---
title: Palo Alto University at the Western Psychological Association Convention
description: Palo Alto University faculty, students, and alumni participate in the 100th WPA Virtual Convention, showcasing diverse psychological research and interventions from October 28-31, 2020.
---

[News ](https://paloaltou.edu/resources/news)

# [Palo Alto University at the Western Psychological Association Convention](https://paloaltou.edu/resources/news/palo-alto-university-western-psychological-association-convention)

 Written by [Staff](https://paloaltou.edu/resources/news/author/admin) | Oct 28, 2020 7:00:00 AM

Over 25 Palo Alto University (PAU) faculty members, students and alumni have been invited to participate in this year's 100th annual [Western Psychology Association (WPA) Virtual Convention](https://westernpsych.org/convention/) taking place October 28-31, 2020. 

[Download](https://www.paloaltou.edu/sites/default/files/102820%20Western%20Psychological%20Association%20Conference%20Final.pdf) or see the the full schedule listed below.  Please note that all times are Pacific Time (PT).

###### **Wednesday, October 28, 2020**

| 11am-12noon Live Teaching Conference Applying Psychological Knowledge as the Foundation for Creating a New Generation of Youth Heroes - Phillip G. Zimbardo, Ph.D., Heroic Imagination Project (Professor Emeritus) 1pm-2:15pm On-Demand Symposium Showcase of Internationally Focused Dissertations Interaction Between Personality and Age on Health Status Among Older Adults in New Zealand - Charissa Hosseini (Graduate) & Lisa M. Brown, Ph.D. (Professor) Sleep and Emotional Stressors in Mars Analog Simulation Crew - Afik Faerman (Ph.D Student & Adjunct Professor) 2:15pm-3pm   On-Demand Symposium Trauma, Coping and Resilience with Displaced Populations:  The Impact of Community Interventions Discussant: Sita Patel, Ph.D. (Asst. Professor) Presentation Titles and Presenters: Coping with Trauma Among Immigrant Survivors of Torture  - Vanessa Ma, Ph.D. (Graduate) Running Women’s Problem Solving Groups Among Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: A Positive Experience - Sariah Daouk, M.A. (Ph.D. Student) Exploring School Performance and Health in a Fragile Geopolitical Context: Findings From the Lebanon AHEAD (Advancing Health and Education Amid Displacement) Study - Nicole Khauli, M.A. (Ph.D. Student) |
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###### **Thursday, October 29, 2020**

| 10am-11:30am On-Demand Symposium PTSD and Co-Occurring Conditions: Research and Clinical Intervention Symposium Chair Name: Osnat Lupesko-Persky (Ph.D. Student) Patterns of Intimate Partner Violence and Co-occurring PTSD and Substance Use Disorder - Matthew M. Yalch, Ph.D. (Asst. Professor) & Sloane R. M. Rickman (Ph.D. Student) The Association Between PTSD and Intermittent Explosive Disorder, and Their Relationship with Firearm Possession - Osnat Lupesko-Persky (Ph.D. Student) Older Adults and Late Onset PTSD - Lisa M. Brown, Ph.D. (Professor) 10:30am-12noon On-Demand Symposium Building Everyday Heroes from the Ground Up - Philip Zimbardo, Ph.D., Heroic Imagination Project (Professor Emeritus) 10:45am-11:30pm On-Demand Paper Session Sexuality Social-Contextual Influences on Racial Disparities in HIV Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men in Chicago  Elizabeth McConnell, Ph.D. (Asst. Professor) 11am-12noon Poster Session Cognitive/Conceptual Development & Information Processing Poster Session Internal Locus of Control and Attitude Predicting Cognition Across Lifespan - Ashton Scherrer (Ph.D. Student) 12:30pm-1:30pm On-Demand Symposium Self-Connection: Theory, Measure, and Application - Kristine Klussman, Ph.D. (Graduate) 1pm-2pm Live Distinguished Speaker Ethnic and Racial Minority Issues: How Are We Faring? - Stanley Sue, Ph.D. (Distinguished Professor) 1pm-2pm Poster Session Poster Session #8 Assessing Suicide Risk in Spanish-Speaking Individuals: A Systematic Review - Paola Mendoza Rivera (Ph.D. Student) Preliminary Validation of the CAT-PD Inconsistency Scale: A Monte Carlo Study - Amber Steward (Ph.D. Student) 2:45pm-3:00pm On-Demand Paper Session Stress & Anxiety Insight Therapy Reduces Problematic Behaviors and Psychotropic Medication Use Among a Complex Older Veteran Cohort - Jonathan Sills, Ph.D., VA Palo Alto Health Care System (Graduate) 3:00pm-4:30pm Live Symposium STP Symposium: The Last Lecture Each year, the Society for the Teaching of Psychology invites distinguished teachers to give their “last lecture” – a deliberately ambiguous assignment that involves a reflective look at teaching. Featured: Racism, Ethnicity, and Other Hot Topics for Teaching - Stanley Sue, Ph.D. (Distinguished Professor)) |
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**Friday, October 30, 2020**

| 9am-10am On-Demand Paper Session Clinical and Psychotherapy Sexual Victimization History and Adjustment in Recent Trauma Survivors - Steffanie Tinsley, Ph.D., M.A.(Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellow) 10am-11am Poster Session Poster Session 10 BMI, Total Body Fat, and Inflammation Predicting Symptoms of Depression - Eliot Steer (Ph.D. Student) 12:15pm-1:45pm On-Demand Symposium The Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development: Examples from International Psychology Collectivistic Cultures: Three Main Factors Which are Relevant to Psychopathology Among Taiwan, Korea and Japan - Satoko Kimpara, Ph.D. (Asst. Professor) & Larry E. Beutler Ph.D. (Distinguished Professor Emeritus) 1:00pm-2:00pm Poster Session Poster Session 13 Using Bayesian Variable Selection Techniques to Explore Potential Factors Moderating Response to Virtual Reality Guided Meditation - Kevin Liu (Ph.D. Student) 2:00pm-3:00pm Poster Session Poster Session 14 Negative Trauma-Related Beliefs and Sleep Disturbances in Recently Traumatized Treatment-Seeking Civilian Adults - Emily Garfinkle (Ph.D. Student) Social Constraints and Trauma Disclosure in Recently Traumatized Treatment-Seeking Adults - Angelique Finestone (Ph.D. Student) 3:00pm-4:00pm Poster Session Poster Session 15 Culturally Informed Reminisce Supports Emotion Regulation Among a Complex Older Veteran Cohort - James Mazzone, Ph.D., Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (Adjunct Faculty) Help-seeking and Mental Health Care Utilization of LGBTQ+ African American Churchgoers - Sheila Park (Ph.D. Student) |
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**Saturday, October 31, 2020**

| 10:00am-11:00 am Poster Session Poster Session 16 Culturally Adapted Interventions in India: A Systematic Review Using the Cultural Treatment Adaptation Framework - Aishwarya Thakur (Ph.D. Student) 11:00am-12noon Distinguished Speaker Enlisting the Power of Youth for Climate Change: Albert Bandura Q&A with Philip Zimbardo - Phillip G Zimbardo, Ph.D., Heroic Imagination Project (Professor Emeritus)   |
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