Student Affiliates of Seventeen (SAS) Executive Board
2022–2023

Cabinet

Saumya Arora, Tri-Chair
Pronouns: She/Her
Contact

Saumya Arora (she/they) is a 5th year doctoral student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville under the mentorship of Dr. Kirsten Gonzalez. Originally from California, she earned her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Minnesota. Saumya's current research and clinical interests are focused broadly on three concerns: 1) the mental health and well-being of queer and/or trans Black people, Indigenous people, and other People of Color (QTBIPOC), 2) South Asian mental health, and 3) advocacy through research. Saumya previously served as a Justice and Equity Pillar Co-Chair for SAS. In her spare time, Saumya can usually be found putting on bright eyeshadow, doing tarot readings, or playing her Nintendo Switch.

JD Goates, Tri-Chair
Pronouns: They/Them
Contact

JD Goates (they/them/theirs) is a 3rd year doctoral student at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville under the mentorship of Dr. Dawn Szymanski. Originally from Utah, JD earned a master’s of education in Bilingual Mental Health Counseling from Teachers College. Their research focuses on minority stress theory, internalized oppression, and objectification in fat and LGBTQ communities. Classically trained in vocal performance and a child from the Rocky Mountains, JD can usually be found spending their free time singing, exploring local hiking trails, or a combination of the two.

Asianna Harris
Pronouns: She/Her
Contact

Asianna Harris (she/her/hers) is a second-year doctoral student at Marquette University under the mentorship of Dr. Sarah Knox. Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, she earned her M.S.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Asianna’s research interests include, professional education considerations for the scientist-practitioner model of training, and the integration of post-modern and constructivist approaches to science and psychotherapy. In her spare time, Asianna enjoys running, playing with her poodle, completing puzzles, and being a Barb (Nicki Minaj fan).

Vardaan Dua, Secretary
Pronouns: He/Him

Vardaan Dua (he/him) is a 2nd year doctoral student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville under the mentorship of Dr. Dawn Szymanski. He is originally from New Delhi, India. However, he moved to Maryland in 2017, and got his B.S. in Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park before moving to Tennessee for graduate school. Vardaan is currently interested in research, clinical, and advocacy work that centers the well-being and lived experiences of queer and/or trans Black people, Indigenous people, and other People of Color (QTBIPOC). In his time outside of school, you can catch him drinking coffee, collecting records, streaming Taylor Swift, planning Target trips, or watching RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Erin McConocha, MPH, Treasurer
Pronouns: She/They

Erin is a 3rd year Counseling Psychology doctoral student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Originally from Los Angeles, Erin received their BA in Molecular Biology/Biochemistry from Middlebury College and her Master’s of Public Health from Yale University’s School of Public Health. Erin’s research broadly focuses on utilizing community-engaged research to study structural determinants of health inequities and improve access to affirmative healthcare and social services among queer and trans communities. In her free time, she enjoys cycling, running, drinking coffee, and watching women’s soccer and basketball as much as possible. 

Structural Well-Being (SWB) Pillar Co-Chairs

Melissa Ward
Pronouns: She/her
Contact

Melissa (she/her/hers) is a 3rd year Counseling Psychology doctoral student at Oklahoma State University. Originally from Humboldt County, California, she got her B.A. in Psychology from Humboldt State University, and she received her M.S. in Counseling from California State University, Fullerton. Melissa’s research interests include better understanding the experiences of larger-bodied people from a fat liberationist perspective. Clinically, Melissa enjoys working from a relational cultural theory lens with clients who engage in disordered eating and have issues with body image. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, and spending time with her partner, family, and friends.

Mel Holman
Pronouns: They/Them
Contact

Mel (they/them) is a 2nd year Master of Counseling student at Arizona State University. They also received their bachelor’s degree in psychology from ASU but are originally from northern New Jersey. Currently, Mel is a member of the EMpowerment lab under the direction of Dr. Em Matsuno. Mel’s research interests involve using intersectionality theory to examine the unique experiences of QTBIPOC individuals. They are most interested in using an intersectional approach to develop culturally relevant interventions to address the mental health disparities that QTBIPOC youth experience. 

Justice, Equity, and Liberation (JEL) Pillar Co-Chairs

Cherese Waight
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact

Cherese is a third-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology Division. Before starting the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Illinois, she graduated from University of Illinois with a B.S. in psychology and African American Studies. As an undergraduate student she worked with the Policing in a Multiracial Society Project, a program with the Police Training Institute to study the Color-blind Racial Ideology of the police recruits through a pre and post survey. She is working under the direction of Dr. Helen Neville in her Liberation Lab. Her research interest is broadly focused on understanding the psychological effects of racism in the Black community, which is inclusive to understanding racial ideology, well-being, radical healing, radical hope, intergenerational trauma & coping, mental health resources for underrepresented communities and community interventions. Her current research is focused on understanding the experiences of Black police officers. She is passionate about social justice and advocacy in my training. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, family, binge watching shows, cooking, being outdoors and spending time with friends.

Emily B.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact

Emily is a 2nd-year Counseling Psychology doctoral student at the University of Miami. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Florida. Emily's research interests are mental and spiritual decolonization through a Buddhist framework for QTBIPOC, specifically Asian folx. She aims to support and advocate for QTBIPOC to find peace, joy, and liberation by building community support and fighting for system-level changes. 


 

Community Learning & Development (CLaD) Pillar Co-Chairs

Salman Safir
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Contact

Salmān Safīr (he/him) is a second year doctoral student in the counseling psychology program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Under the guidance of. Dr. Helen Neville and his colleagues in the Liberation Lab, he studies bibliotherapy, radical hope & healing, South Asian US Muslim Americans, ethno-racial identity development, Shī’īsm, and gender & sexuality among US Muslims as they each relate to mental health. Prior to beginning his doctoral degree, he earned his MA in divinity studies from the University of Chicago, where he also received a graduate certificate in Health Care Administration and Policy. He received a BA in Educational Studies and Psychology from Swarthmore College. Between his undergraduate and graduate studies, he worked in the Intercultural Engagement Programme at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. Outside of academics, he enjoys rooting for Wisconsin professional sports teams, as well as browsing any bookstore he can find. He lives with his cat Eeyore, who tolerates him.


Dana Conzemius
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact

Dana (she/her/hers) is a 4th year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Dana is originally from East Tennessee where she received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and child and family studies from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Dana’s research interests include the prevention and intervention of intimate partner violence and sexual assault on college campuses and understanding survivor’s experiences of psychological intimate partner violence including the impact of IPV on students’ sense of belonging and academic self-efficacy. In her free time, Dana enjoys being outdoors and hiking (when it’s not -60 degrees in North Dakota), spending time with family and friends, and finding local bakeries!

Scientist-Practitioner-Advocate (SPA) Pillar Co-Chairs

Vanessa A.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact

Vanessa (she/her) is a 4th-year doctoral student at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. Her broad research interests include the mental health and well-being of Black women, intersectionality, and the impact of the Minneapolis Unrest on mental health. She is a graduate instructor, a lead mentor through the NextGen Psych Scholars Program, and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. Clinically, Vanessa identifies as a feminist and person-centered therapist and is passionate about providing culturally appropriate care for individuals with marginalized identities. She is currently a practicum student at the Minneapolis VA. She is originally from the Washington, D.C. area. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Columbia University and spent two years working as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania before beginning graduate school. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, playing video games, traveling, and working on her podcast, the PhDiversity Podcast.


Casey L.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact

Casey (she/her) is a second-year doctoral student at Oklahoma State University. She is originally from Georgia where she earned her B.S. in Psychology. Broadly, her research interests include health disparities, autism and healthcare, disability, chronic illness, and patient and healthcare provider interaction. She currently works as a graduate research assistant for the Oklahoma State University Institute for Developmental Disabilities. She is passionate about the inclusion of people with disabilities in all areas of public, professional, and personal life. In the future she hopes to work in medical education and/or an integrated medical setting. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring colorful makeup, painting, and playing video games with friends.



Membership Co-Chairs

Lakeisha Hamilton-Robinson
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact

Lakeisha Hamilton-Robinson is a 3rd year Counseling Psychology doctoral candidate at Tennessee State University.  Originally from Chicago Illinois, she received her Bachelor of Science from Tennessee State University and her Master of Science from Tennessee State University.  Her research focuses on childhood trauma, restorative justice, marginalized populations, career counseling and African American Men.  She enjoys running, playing the piano and trying new brunch places in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Summer Drum
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact

Summer Drum (she/her) is in her 2nd year of mental health counseling MEd studies in the department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. Summer received her bachelor's degree in elementary education from UNC Greensboro in 2017 and taught elementary students in grades K-3 prior to her graduate studies. Summer's professional interests include child and adolescent social and emotional development, experiences of imposter syndrome, sex and relationship counseling, and the ways systems of oppression and trauma impact our relationships with pleasure. Summer finds joy singing, cooking with her partner, spending time outside, and getting cozy with her two cats. 

Master’s Clinician Chairs

Natasha Pooran
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact

Natasha Pooran (she/her/hers) is a 1st-year Master's student in the Counseling Psychology program at Texas Woman’s University. She earned her Honors Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Arlington. She currently works as a Psychology Technician at The Telos Project, a nonprofit mental health agency in Fort Worth, Texas. Her broad research interests include mental health and well-being of underserved minority populations. In her free time, she loves trying new restaurants, doing escape rooms, having game nights, and exploring the DFW metroplex with family and friends.

Dylan Reyes
Pronouns: He/They
Contact

​Dylan is a second-year mental health counseling master’s student at Boston College. They grew up in Portland, Oregon and received their BA in Theology and Communications from Whitworth University where they studied Liberation Theology and developing spiritualities of immigrant experiences. Regarding research, Dylan is interested in developing and working with individuals with intersecting and historically stigmatized identities who have experienced harm as a result of systemic oppression. Dylan is interested in researching the complex trauma of the Undocuqueer community (2SLBGTQIA+ Migrants). They hope to pursue a PhD in the field of Community Psychology where they hope to use a participatory-action research model to collaborate and research the ongoing effects of trauma at the southern border; tracking both historical-generational-communal trauma, centering the meaning-making process of Undocuqueer individuals, and archiving community-based restorative and radical healing practices for mental health clinicians and clinical social workers. In the coming academic school year, Dylan will be completing their practicum at the Counseling Center at Simmons University. In their spare time Dylan enjoys running, reading, RuPaul’s Drag Race, and succulent/plant maintenance.

 Newsletter Editors

Ness Mehta
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact

Naisargi Mehta (she/her), who also goes by Ness, is a second-year Indian international doctoral student in the counseling psychology program at Purdue University. She was born and brought up in Gujarat, India and also finished her undergraduate degree in the School of Liberal Studies (SLS) in her birth state. Her current research is on studying the appropriation of mindfulness in the Western mental health field. Her larger goal is to make the education and practice of mindfulness inclusive and culturally humble through the movement of Integrative Mindfulness (IM; Mehta & Talwar, in press). Ness considers herself an admirer of all things abstract and a beginner in her journey with mindfulness. She also enjoys writing poetry, blogs, and is always listening to music.
 

Shatien Jordan
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact

Shatien Jordan (she/her/hers) is a 2nd-year doctoral student in the Counseling and Counseling Psychology program at Arizona State University. Originally from Chicago, IL, she received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Integrative Neuroscience from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. Prior to pursuing graduate education, Shatien was a study coordinator for a longitudinal, multi-site traumatic brain injury study at the Minneapolis VA. Broadly, her research interests center around biracial/multiracial experiences and racial-ethnic minority socialization. Clinically, she is interested in interdisciplinary care to provide collaborative treatment for clients that includes other team members perspectives as well as the clients. When not in school, Shatien enjoys hiking, checking out new Boba spots around Arizona, crafting with friends, and true crime podcasts.

Social Media Coordinator

Gabriela Sabrina Marpozan
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Gabriela is a second-year master’s student studying Mental Health Counseling at Boston College. This upcoming year she will be interning at Riverside Emergency Services, which focuses on trauma informed responses and training. She was born in New York but grew up in Romania where she attended an international school. After graduating high school, Gabriela moved back to the United States where she studied voice performance and received her bachelor’s degree in Music, Opera Performance. Soon after, she realized that her experiences in this field drew her to want to explore mental health and positive psychology. She is passionate about helping young adults find their passion and drive and would like to further the research in the Positive Psychology field. Gabriela loves exploring new places and finding hidden gems (within the city as well as nature). She is always excited about finding new coffee shops. 

Listserv Coordinator

Angela Fant
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact

Angela Capuano Fant (she/her/hers) is a 5th year psychology doctoral student at Cleveland State University and completing her psychology doctoral internship at The University of Akron Counseling and Testing Center. She formerly was a teaching and research assistant throughout her education in her doctorate, as well as taught at Northeast Ohio Medical University teaching clinical interviewing skills to medical residents. Her research interests include exploring the biopsychosocial aspects of mental well-being, taking a holistic approach to treatment. Her dissertation is on research related to infertility and work-life integration. She earned her master’s degree at The University of Akron and has her license as a licensed professional counselor and marriage and family therapist. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business at Auburn University. Angela loves to work out, drink coffee and learn, and travel with her husband. As of late, she has been enjoying her time at home with her four daughters Alila, Arya, Amia, and Azara. 

Programming/Events Committee

Alex Colson
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
Contact

Alex (they/them/theirs) is a second-year doctoral student at Arizona State University under the mentorship of Dr. Em Matsuno. They grew up along the southeast coast of the US and earned their bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Florida in 2020. Their current research interests include minority stress, trauma, healing, and resilience among trans and nonbinary people and healing for psychiatric survivors. Eventually, Alex intends to work as a licensed psychologist and a professor to train future counselors. They hope to use their educational training and lived experiences to bridge the gap between the communities they serve and academia through informing public policy, engaging in activism, and promoting community healing. In their free time, they enjoy playing with their cat Eggs, hiking, photography, going to concerts, and being around their people 

Melissa Briones ([email protected])
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Melissa (she/her/hers) is a 4th-year student in the Counseling Psychology doctoral program at the University of North Texas. Melissa grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, a bicultural region sat across the Mexican border. She acquired her bachelor’s degree in psychology locally at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley and her master’s degree in clinical psychology at Sam Houston State University. Her work centers on uncovering the impacts of discrimination on graduate students of color and examining the protective effect of Latinx cultural values. Clinically, she enjoys working with bilingual adolescents and their families. Outside of school, she enjoys reading and spending time with her loved ones.