Rebecca Smith

Rebecca is a third-year clinical psychology Ph.D. student. Her research broadly focuses on understanding how stress and trauma shape individual well-being and interpersonal functioning, with a particular emphasis on intimate relationships. She is especially interested in how social, familial, and structural contexts influence these processes, particularly among marginalized and underserved populations, including sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals and couples. Her work considers how stress and adversity operate across multiple levels, from individual experiences and interpersonal dynamics to broader societal systems, with the goal of informing more accessible, responsive, and affirming healthcare.

Rebecca's research has increasingly focused on how sociopolitical and minority stressors shape the experiences and well-being of SGM individuals and couples. Her recent projects have examined associations between sociopolitical stress and PTSD symptoms among SGM couples, as well as the lived experiences of SGM women navigating a shifting sociopolitical climate. She is currently leading a mixed-methods project investigating the implications of sociopolitical stress for mental health, sense of safety, healthcare access, and financial and housing stability among SGM individuals. Her master's thesis examined how distal (e.g., discrimination, violence, sociopolitical concerns) and proximal (e.g., stigma) minority stressors relate to LGBTQ+ couple functioning, relationship help-seeking, and perceived barriers to care.

Before joining the graduate program, Rebecca earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Health & Wellness Studies from Binghamton University. During her undergraduate studies, she gained multidisciplinary research experience across three psychology laboratories, spanning auditory cognitive neuroscience, human sexuality, and intimate relationship research. A proud Binghamton University alumna, she is grateful to continue her academic journey as a graduate student at the same institution.

Jessica Hill

Jessica is a fifth-year clinical psychology Ph.D. student. Her research focuses on how trauma at different developmental periods (i.e., childhood, adulthood, revictimization) impacts individual and interpersonal outcomes, with an emphasis on identifying mechanisms that promote positive adaptation from a socioecological perspective. For her Master’s thesis, Jessica examined the impact of childhood and adulthood sexual victimization on current intimate relationship functioning, and role of partner support in improving relationship outcomes. Jessica’s current research focuses on identifying prospective risk and protective factors for intimate relationship functioning in new Air Force service members. Jessica is also currently designing a series of studies examining how socioeconomic factors shape perceptions of experienced child neglect, and how these experiences impact early adult psychosocial functioning. She has an interest in continuing research on trauma and resilience with military and veteran populations.

Prior to joining the graduate program at Binghamton University, Jessica was a NIH Diversity Supplement recipient and worked as a research assistant at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System on a multilevel longitudinal study of resilience with new military personnel.  Jessica also has experience working on a randomized clinical trial looking at the efficacy of Narrative Therapy in the treatment of chronic PTSD in veterans. She holds a B.A. in Social Justice Outreach, and a M.A. in Counseling and Psychological Services.