What is your specific area of research? What are you currently working on?My research focuses on how people regulate their emotions while dealing with eating disorder symptoms or following traumatic events. My last paper dealt with emotion regulation after the grief of losing a spouse. I spent the past year doing full time clinical work, and I’m looking forward to working with undergraduate students on smaller-scale research projects where they can take the lead on independent studies.
What are your other research/teaching interests? Any broader projects or initiatives you're involved with in your field?
In January, in an effort to close the gap between clinical research and clinical practice, I started a blog called
Binge Eating and Bulimia. The idea is to create a resource for people who are suffering from these disorders, and for the people close to them, by describing the latest research studies in concise, accessible blog posts. My posts then reappear on
Psychology Today once per month, which has been great for reaching a broader audience.
Additionally, I volunteer with a group of therapists called Connect and Change; we each see one patient who is a victim of domestic violence, pro bono.
I’m also opening my own private practice,
Tribeca Psychology, and will continue seeing patients on a part time basis.
What is most exciting to you about joining Barnard's faculty? What are you looking forward to most about being here?
I'm really excited about mentoring undergraduates. When I was a student at Duke, I benefited tremendously from working with faculty. I was able to do a research study on eating disorders as an independent project, which sparked my interest in emotion regulation and really played a critical role in the direction of my career. I’m hoping to help other students gain research experience and discover their interests in the same way that I was guided.
What courses will you be teaching?
I will be teaching two intro courses, “Introduction to Abnormal Psychology” and “Introduction to Clinical Psychology.” In the spring, I might also teach an advanced senior seminar on eating disorders.
Outside of your academic life, any interests, hobbies, accomplishments of note?
I love photography -- I’ve done engagement photos for friends and enjoy photographing natural landscapes.
