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Department of Psychology

Faculty and Student Research

Faculty Research

Meghan A. Costello, Ph.D., University of Virginia, Assistant Professor

Dr. Costello studies how social relationships shape mental health and well-being in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Her research focuses on the development of emotional support, self-disclosure, and belonging within friendships and other close relationships, and how these processes influence mental health across time. She uses observational, longitudinal, and mixed-methods approaches to understand these processes and inform prevention and intervention strategies. In partnership with youth, schools, and communities, she also develops and evaluates programs that strengthen youth mental health through social connection with peers.

Scott Decker, Ph.D., Ball State University, Associate Professor

Neuropsychology, neuropsychology of reading and reading assessment, diagnostic decision-making, and evolutionary psychology. Dr. Decker has worked on numerous test projects including the Woodcock-Johnson Third Edition Tests of Cognitive Abilities and Tests of Achievement, the WJ III Diagnostic Supplement, Dean-Woodcock Neuropsychological Assessment System, and Stanford-Binet Fifth Edition.

Sarah R. Edmunds, Ph.D., University of Washington, Assistant Professor

Community implementation of evidence-based interventions for the impairments that are associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including social communication, social skills, flexibility, externalizing behaviors, emotion regulation, and anxiety; Equitable community access to interventions; Implementation science; Family quality of life & ASD; Individual differences in intervention efficacy; Mechanisms of intervention efficacy.

Steven B. Harrod, Ph.D., Professor

Dr. Harrod's research examines factors that influence vulnerability to substance use, including the effects of prenatal nicotine exposure on brain development and drug-motivated behavior. Using animal models, he also investigates potential medications for methamphetamine addiction and sex differences in responses to drugs. His work seeks to advance understanding of addiction and inform treatment development.

Sayward Harrison, Ph.D., East Carolina University, Assistant Professor

Dr. Harrison has a Ph.D. in Health Psychology and a specialization in the field of Pediatric School Psychology. Her research focuses on improving the health and wellbeing of youth who are impacted by acute and chronic health conditions. Dr. Harrison's primary research interests include psychosocial and behavioral aspects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). She is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a mobile Health (mHealth) intervention to improve engagement in care and medication adherence for youth living with HIV in the Southern United States. She is also funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to study adolescent vaccination, with the long-term goals of increasing vaccination coverage and reducing the impacts of preventable disease. Harrison runs the Healthy Futures Lab at UofSC.

Kimberly J. Hills, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, Clinical Associate Professor

Prevention and intervention for at-risk youth, the middle to high school transition, adolescent well-being, teacher well-being, positive psychology, and longitudinal investigations of the interrelationships of adolescent well-being, stressful life events, psychopathological symptomatology, and life outcomes.

E. Scott Huebner, Ph.D., Indiana University, Professor

The positive psychology research lab (Drs. Huebner and Hills) is predicated on the notion that all children have strengths. Thus, the research typically focuses on the application of positive psychology and child well-being conceptualizations and measurements to school psychology and related areas (e.g., health promotion). Examples of studies include: Examination of the interrelationships among positive well-being, behavior problems, personality, life events, and cognitive and behavioral coping strategies. Cross-cultural and cross-national studies of the comparability of well-being assessments and development. Antecedents and consequences of individual differences in school satisfaction. Utility of well-being measures with children with disabilities. Relationships between adolescent risk behavior and psychological well-being.

Tuyen Huynh, Assistant Professor and Bridge to Faculty Scholar

Dr. Huynh has practiced mindfulness for 15 years, influencing her mindfulness scholarship. She is the Director of the InterBeing Lab at USC. Dr. Huynh’s research program integrates interdisciplinary approaches drawn from contemplative science (e.g., reflective practices such as self-compassion and mindfulness) and psychology (e.g., family systems perspective). Her work identifies ways to bolster intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships that implicitly and explicitly impact child and family well-being. She also considers different caregiver roles and family relationships that impact child development. Dr. Huynh’s overarching research agenda is to promote community resilience by strengthening family relationships, emphasizing a health equity approach to reaching historically and persistently underserved minoritized communities.

Heather McDaniel, Assistant Professor

Dr. McDaniel’s research is focused on school behavioral health services and quantitative research methodology that informs research in schools. In school behavioral health, her interests specifically focus on the evaluation of evidence-based practices, with an emphasis on “what works, for whom, and under what conditions,” and the promotion of family involvement in services.

Samuel McQuillin, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, Assistant Professor

Dr. McQuillin studies how schools and communities can work together to promote emotional, behavioral, and academic wellness in children who are environmentally or developmentally at-risk. He is particularly interested in how theories of child development inform pragmatic prevention and intervention strategies. As part of his research, he developed a youth mentoring program for early adolescent children based on practices from Motivational Interviewing (MI), which is an approach to having conversations about behavior change that is collaborative, youth centered, and goal-oriented. In his research, he is interested in learning how, why, and to what extent mentoring relationships can prevent school problems and promote positive behavior.

Malena A. Nygaard, Ph.D., Indiana University Bloomington, Assistant Professor

School psychology; school mental health; youth, families, educators; culturally responsive practice; implementation science; evidence-based practices; trauma-informed multi-tiered systems of support; transdiagnostic mental health care; person-centered care; care coordination; Mental Health Action Plan (MHAP); mixed methods. Dr. Nygaard founded the SPARK Lab (School-based Practices Advancing Resilience in Kids Laboratory) with the goal to bridge the youth mental health research-to-practice gap and advance youth, family, school, and system resilience.

Jane Roberts, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Professor

Dr. Roberts’ program of research is to examine developmental outcomes in infants and young children with neurodevelopmental disorders with a specific emphasis on early markers of autism in fragile X syndrome. Autism is a devastating and common developmental disorder and a major public health concern. Fragile X syndrome is the leading genetic cause of autism and is associated with moderate intellectual disabilities, attention problems and anxiety. Thus, the study of autism and fragile X syndrome offers the opportunity to advance our understanding of underlying biological, cognitive and behavioral mechanisms that affect these populations, the general community and school systems more broadly. The majority of her work takes a family systems perspective and utilizes a prospective longitudinal design involving multiple measures from the at-risk child and family. She is very interested in measurement and employs psychophysiological, genetic, cognitive, developmental and psychiatric measures in her work. Much of Dr. Roberts’ work draws extensively from theories and methods from developmental neuroscience, and she has active collaborations with colleagues across multiple disciplines at USC and across the country including colleagues at UNC Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt University, and at the MIND Institute in Sacramento.

Luz E. Robinson, Assistant Professor

Dr. Robinson's research focuses on promoting mental health, healthy relationships, and school safety across K-16 settings. Her research involves the implementation and evaluation of community-based and school-based programs for violence prevention, including bullying and suicide. Dr. Robinson is trained as a bilingual school psychologist with clinical experience delivering evidence-based treatments (e.g., PCIT, TF-CBT, DBT, ACT) to children and families in school, hospital, and community-based mental health clinic settings. Dr. Robinson's research and clinical work focuses on low-income, underserved, trauma-exposed, multilingual, and neurodiverse populations.

Mark D. Weist, Ph.D., Virginia Tech, Professor

Children, adolescents and families; school mental health; positive behavior intervention and support; quality assessment and improvement; family engagement and empowerment; evidence-based practice; cognitive behavioral therapy; trauma focused intervention; interdisciplinary and cross-systems collaboration; systems analysis and change; policy influence. Dr. Weist directed a national center for school mental health for 15 years and edits the journal, Advances in School Mental Health Promotion (www.schoolmentalhealth.co.uk). He is active in the Clinical/Community and School programs.

An important training philosophy of the School Psychology program is providing mentoring and training opportunities for graduate students. Moreover, our program has a strong commitment to involving graduate students in the research and publication process. In 2016 and 2017, faculty averaged 11 publications each. Approximately 60% of publications are with students.

Faculty Currently Accepting Students for Fall 2027 Enrollment:

  • Scott Decker
  • Samuel McQuillin
  • Heather McDaniel
  • Luz Robinson
  • Malena A. Nygaard
  • Meghan A. Costello

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

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