Four students given 2020-21 Ray E. Hosford Memorial Research Awards

Alissa Der Sarkissian, Adriana Sanchez, Ginette Sims, and Ida Taghavi of the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology at UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School received 2020-2021 Ray E. Hosford Memorial Research Awards. This memorial fund was established in memory of former Education Professor, Ray E. Hosford by his surviving wife, Phyllis Hosford, former students, and friends. The awards support qualified graduate students within GGSE’s Department of Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology, preferably going to those pursuing research in Social Learning Theory.

Der Sarkissian is currently a doctoral student in the School Psychology emphasis under Dr. Jill Sharkey. She graduated in 2014 from UCLA with a B.A. in Psychology, where she gained experience in various labs that studied the effects of racial disparities, sexual violence, and early life stress. Currently, her dissertation project focuses on cultural considerations for mental health needs and strengths of the Armenian community. In particular, she is examining how the Armenian genocide, displacement, and other historical losses impact mental health, community support, mental health stigma, and feelings of cultural bereavement and historical preservation.

Sánchez is a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology emphasis working with Dr. Melissa L. Morgan. She received her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Applied Psychology in June 2016 and her M.A. in Counseling Psychology in June 2018 from UCSB. Her research interests include educational attainment and persistence, resilience, and thriving in underrepresented and under-served populations, with an emphasis in Latinx populations. She currently works as a Graduate Student Mentor/Program Assistant for the Transfer Student Center and is passionate about mentoring first-generation college and transfer student undergraduates.

Sims is a 5th year doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology working with Dr. Maryam Kia-Keating. She completed her undergraduate degree in anthropology at Williams College and received her master’s in counseling psychology at UCSB. Her research interests examine the socio political and cultural influencers of trauma symptomology in marginalized populations. Her project funded by the Hosford Memorial Award examines the psychological impact of watching media containing police violence against African-Americans on African-Americans and other populations.

Taghavi is a Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology working under Dr. Maryam Kia-Keating. Her research and clinical interests encompass trauma and resilience, and the use of community-based participatory research. As a student and teacher of yoga, she is also particularly interested in the role of mindfulness in promoting resilience and well-being for vulnerable, trauma-exposed populations.