Kat Roberts, B.A. 

Kat Roberts joined the Trauma and Stress Studies Center (TaSSC) at Texas A&M University in March 2025. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Hamilton College in 2022 and is currently in her first year of the MSW program at the Columbia School of Social Work. Previously, Kat served as Program Coordinator for Dr. Vujanovic and Dr. Back’s NIH-funded (R01) multi-site clinical trial focused on evaluating the efficacy of a novel integrated treatment, Cognitive Processing Therapy + Relapse Prevention, at the Medical University of South Carolina. She now continues in that role at Texas A&M University, supporting research and clinical efforts focused on PTSD and substance use disorders. Kat’s professional interests center on trauma-informed care and expanding access to evidence-based treatment for underserved and at-risk populations. Following completion of her MSW program, she plans to continue working with individuals experiencing complex PTSD, substance use disorders, and housing instability. 

Colt Hardwick, B.S. 

Colt received his B.S. in Economics with a minor in Psychology from Texas A&M University in 2025. He joined the team as Project Coordinator of the First Responder Specialized Training project, a NIH-funded (R01) multi-site clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of a resilience training workshop for firefighters and EMS personnel. As an undergraduate student, Colt served as a research assistant in the Existential Psychology Collaboratory, under Dr. Schlegel. He joined the TaSSC because of his interest in contributing to research focused on improving our understanding of PTSD and co-occurring conditions in first responders. He hopes to use his 5 years of experience as a volunteer firefighter to bridge the gap between research and practice. In his free time, Colt enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time outdoors.

Katherine Lemus, B.S.

Katherine earned a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience and a minor in Psychology from Texas A&M University in 2026. During her undergraduate career, she served as a research assistant in the Smotherman Bat Lab, where she conducted behavioral neuroscience research investigating magnetoreception and sensory processing in Mexican free-tailed bats. She also completed neuroanatomical mapping projects using confocal microscopy. Katherine developed an interest in clinical research through teaching and research experiences centered on psychological assessment and ethics, leading her to join TaSSC as a post-baccalaureate research assistant. Her interests include trauma and stress-related disorders, resilience, neurodegeneration, and the intersection of neuroscience and clinical psychology. In the future, Katherine hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and contribute to research that advances the understanding and treatment of trauma-related conditions and neurodegenerative diseases. In her free time, she enjoys reading, exploring new coffee shops, and adding to her ever-growing houseplant collection. 

Oluwasemilore Ojerinde, B.A.

Semi received her B.A in Psychology and minor in Sociology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2024. At the University of Texas at Austin, she served as an undergraduate research assistant for two years at the Dunsmoor Emotions Lab studying the effects of emotions (fear) on memory with the use of neuroimaging and psychophysiology on individuals without and with PTSD. After graduating, Semi joined TaSSC to continue to further grow and explore her curiosity for psychology in regard to PTSD, substance use, and evidence-based intervention studies. Semi's current research interests include the effects of psychopathological disorders in regard to Depression, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, and Anxiety Disorders in diverse socioeconomic and minority populations. She is also interested in the interconnection between sociological determinants and psychopathological disorders. Semi hopes that in the future she can work with diverse individuals of ethnic, socioeconomic, and racial backgrounds in the framework of biopsychosocial approaches. In her free time, Semi enjoys traveling, watching tv, cooking/baking, and being actively involved in church ministry! 

Shelby McGrew, M.S.

Shelby is a pre-doctoral intern in the Traumatic Stress track at the Medical University of South Carolina and a sixth-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at Texas A&M University. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2018. Following graduation, Shelby served as a research coordinator at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System in the Distress, Anxiety, and Trauma Disorders Laboratory. In this role, she contributed to the development of an anxiety sensitivity–based pilot intervention for veterans presenting with opioid use disorder.

Shelby’s current research focuses on identifying and targeting risk and maintenance factors underlying co-occurring posttraumatic stress and substance use, particularly among underserved survivors of interpersonal forms of trauma. Her master’s thesis examined transdiagnostic cognitive-affective factors related to PTSD and motives for alcohol use among Hispanic/Latina survivors of interpersonal trauma. Her dissertation project will explore barriers that impede access to and utilization of trauma and substance use-focused treatment among rural women exposed to sexual trauma. Shelby has matched for her clinical internship at the Charleston Consortium/Medical University of South Carolina, which she will begin in August 2026. 

Savannah Woller, M.S.

Savannah is a fifth-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Texas A&M University. She received her B.S. in psychology and sociology from Florida State University in 2020. After graduating, Savannah worked as a research assistant in the Anxiety and Behavioral Health Clinic at Florida State University under Dr. Brad Schmidt on several studies and clinical trials related to the prevention and amelioration of anxiety-related pathology. Savannah’s current research interests involve (1) identifying emotion- and interpersonal-related risk factors for the development and maintenance of PTSD and co-occurring suicide-related outcomes and (2) examining the association among PTSD symptoms, moral injury, and suicide-related outcomes among first responders and trauma-exposed individuals. 

Alexis Berry

Alexis is a fourth-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Texas A&M University. She earned her B.S. in psychology and neuroscience from The Ohio State University in 2021. Following graduation, Alexis worked as a post-baccalaureate research assistant in the OSU Mindfulness Lab, where she contributed to an fMRI study examining mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She also served as a research assistant and psychometrist on neuroimaging projects investigating early cognitive impairment and risk factors for developing alcohol use disorder (AUD) in adolescents with a history of interpersonal trauma.

Alexis’ current research focuses on identifying biological and environmental risk factors associated with the development and maintenance of PTSD, with a particular emphasis on first responders and trauma-exposed women. Her work aims to inform more targeted and effective interventions for these high-risk populations.

Aniqua Salwa

Aniqua is a third-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at Texas A&M University. She received her B.A. in psychology from the University of Houston in 2022. After graduating, Aniqua was a research coordinator at the Research on Emotion, Substance Treatment Outcomes, and Racial Equity (RESTORE) Laboratory directed by Dr. Michael Zvolensky. In this role, she coordinated several studies and clinical trials on substance use, mental health, and minority-stress-based experiences among the Latino/Hispanic population. Aniqua is interested in developing culturally tailored trauma-focused, evidence-based interventions and health education programs. In particular, she is interested in exploring the compounding impact of sexual and interpersonal trauma, in conjunction with racial trauma, on maladaptive health behaviors among individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.