The Youth Risk and Resilience Lab, under the direction of Dr. Sandi Rueger, is an opportunity for students in the Doctor of Psychology program at Wheaton College.
2014-2015 Membership
Miranda Meadows is a 6th year doctoral student from Laurel, Mississippi. She is currently on her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Maine Counseling Center. Her research interests include young adult substance use, sensation seeking, dispositional optimism, and hope. When not writing her dissertation, Miranda enjoys decorating anything that stands still long enough, exploring Maine, playing her ukulele, and using operant conditioning to train her dogs, Lady Darcy of Pemberley and Sir Dashwood of Norland Bark.
Andrea Kirby is a 5th year doctoral student from Cary, North Carolina. Her research interests include risk and protective factors for the development of depression in early adolescents. Current projects include a psychometric study on a measure of learned helplessness and mastery orientation in students. She recently defended her dissertation, aimed at testing a cognitive vulnerability-social support model for the development of depressive symptoms in early adolescents. Currently, she is completing her pre-doctoral internship at Momentous Institute in Dallas, TX, where she will stay to complete her post-doctoral fellowship. Whether in or outside of the lab, Andrea enjoys a good cup of coffee and music that is "karaoke worthy.”
Elissa Wuis a 5th year doctoral student from Schaumburg, Illinois. She is currently on pre-doctoral internship at Pennsylvania Hospital in the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Her research interests include Asian American adolescents, ethnic differences in attributional style, and generational differences in immigrant families. Elissa will be partnering with Asian Immigrant churches for her dissertation research, which examines how East-Asian values moderate the relationship between attributional style and depression. When not doing research, Elissa enjoys playing music, eating steak and lobster, and laughing with friends.
Anjelica Jackson is a 5th year doctoral student from Bowie, Maryland. She is currently completing her predoctoral internship at Washburn Center for Children in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a community mental health center where she works with underserved children, adolescents, and their families. Her research interests include African-American adolescents and families, social support, resilience, community-based interventions, and the psychology of spirituality. When not doing research, Anjelica enjoys watching sports, relaxing on the beach, and sharpening her napping skills.
Chase Aycock is a 3rd year doctoral student and Air Force Health Professions Scholar from Lorenzo, Texas. He is involved on a number of projects in YouRR lab, including his dissertation on the effectiveness of tobacco cessation among military personnel. His research interests include substance abuse, social support, health psychology, and meta analysis. In his free time, Chase enjoys playing volleyball, running, hiking, and being outdoors.
Jacqueline Chen is a 3rd year doctoral student from Winnetka, Illinois. Her research interests include adolescents, adolescents’ interactions with their parents, social support, and ethnic minorities. In her spare time, Jackie enjoys spending time with her friends and her husband, along with trying new activities.
Sarah Limberger is a 2nd year doctoral student from Evansville, Indiana. Her research interests include issues related to substance abuse and its prevention, particularly among at-risk youth. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys reading and spending time with her cohort and church small group.
Carissa Loynachan is a 1st year doctoral student from Des Moines, Iowa. Her research interests include adolescents, severe psychopathology, forensic psychology, and family functioning. In her free time, she enjoys exploring Chicago, sitting in coffee shops, and spending time with friends.
Stephen Case is a 1st year doctoral student and YouRR Lab Research Assistant from College Station, Texas. His research interests include fatherhood, parenting, and family support. In his free time, Stephen enjoys biking, music, and finding new restaurants with his wife throughout Chicagoland.
Yoonsun Pyun is a 1st year Master's student in CMHC program from Schaumburg, IL. She is interested in immigrant families, acculturation issues and depression in Asian American youth. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, finding good eateries, and having a cup of tea with a good read in one hand.
Hannah Oury is an undergraduate Psychology Student from Hartland, Wisconsin. Her research interests include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, group dynamics, and relational compatibility. When she is not in YouRR Lab assisting graduates on research projects, Hannah may be editing Wheaton’s humor and satire paper, dreaming up entrepreneurial ventures, or playing ultimate frisbee.
Hannah Wolfe Schweitzer, B.A., is a recent Wheaton grad majoring in psychology from Boulder, CO. Hannah's research interests include depression, non-suicidal self-injury, and social support. Hannah also works as a Behavioral Health Specialist at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center
Kristen Hoover, B.A., is a 2nd year Clinical Mental Health Counseling masters student from Ponte Vedra, Florida. Her research interests include adolescent psychopathology and wellbeing, the role and impact of hope upon development, community mental health, and play therapy. In her spare time, Kristen enjoys playing with her dog, Emma, hanging out with friends and family, and exploring new places.
