Our People

TWU Team

Dr. Lisa Rosen

Dr. Lisa Rosen serves as Principal Investigator for the TWU Family Project. She earned her BA in psychology from Rice University and her doctorate in developmental psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Philosophy and the Director of the Undergraduate Psychology Program. Her research interests focus primarily on the positive and negative aspects of children’s peer relationships. Her recent work centers on how parents influence their children’s peer relationships.

Dr. Linda Rubin

Dr. Linda Rubin serves as the Co-Investigator for the TWU Family Project. Dr. Rubin is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and Philosophy, as well as a Licensed Psychologist and the TWU Faculty Ombudsperson. She has a background in Counseling Psychology, with a research and clinical specialty in interpersonal trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. As the Co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) on two previously awarded U.S. Department of Justice and Office of Violence Against Women grants, she consulted on educational and clinical services provided to college students who were victims of domestic/dating violence, sexual assault/rape, and stalking. Dr. Rubin has collaborated with co-PIs, colleagues, and graduate students to generate numerous peer-reviewed publications in the areas of interpersonal violence and traumatic stress, and has supervised more than 50 dissertation and thesis projects.

Graduate Research Assistants

Ashton Romines

Hello everyone, thank you for your interest in our study! My name is Ashton Romines (she/her). I am a Master's student in TWU's Counseling Psychology program. I am also the Project Manager for the TWU Family Project. This role involves overseeing the data collection process and the lab space to ensure that families have the best experience possible. I plan on becoming a licensed therapist and hope to work with adolescents and young adults. My research interests are related to interpersonal connection and disconnection, identity formation, and parent-child communication.

Savannah Dali

My name is Savannah Dali (she/her)! I have been with the TWU Family Project since the summer of 2021. This summer marks my first year as a graduate research assistant. I have fallen in love with the process of psychological research during my time on the team. In Fall of 2023, I will start the TWU Master's of Psychological Science Program. I plan to one day obtain in a doctorate in clinical psychology and establish a career in science writing. My primary research interests include adolescent mental health, especially the unique forces that affect pre-teen and teen girls. I adore the Denton area and am super active in the community!

Liana Krisht

Hi everyone! My name is Liana Krisht and I'm a second year student in the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program. Spring 2022 is my first semester as a research assistant and I'm super excited to be a part of this team! I work with anything related to the measures/scales portion of the TWU Family Project. My future goal is to work as a counseling psychologist and have a positive impact on mental health.

Joel Flores

Hello! I'm Joel Flores and I am a doctoral student in the School Psychology program at TWU. My role on the team involves helping out with the logistics of completing the study. My future goal includes working in a public school as a school psychologist.

Daisie Llanes

Hello! My name is Daisie Llanes, and my pronouns are she/her. I'm a second-year Doctoral student in the School Psychology program at TWU. I first joined the TWU Family Project in 2019 as an undergraduate and returned in the summer of 2023! I plan to become a licensed psychologist and work with children and adolescents. My research interests include developmental psychopathology and the treatment of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents.

Ahissa Lopez

My name is Ahissa Lopez and my pronouns are she/her. I am a second year doctoral student in the School Psychology program at TWU. I joined the TWU Family Research Project team in Summer 2023 and I have thoroughly enjoyed it thus far. My research interests include restorative practices, the school to prison pipeline, and anger in children. I plan to seek further training in forensic psychology after completing my doctoral studies.

Carson James

Hi there! My name is Carson James, and I am a native Houstonian living in Fort Worth as I attend a doctoral program in school psychology at Texas Woman's University (TWU). I work as an educational diagnostician providing psychoeducational assessments to help identify children and adolescents with learning disabilities. I am a former special education teacher and middle school science teacher, so middle school-aged children hold a special place in my heart. I joined the TWU Family Project Research team in the Summer of 2023 and have enjoyed interacting with middle schoolers and their parents. Currently, I am furthering my career in psychological evaluations while obtaining the necessary schooling to provide psychiatric services to children and adolescents. My research interests include autism, specifically supporting parents and siblings who have a family member diagnosed with autism, diagnosing dyslexia, and orthographic processing as it relates to overall cognitive functioning and CHC Theory.

Samantha Saunders

Hey y'all! My name is Samantha Saunders (she/her/hers), and I am a second year Master's in Counseling Psychology student here at TWU. I joined the TWU Family Research Project in May 2023 and have very much enjoyed my time working on the team! Some of my research interests include disparities in treatment and diagnosis of marginalized, neurodivergent folx and the development of cultural identity which I hope to expand on further in my graduate studies as I continue my Master's and (hopefully!) a Ph.D.!

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Denise Gamino

Hello! My name is Denise Gamino. I am in my third year of my undergraduate education, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. I recently joined the Family Project team this semester of Spring 2022. This is my first time being a part of a research team and I am incredibly excited! Some of my research interests include neurodevelopmental issues developed in children, effects of traumatic brain injuries behaviorally, and parenting behaviors and their relation to children with developmental learning disorders. I aspire to become a clinical neuropsychologist one day and continue to work in research related to my research interests.

Raegan Woods

Hello! My name is Raegan Woods and I am currently a junior enrolled in the Psychology Program at Texas Woman's University. I became a member of this research team in the summer of 2021. I am currently interested in exploring how one's identity can affect their mental health as well as observing how anxiety impacts how one builds and maintains relationships. In the future, I would like to attend graduate school with the goal of creating a safe space for minorities to heal and speak about their mental health.

Melody Hardman

Hi! My name is Melody Hardman (she/her), and I joined this wonderful team in Spring 2023. I’m a senior at Texas Woman’s University, majoring in psychology and minoring in family studies. In the future, I plan on pursuing a career in marriage and family therapy and hope to continue my academic career at TWU. My research interests include variables affecting members of the LGBTQ+ community, specifically family dynamics within the community.

Nicole Samateh

Hello! My name is Nicole Samateh and I am a junior in Health Science undergraduate program on the Graduate School Preparation track at Texas Woman's University. I am also pursuing a minor in Psychology. I recently joined the TWU Family Project in August 2022 as an undergraduate research assistant. My research interest are BIPOC trauma, mental health disparities in the BIPOC communities, and family/partner violence. I plan to become a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with hopes of working in area of great disparities.

Zaide Gallegos

Hello! My name is Zaide Gallegos and the pronouns I use are she/her/they/them. I am an undergraduate sophomore here at TWU majoring in psychology and minoring in neuroscience. This is my first semester on the research project or on any research project in which I am very excited ready to explore and learn new things!

Anna Whitaker

Hi! I'm Anna Whitaker (she/her), and I am a senior undergraduate student in the psychology program here at TWU. I joined the Family Project team in January 2023, and I've had a great time exploring the realm of family studies and contributing to this research! I plan to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology, to work on individual treatment plans and family processes.

Aylin Rios

Hi, my name is Aylin Rios, and I am a junior majoring in psychology at TWU. My passion lies in becoming a marriage and family therapist, and I am excited to pursue this career path. Currently, I am gaining valuable experience by working with the TWU Family Project. This opportunity has allowed me to apply my knowledge and skills in a practical setting, furthering my understanding of the field. I am dedicated to helping individuals and families navigate through challenges and find happiness and fulfillment in their relationships. I am eager to continue my education and contribute to the well-being of others in the future.

Nijah Ricks

Hello! My name is Nijah Ricks. I am an undergraduate student in the senior year of my Psychology major at TWU. I have been a part of the TWU Family Project Research Team since January 2023 and deeply value the insights the work has provided me. I intend to become a licensed counselor that works with underserved communities, particularly those from culturally minoritized groups. My research interests are trauma recovery, resilience, cultural dissonance, and societal influences on self-concept.

Alumni

Ignatius Fox

Anissa Clark

Nia Scott

Monique Armenta

Hedy Hartness

Maria Gomez

Lizee Love

Sydney Johnson

Ashari Edwards

Lauren Picard

Nadene Pool

Meredith Higgins

Trisha Miller

Erin Vergara

Briana Joseph

Emma Parr

Heather Schnell

Autumn Brown

Xania Murray

Allie Woodson

Gisselle Mendoza

Anahi Garcia

Nika Amaglobeli

AdriAnne Laky

Bailey Jones

Hannah Causey

Jessica Padilla

Michelle Reynolds

Emily Skomer

Naela Patel

Seren Lind

Joshua Meisenbacher

Inez Reeves

Shawna Forsee

Avery Simmons

Amanda Greenwood

Mykala Barnett

Maria Perrin

Irene Markose

Theresa Atkins

Abigail Long

Amit Ohayon

Alumni's experience as research assistants

Anissa Clark

"The Family project allowed me to develop organizational and improvisational skills. I was on the team when the pandemic started and learning how to effectively switch gears as well as how to stay on top of the work was essential to furthering my professional development."

AdriAnne K.Laky

"Being a member of this research team taught me so much about not only myself and my abilities but also what it means to be a student at Texas Woman's University. I learned the importance of ethics, consistency, responsibility as well as the power of passion and coherency. I also learned a lot of valuable research skills that I can take with me into my future as a grad student, which would not have been possible without the amazing help and support of Dr. Rosen, Meredith, Allie, and my fellow team members. Overall, I am so grateful for the 2 years I spent as a member of this team and I look forward to seeing how my time with the team will further shape my future.

Utilizing some of the data from the measures of the child study, I developed my Honors capstone from our research. I created a poster entitled "Cyber Victimization as a Predictor of Depression and Loneliness in Children" which I presented for the 2021 SWPA conference. I also wrote a research paper over my individual study and that was the other piece of my capstone project."

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