jeanpauline_serrano@ucsb.edu

Hello! I am thrilled to serve as the SASP President this year. I am a fourth-year doctoral student in school psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). I earned my master’s and bachelor’s degrees in psychology from California State University, Northridge (CSUN), where I currently teach as part-time faculty. My research focuses on understanding how individual, family, school, and community factors influence the mental and physical health and academic success of historically marginalized students. I am particularly passionate about the role school psychologists play in strengthening family-school connections. My career goal is to become a professor, where I can teach and mentor the next generation of underrepresented scholars while advancing inclusivity in school psychology. In my free time, I enjoy mental health walks, listening to audiobooks, and exploring new restaurants with friends and family. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or recommendations—or just to connect!

krpete15@ilstu.edu

Greetings everyone, I am Kierra Peterson, and I serve as the SASP Past-President this year. I am a doctoral candidate in school psychology at Illinois State University. For my undergraduate tenure, I attended Alabama State University where I secured my bachelor’s degree in psychology with a double minor in Spanish and writing. After that, I attended Clayton State University to obtain a master’s in clinical/counseling psychology. After graduating, I went back to school to acquire a master’s in strategic leadership development, as I plan to open my own Clinical Psychology practice in the future. I am passionate about researching issues relevant to Black culture, and currently I just finished my apprenticeship project on the differences in racial microaggressions for Black college students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) versus those at Historically White Institutions (HWIs). Currently, I am researching the #BlackInTheIvory campaign to analyze how Black faculty members cope with tokenism as White higher education institutions use them to appear diverse. I also received a Fellowship aimed at diversifying higher education faculty in Illinois, so I am excited to enter academia upon receiving my Ph.D. in school psychology. In my free time, I enjoy participating in global community service projects, such as helping build stoves in Costa Rica and educating youth in St. Lucia. I am also a mom to my 2-year-old son, Bryte. For relaxation, I enjoy journaling, doing yoga, trying new restaurants, and traveling throughout the globe.

jquintanilla@ucsb.edu

Hi everyone! I am enthusiastic to serve as the SASP President-Elect this year! I am a second year school psychology doctoral student at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Fun fact about me – I have had the great opportunity to live around different parts of California! I grew up in Anaheim where I attended Fullerton College, transferred to UC Berkeley for my bachelor’s in psychology, and worked in San Francisco for UCSF’s Fuerte immigrant mental health lab. My research interests include student perceptions of school climate, dropout prevention, and immigrant student mental health. My career goal is to pursue the professoriate where I aspire to mentor and provide instruction to the next generation of school psychology students. When I have free time, I enjoy playing on my PC, hitting the gym, crocheting, and baking. Please feel free to reach out at any time – or even just to connect 🙂

kcampbell95@student.gsu.edu

Hi everyone! I am Kate Campbell-Graham and I am honored to serve as this year’s SASP Editor-Elect. I am currently a first-year doctoral student in school psychology at Georgia State University. Before starting graduate school, I attended the United States Military Academy, where I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in English. Currently, I am a member of two research teams: one focuses on implementing inclusive approaches in middle schools to reduce exclusionary practices and substance use, and the other aims to strengthen MTSS practices in schools through culturally responsive strategies. My research interests center around school climate and its role in improving outcomes for students with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). I am also passionate about supporting students with disabilities in their transition planning. Outside of academics, I enjoy traveling, trying new foods, and running!

ziegelm4@msu.edu

Hi there! I am thrilled to serve as the SASP Editor-Elect. I am currently a third-year doctoral student in school psychology at Michigan State University. Before starting graduate school, I earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and criminology from the University of Utah. My research focuses on improving the accessibility, implementation, and effectiveness of school-based mental health and social-emotional interventions for autistic students and other neurodivergent youth. I am particularly interested in bridging the gap between research and practice by adapting evidence-based programs to be developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of learners with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Outside of my studies, you can find me baking, playing board games, watching (and often crying over) Britain’s Got Talent golden buzzer videos, singing karaoke, and spending time with my family and friends! I would love to connect if you have any questions or comments, or if you just want to chat!

ekene_azuka@berkeley.edu

Hey guys! I am so excited to be involved with SASP this year as the Diversity Chair. I am a PhD student in the School Psychology Program at the University of California, Berkeley. I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and I graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Cognitive Studies and Psychology from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. My current research interests surround academic achievement for children who have experienced maltreatment, as well as trauma-informed practices in the K-12 education system. I am also passionate about implementation science and school improvement initiatives. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends, all things theater and musicals, roller derby, and dissecting the meaning behind television series and movies (watch Severance!!!).

oachingale2@huskers.unl.edu

Hello! My name is Odera, and I’m so excited to serve as the Diversity Affairs Chair-Elect. I earned my two undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the University of North Dakota. Currently, I am a third-year PhD student in the School Psychology program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. My research interests include learning about the school experiences of immigrants, particularly with bullying, adaptation, and sense of belonging. Also, I am interested in exploring the impact of immigration and acculturation stress on the well-being of immigrants, particularly African immigrants, and the factors that influence their mental health service utilization. My hobbies include weightlifting, traveling (I’m super into cruises now!), and binge-watching series (crime, thriller, & reality TV) on Netflix. I’d love to connect with anyone with similar research interests or hobbies!

amberlreinke@ucsb.edu

Hi, everyone! My name is Amber Reinke, and I’m thrilled to serve as the 2026 Convention Chair on the SASP Board. I’m currently a third-year doctoral student in school psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. My research interests focus on understanding the processes and mechanisms through which early symptoms of psychopathology contribute to negative school-related outcomes, as well as exploring student-athlete mental health and well-being. In my free time, I enjoy watching sports and spending time with my family and friends. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to connect or have any questions!

lesliealvarez@ucsb.edu

Hello everyone! My name is Leslie Alvarez and I am excited to serve as the 2026 Convention Chair-Elect on the SASP Board. I am a proud first-generation, second-year M.Ed. student in school psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to beginning my graduate journey, I earned my bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Education Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles. My research interests focus on culturally responsive practices that support the academic engagement, mental well-being, and sense of belonging of multilingual learners from diverse backgrounds. I am also interested in examining and refining early interventions that support the development of students’ social-emotional learning and perceptions of school climate. In my free time, I enjoy going on sunset walks and spending time with my friends and family. Please feel free to reach out if you’d like to connect!

sara.flash@uconn.edu

Hi everyone! I am incredibly excited to serve as the SASP Student and Chapter Relations Chair-Elect this year. I am currently a third-year doctoral student in the School Psychology program at the University of Connecticut. Prior to graduate school, I completed my undergraduate degree in neuroscience at Muhlenberg College and had the opportunity to work as a research assistant in Washington, DC. My research interests include intervention development, intervention implementation and fidelity, and school-based consultation. In my free time, I love to spend time hiking, swimming, and running outdoors and visiting family and friends. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to connect!

atmiles@memphis.edu

Hey everyone! My name is Asya Miles, and I am honored to serve as SASP’s Student and Chapter Relations-Elect. I am currently a third-year school psychology Ph.D. student at the University of Memphis. My research interests are broadly centered around creating more accessible, diverse, and emotionally safe learning environments for those who experience marginalization due to race, ethnicity, (dis)ability status, gender identity, and socioeconomic status. Prior to returning to my hometown of Memphis for graduate school, I double majored in Child Studies and Medicine, Health, and Society and received a Bachelor’s of Science honors degree from Vanderbilt University. In my free time, I engage in service-oriented work with various national and local service organizations. Outside of this, I have been dancing for 19 years and enjoy trying out new dance styles when I get the chance! I also love spending time with family, friends, and my doggo, Jaxson!

deborah.ith@umontana.edu

Hello everyone! I am a third-year doctoral student in the School Psychology Program at the University of Montana. My research is inspired by the students I worked with and focuses on building hope, resilience, and mental wellness in children and adolescents. My research aims to promote equity through multitiered social-emotional and behavioral interventions in K-12 education. Specifically, my master’s thesis focused on understanding how to facilitate school belonging among Latine students who immigrated to the United States during adolescence. I am currently working on my dissertation, which focuses on how place-based culturally responsive social-emotional curricula impact Indigenous students’ sense of school belonging. I am also the project manager of a grant-funded project to co-develop culturally responsive social-emotional curricula through partnerships with tribal members within Indigenous communities in Montana. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, creating and viewing art, and spending time with my family and my dogs. I look forward to meeting many of you at conventions and through my responsibilities this year!

savalos3@calstatela.edu

Hello everyone! My name is Samantha Avalos (she/her/ella), and I’m honored to serve as your Communications Liaison-Elect this year. I am a first-year student in the Ed.S. program at California State University, Los Angeles. I am currently a part of the Collaborative Research on Educational Equity and Wellbeing (CREW) Lab under the supervision of Dr. Sara Manchanda. I am currently conducting research that investigates how students with marginalizing identities navigate educational systems. I earned my undergraduate degree from California State University, Fullerton, where I gained research experience regarding prejudice and social justice issues within the legal system. As a Registered Behavior Technician, my applied experience includes providing direct and indirect applied behavior analysis services to children and adolescents with externalizing behavior challenges in school, home, and clinical settings. I am committed to delivering evidence-based, trauma-informed, and assent-focused interventions while collaborating with various stakeholders to provide holistic support. In my free time, I love spending time with my partner, going to the movies with my family, and staying active. I look forward to promoting equity for those I serve and am excited to be a part of the committee this year.