instrumental to related research for years to come.
Excellence in Clinical Work
Maria Benavent
Maria has been balancing two practicum placements in service to the greatly underserved Spanish-speaking population. To ensure a broad range of training and preparedness, she has intentionally sought placement both in schools, as well as family outreach through community mental health agencies. Maria has committed to excelling in trauma-informed care through ongoing trauma training in somatics while still a full-time student juggling two placements. Her self-of-the-clinician work exhibits itself in her richly engaging-yet-regulated sessions with traumatized children and adults. Her ability to engage clients' spiritual belief systems and existential purpose as healing resources is evidenced in client report and therapeutic art. Her commitment to providing the best care possible is evident throughout all her coursework, extracurricular training, and ongoing self-reflection in supervision.
Outstanding Student
Nicole Marie Cowans
Nicole is an all-around outstanding student. She is highly involved as the president of PAU organizations
Diaspora and
Chi Sigma Iota, in addition to serving on the
Latinx Task Force. She takes great initiative as an RA with IRB proposal preparation and is a committed anti-racist team leader as exemplified by constantly advocating for her peers and faculty. Nicole has donated her time and expertise to provide self-regulation skills training to PAU students via an online group series; she also demonstrates advanced counseling skills thanks to her previous training as a Fitzmaurice Voicework instructor, facilitating relational somatic healing practices for a range of embodied emotional states, in addition to seeking training in pre-and-perinatal psychology. Nicole has been invited to present on these skills at ASERVIC's upcoming annual conference. Nicole's bilingualism and broad lived experience give her great empathy for diverse clientele across the lifespan; she is an asset to the field of counseling. Nicole brings value to any task or service she is engaged in.
Excellence in Research
Christina Desage
Christina is involved in the development of a chatbot designed to treat eating disorders as part of the grant project headed by
Dr. C. Barr Taylor and Dr. Fitzsimmons-Craft. Her work entails developing and drafting the chatbot program that aims to target over-evaluation of weight/shape, dietary restraint, emotion dysregulation, and resisting urges to binge, and is expected to be a month-long intervention program. Apart from its application in research testing, the chatbot is also planned for deployment by the National Eating Disorders Association to provide assistance to individuals seeking help for eating disorders. Furthermore, Christina has been collaborating with Dr. Taylor and other PI's on their iAIM EDU initiative, which seeks to utilize mobile technology to mitigate mental health disorders among college students. Additionally, she has been volunteering in
Dr. Eduardo Bunge's CAPT Lab, supporting doctoral students in their recruitment activities, and assisting with the creation of posters for academic conferences on the experiences of therapists and clinicians using video-conferencing therapy for children and adolescents, both pre-and during the pandemic. Christina is highly efficient and proactive; she will be an excellent researcher.
Karin Mostovoy
Karin is a student who has shown great initiative in conducting research. As a MS student, she has been proactive, volunteering in two research labs since the beginning of the first year in the MS program and working on numerous projects, including posters and papers. She always contributes during lab meetings and is the first to volunteer to assist with tasks, whether it is writing a section of a paper or coding data. Karin recently spearheaded her own research project, submitting a first-author poster. Karin also did an internship at the VA on mobile apps as part of her work in the MS program which translated to her earning the opportunity to work as a graduate research assistant in the Public Digital Health Innovation Program at the VA for the last year.
Excellence in Diversity
Zendrea Marshall
Zendrea is a strong advocate and provides a culturally inclusive, safe environment through her research, academics and personal activities. She actively speaks out on important social justice issues and maintains a professional outlook. She is professionally trained as a program services counselor and in supporting underserved populations at Dignity Health's Children's Center to ensure management of moderate to severe mental health conditions in children and adolescents. She is able to develop treatment plans for coping skills and social skills as needed to support underrepresented groups to offer advancement for society's most vulnerable. She has offered strong mental health support systems for these communities and is able to provide inclusive and accessible services that have allowed individuals to build and sustain daily living.
Academic Excellence
Maria Hanano
Maria is a stand-out student in the MS program. Not only has she demonstrated excellent academic performance in research methods and statistics, but she is also invested in understanding concepts deeply, challenging assumptions, and offers a perspective on clinical applications of statistics and research methods. Maria takes her academic work seriously and her insightful questions in the classroom enliven the discussion. This may be due to not only her natural curiosity, but her history of an excellent academic record and practical skills through her work as a project coordinator and staff research associate at UCLA. She is a joy to have in class and continuously demonstrates a maturity and depth of understanding that is reflective of academic excellence. During the last year she kept a perfect GPA and contributed nicely in class and with their peers. In addition to her MS performance she works at UCLA, where she was able to design and conduct her own research projects, which resulted in various poster presentations presented at national conferences. She has developed her own research project and published a first-author manuscript on adherence on an online intervention for depression and anxiety.
Outstanding Student
Alexandra Rousseau
Alexandra is a physician-scientist who aspires to become a clinical psychologist focusing on pediatric neurodevelopment, bridging the medical and psychological fields of expertise with humility and hard work. Not only does she excel in her academic achievements as an aspiring PhD graduate, she is also intensively invested in supporting faculty as a dedicated and hard-working teacher assistant in many courses, collaborating and mentoring her student peers, providing breadth in the topics being studied, offering clinical insights and methodological support to PhD students ahead of her in their curriculum. As a passionate clinical researcher, she is involved in several projects and collaborates across different labs.
Academic Excellence
Ciera Korte
Ciera has distinguished herself through simply exemplary academic performance. She owns a pristine 4.0 GPA punctuated by a remarkable nineteen A+ grades! Ciera's conceptual skills are highly developed and sophisticated. She metabolizes acquired knowledge and seamlessly integrates it into her skill portfolio. Ciera routinely makes incisive comments in class and research groups that clearly demonstrate excellent critical thinking abilities. Her written expressive skills are far beyond a 4th year doctoral student. For example, her scholarly productivity includes six journal articles, one book chapter, five published abstracts as well as nine national and international presentations. Several of her articles are already highly cited. Her academic integrity is beyond repute. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, she fully embraces diversity, equity and inclusion issues in scholarly and clinical work.
Excellence in Diversity
Chika Ofodu
Chika embodies values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything she does, both with respect to content and process. She brings an intersectionally feminist lens to her work and interactions with others. With respect to research, Chika's dissertation is a narrative examination of the mental health needs and experiences of Black women, including both cis and trans women, with a focus on impacts of racial trauma, underscoring resilience, and identifying opportunities for outreach programming. She brings a DEI lens to her participation in lab and the relationships she builds with other students. With respect to clinical work, Chika operates from a base of feminist therapy with an emphasis on social justice and has given multiple conference presentations on this approach. With respect to teaching, Chika has TA'd for several courses focused on diversity and culture. With respect to service, she was the Vice President for
Diaspora and seeks to better PAU.
Read more about Chika Ofodu here.
Excellence in Research
Gilly Dosovitzky
Gilly immediately comes to mind when we think of excellence in research! Her exceptional dedication and proactive approach have been invaluable to our research lab, where she has consistently gone above and beyond, being the first to contribute and take the initiative on lab projects. Her outstanding accomplishments include completing her dissertation with exceptional quality and publishing an impressive four first-authored paper on Artificial Intelligence-Based Chatbots. She is probably one of the first students to complete a dissertation based on four publications that she created. She continues to excel, working on several lab projects while off on Internship.
Excellence in Teaching
Shirin Aghakani
Shirin is one of the most talented students we have at PAU. She has been TA-ing in many classes and consistently got reviewers such as: "Shirin is an endless well of helpfulness and insight. Always goes above and beyond," "Shirin is the best TA I ever had,” "Shirin is more than we deserve as students,” "She always gave fantastic feedback with a lot of details and great suggestions for improvement,” "would love it if she was my TA for every class.” We are lucky that Shirin is with us. She will make PAU proud.
Outstanding Student
Malia Moreland
Malia Moreland is the paradigm of what it means to be an outstanding PhD student in clinical psychology. Since her arrival at PAU, Malia has been the go-to person for faculty, administration, and staff for any kind of job that needed to be done well. She has served as an admissions assistant, student interviewer, clinic manager, dissertation editor, ADA specialist for
CONCEPT, and a teaching assistant for five courses, excelling in each of these roles. Malia's excellence in research hasn’t been comparable. Since coming to PAU, she has worked in four research labs at PAU, VA Palo Alto, and the National Center for PTSD, publishing 6 journal articles and book chapters, with 1 under revision and several more in preparation. She has also presented seven posters at regional, national, and international scientific conferences and conducted peer reviews for five journals in her research areas of interest. Clinically, Malia stands out, having received stellar ratings on her PCAFs throughout her graduate practica and becoming a recognized expert on group applications of STAIR, a trauma-focused therapy protocol.
Excellence in Clinical Work
Stephanie Glover
Stephanie is an outstanding third-year trainee whose clinical talents were recognized as early as her first practicum in 2021 when she was nominated for the first time for the STARS Award for Clinical Excellence. Currently, she is completing two supplemental practica in addition to her primary practicum. Her nominating supervisor commends Stephanie for continuously demonstrating compassion and empathy in her interactions with patients, staff, and other trainees. Stephanie is described as a talented clinician who has a well-developed internal sense of her own strengths and growth edges and is always eager to learn more. Lastly, she has been a pleasure to work alongside. Stephanie is very deserving of the PAU Student Award for Excellence in Clinical Work.
Emma Huston
Emma is a stellar second year clinician-in-training who was nominated by multiple supervisors for this award. They collectively describe Emma as a superstar who is highly proactive, hard-working, enthusiastic, and demonstrates thoughtful inquiry in her approach to supervision and clinical care. Emma’s exceptional organizational skills have stood out, enabling her to juggle her multiple roles. The comfort, compassion, knowledge, and skill Emma has demonstrated clinically is outstanding. She is truly “value added” and her work has far exceeded what would be expected given her level of training. Overall, they have been consistently impressed with her skill and poise as a clinician and the rigor with which she approaches her work.
Excellence in Diversity
Steven Tran
Steven has continuously sought out specialized clinical training, service, research, and teaching experiences focused on diversity. At PAU, he is currently the President of the
Asian Pacific American Student Association as well as a member of the PsyD Consortium Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Student Advisory Board. He also volunteers in the community at Asian and Pacific Islander Equality - Northern California to further Asian and Pacific Islander queer and trans liberation movements in the Bay Area. As a TA for Biological Bases of Behavior, he helped the professor infuse DEI lens into the topic and helped to concretely highlight the empirical lens and assumptions made in neuroscience and how these are impacted by bias, environment, and social determinants. Steven was also recently awarded an APA Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Predoctoral Minority Fellowship.
Excellence in Research
Makenzie Odier
Maggie has been committed to both conducting and mentoring research throughout her doctoral training. In addition to her dissertation which she is proposing a bit ahead of schedule, Maggie is currently working on three manuscripts teaming with other students across multiple cohorts. She has also served as an indispensable research mentor as well as a TA for three quarters of research and statistics classes this year. In this role, she designs and implements her own lectures, grades exams, holds office hours, and provides consultation on the mini dissertation comprehensive project. Most importantly, she alleviates student stress around research and exemplifies a practitioner-scientist in training through teaching research and conducting research.
Outstanding Overall Student
Aggy Barnowski
Aggy is deserving of the PAU Outstanding Overall Student Award as she has been an exemplar of student excellence with multifaceted achievements. Aggy’s clinical competencies have been consistently above expectations including in 2021 when she received a STARS Excellence in Clinical Work Award. This year, one of Aggy’s clinical supervisors who nominated her for this award commented that her clinical and interpersonal skills exceed that of some established professionals. Specifically, he described her as bright, solutions-focused, empathetic, collaborative, and curious. She also demonstrates a wonderful bedside manner and is adored by coworkers. Her commitment to research has resulted in multiple publications and presentations. Aggy is also a valued citizen having served as a TA for two courses and as a co-president of a student-led group she created to inform the child emphasis program within the Consortium. She also serves as Campus Representative for APA Division 12 and mentors a recent college graduate through APA Division 53.
Community Awards
Student Mentorship
Madison Wright
As a 4th year PhD student in Clinical Psychology specializing in
Neuropsychology, Madison consistently excels in academics, research, and community service. What stands out about Madison is her remarkable dedication to the
Emotion, Cognition, and Neuropsychology (ECN) Lab and
Cognitive Processes in Psychiatric Conditions (CPNC) Lab. She completed prestigious training practicums at the UCSF epilepsy center and Palo Alto VA Memory Clinic, indicating her passion for the field of neuropsychology. In addition to her academic achievements, Madison is an active member of the community, currently serving as the marketing chair for the Northern California Neuropsychology Forum. She also advocates for students with disabilities, ensuring that they have equal opportunities in graduate education. Madison's commitment to mentoring and tutoring her peers with disabilities is inspiring, and she consistently demonstrates how to overcome educational hardships. Despite the demands of her graduate program, Madison skillfully balances competing priorities while embodying the core values of psychology. Her exceptional academic and community contributions make her a role model for her peers.
Faculty Mentorship
Dr. Peter Aston
For Dr. Aston, a student wrote: “Throughout my doctoral studies, Dr. Aston has repeatedly proved himself to be a dedicated teacher, advisor, and ally, and has always centered his response on the principles of integrity and kindness. His classes have been rich in applicable content, and I find myself regularly referring back to his slides to inform my own clinical practice. Outside of the classroom, Dr. Aston has helped me navigate challenging professional situations in a way that has allowed me to appreciate the power of supportive mentorship. As an international student, Dr. Aston’s own experience as an immigrant has been invaluable and he has consistently made space in our discussions for the complexities associated with international training and scholarship. I am so grateful to have had Dr. Aston “in my corner” during my time at the PsyD Consortium and feel that this echoes the sentiment of many of my peers in the program. I have no doubt that Dr. Aston is deserving of this accolade and feel grateful that our paths have crossed during my time at PAU.“
Dr. Karen Roller
For Dr. Roller, a student wrote: “There are not enough words to describe the impact of Dr. Karen Roller. Dr. Karen Roller is a profoundly skilled and engaging teacher and educator, but her mentoring skills weave together knowledge, experience, and human connectedness. She is deeply interested and open to student perspectives. Dr. Karen Roller is phenomenally generous with her power. She connects students with resources, provides additional readings, and offers collaboration opportunities. This helps build confidence and models how to work together to serve others better. Dr. Karen Roller also models how to be an ally, advocate, and activist in how she addresses multicultural counseling, anti-racism, and anti-oppression. In addition, she is extraordinarily skilled at grounding the coursework in real-life situations. This is especially important as most of us students will develop our counseling identity and skills at community-based agencies. To be guided by a faculty mentor deeply embedded in community mental health has been formative and reassuring. Altogether, Dr. Roller is an outstanding faculty mentor, and the impact is felt as a student but even more so as a human. She supports students collectively and individually.
Student Organization of the Year
Chi Sigma Iota
They’re being awarded for their hard work and dedication to connection. Not only are they connecting its chapter members to each other, they are connecting PAU to an international network of counseling excellence.This academic year saw the re-establishment of Chi Sigma Iota at PAU. Under the leadership of Board President Nicole Cowans, with guidance from faculty supervisors, the CSI board have thrown themselves at establishing a solid foundation for a sustainable future. Chi Sigma Iota, Pi Alpha Upsilon Chapter should be recognized at PAU Stars because they have ensured PAU’s representation in a global community.
Most Supportive TA
Shirin Aghakani
A student wrote: Shirin has been my TA in multiple classes and every time I saw her name on the syllabus, I knew I was in great hands. She is by far the best TA I have ever had! She is always very easy to get a hold of when I am not understanding an assignment, material from class, or even just to ask questions about the PhD program. In my clinical interviewing class, she offered additional zoom sessions to help us practice our clinical interviewing skills and made me feel a lot more comfortable about the material I was learning. She put in a great amount of effort to support each and every student and was always very positive and encouraging with the feedback she gave us. Shirin is a phenomenal TA and I constantly look up to her enthusiasm, support, kindness, and leadership skills. She made every class fun and a lot easier to comprehend. I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to have her as a TA multiple times.
