A rainbow arcs over the Clark Fork River in Missoula, MT with Mount Sentinel in the background after rain showers fell on the Missoula Valley.

Psychology

School Psychology Faculty Research

Dr. Brown's GRAY Lab

The Grief and Resilience Among Youth (GRAY) lab focuses primarily on grief and resilience in students, with a broader focus on crisis prevention and intervention.
Dr. Goforth's CRESP Lab

The Culturally Responsive Evidence-based Practices in School Psychology (CRESP) Lab conducts research that supports the well-being and learning of children, as well as their families and communities
Dr. Machek's Lab

Dr. Machek's research focuses on school bullying and the assessment of reading disabilities.

Student Research Spotlight

Two graduate students, Gillian and Caitlin, standing in front of a screen at a conference presentation

A graduate student pointing at her conference poster, explaining to three conference atendees

Three graduate students and a professor standing in front of a conference presentation screen

A graduate student and a professor standing in front of a conference poster

Deborah Ith, MA

CRESP Lab

"My research interests focus on applied research in collaboration with schools, communities, and individuals who will directly benefit from the research. My research also focuses on promoting equity in public schools, multitiered social-emotional and behavioral interventions in K-12 education, and programs that build belonging, hope, resilience, and wellness in children and adolescents, with a particular focus on those from historically marginalized backgrounds. My master’s thesis aimed to understand the lived experiences of Latinx immigrant high school students that impacted their sense of school belonging. Similarly, my dissertation aims to develop a culturally grounded school belonging measure for Indigenous students within a specific community."

A graduate student presenting a poster at a conference

Caitlin Ward, MA

GRAY Lab

"My research focuses on how adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma shape mental health and behavioral outcomes, with particular attention to how individuals perceive and make meaning of those experiences. My thesis examined the relationships among ACEs, perceived traumatic impact, depressive symptoms, and risky alcohol use in emerging adults. Building on findings that many participants reported positive change following adversity, my dissertation research will explore post-traumatic growth and the protective factors that support resilience after childhood maltreatment and trauma."

Gillian Wilcox standing in front of a conference poster

Gillian Wilcox, MA

GRAY Lab

"My research focuses on the resilience and psychological well-being of children and families who have experienced traumatic stressors, with a particular emphasis on childhood bereavement. Through community-based research, I aim to develop and improve accessible, evidence-based interventions that reflect the priorities of children and families, particularly in rural and underserved communities. My broader scholarship has examined academic resilience following the COVID-19 pandemic, factors associated with prolonged grief disorder in children, and strategies to strengthen and diversify the school psychology workforce. This work includes co-developing a mentorship program for Indigenous undergraduate students interested in school psychology.