Alumni
Mikaela J. Raley, Ph.D.
M.S., Psychological Science, University of North Florida, 2017
B.A., Psychology, University of North Florida, 2015
Mikaela’s research interests include the interplay between positive psychology and military mental health. More specifically, she is interested in PTSD, meaning in life, social connectedness, suicide, and resilience in the military population. Recently, Mikaela first authored a book chapter entitled “The Disaster Sciences Interdisciplinary Minor at the University of Mississippi: Positive Psychology in Action (2020)” Her previous clinical experience includes a year-long Clinical Health Psychology Internship at Mayo Clinic and working in a Private Practice in Jacksonville, Florida from 2016-2018. Mikaela has presented research at the 2016 Association for Psychological Science and 2017 Southeastern Psychological Association Conferences. Additionally, while completing her BA and MS at the University of North Florida, Mikaela served as lab coordinator for the Health Psychophysiology Lab from 2015-2018 and as a teaching assistant and guest lecturer from 2016-2017.
Mikaela is currently a staff psychologist at the James A. Haley VA in Tampa, FL.
Jeffery Pavlacic, Ph.D.
M.A., Clinical Psychology, University of Mississippi, 2019
B.S., Psychology, Missouri State University, 2017
Jeff is currently a postdoctoral fellow and licensed clinical psychologist at the Medical University of South Carolina and Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center.
Marcela C. (Marci) Weber, Ph.D.
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Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Mississippi, 2021
M.A., Clinical Psychology, University of Mississippi, 2017
B.S., Psychology, Sewanee: The University of the South, 2013
Marci’s research is focused on wellbeing after trauma, including resilience and posttraumatic growth. Her dissertation (Chair: Stefan Schulenberg) examined the curvilinear relationship between PTG and PTSD, depression, and anxiety among young adult trauma survivors. As a graduate student at the UM-CDRC, she received a Quick Response grant from the Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado – Boulder, to research resilience and coping among quarantined students during the COVID-19 pandemic. She gave a TEDx talk with the University of Mississippi on resilience during pandemics and other disasters. In 2019, Marci received the Graduate Achievement Award from the University of Mississippi Graduate School. Marci completed her pre-doctoral internship with the South West Consortium in Albuquerque, NM. As of Fall 2022, she is in her second year of a postdoctoral fellowship with the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System and South Central Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, where her research and clinical work focus on rural Veterans with PTSD.
Alexis K. Liberto, Ph.D.
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Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Mississippi, 2021
M.A., Experimental Psychology, St. John’s University, 2015
B.A., Psychology, Hawai`i Pacific University, 2012
Alexis’ research interests included positive psychology and neuropsychology among adolescents and emerging adults. During her time at Ole Miss, Alexis presented a poster related to the construction of the Impact of Events Scale-8 and the DMS-5 at the 2017 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL (View Poster from ISTSS 2017), co-wrote two published book chapters, and helped on other lab members’ projects. She also served as President of the Registered Student Organization on campus, Autism Speaks U – Ole Miss from 2015-2018. Her dissertation was entitled: Executive Functioning and Purpose in Life Among Emerging Adults in College.
Alexis completed her pre-doctoral internship at Rochester Institute of Technology – Health Sciences in Rochester, NY and is currently completing her fellowship at Ochsner Hospital for Children in New Orleans, LA, where she is assisting children and families diagnosed with chronic illnesses adjust and cope effectively, search for meaning, and engage in values-based behavior despite their medical complexities. She will stay on as full-time staff working on various multidisciplinary teams including Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant.
Lavina Y. Ho, Ph.D.
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Mississippi, 2022
M.A., Clinical Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, 2014
B.A., Psychology, University of California, Irvine, 2012
B.A., Anthropology, University of California, Irvine, 2012
Lavina was a Bunton-Waller Fellow and granted the Outstanding Graduate Student Award while completing her Master’s degree at Penn State Harrisburg. Lavina served as an adjunct instructor at Penn State Harrisburg and Harrisburg Area Community College from 2014-2015. Her research interests focus on sexual assault, multiculturalism, and psychology and the law. She co-hosted an interest group involving campus violence and student preparedness with members of the lab at the 2018 Southeastern Psychological Association conference in Charleston, SC. She served as Vice-President of the Registered Student Organization on campus, Autism Speaks U – Ole Miss from 2015-2018.
Mathew A. Tkachuck, Ph.D.
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Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Mississippi, 2019
M.A., Clinical Psychology, University of Mississippi, 2016
B.S., Psychology, University of Washington, 2009
Mathew’s research interests include scale development of clinically applicable and culturally-oriented measures of active military post-deployment and veteran readjustment as well as mental health intervention program development in military settings more broadly. Mathew has presented research at the 2011 and 2012 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Conferences as well as the 2015 and 2016 Association for Contextual Behavioral Sciences Conference.
Mathew completed his predoctoral internship at the George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System in Salt Lake City, UT.
Lauren N. Weathers, Ph.D.
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Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Mississippi, 2019
M.A., Experimental Psychology, Western Kentucky University, 2013
B.A., Psychology, Queens University of Charlotte, 2011
Lauren’s research interests include exploring the relationship between meaning in life, resilience, and posttraumatic growth. She is also interested in understanding how these concepts affect psychological and health factors. She is the recipient of the Experimental Psychology Student of the Year Award (Western Kentucky University, 2013). She has presented at multiple conferences throughout her time in the lab (View poster from ABCT 2016).
Lauren completed her predoctoral internship at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System in Austin, TX.
Jennifer M. Ladner-Graham, Ph.D.
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Mississippi, 2018
M.A., Clinical Psychology, University of Mississippi
B.S., Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, 2008
While completing her doctorate degree, Dr. Ladner-Graham’s research interests included psychology and law, assessment, and meaning in life.
Bethany J. Aiena, Ph.D.
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Mississippi, 2017
M.A., Clinical Psychology, University of Mississippi
B.S., Psychology, Lamar University, 2011
Dr. Aiena completed her clinical psychology doctorate degree at the University of Mississippi. Her research interests while at UM included clinical-disaster psychology, PTSD, resilience, and meaning in life. She completed her Bachelor of Science in psychology at Lamar University in 2011, where she received the Ann Shaw Outstanding Student Leader Award. Dr. Aiena completed her predoctoral internship at the University of Kansas Medical Center, and post-doc in Primary Care Mental Health Integration at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System. She continues working in the VA as a primary care psychologist.
Ivonne Andrea Florez, Ph.D.
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Mississippi, 2017
M.A., Clinical Psychology, University of Mississippi
B.A., Psychology, University of La Sabana (Bogota, Colombia), 2011
Dr. Florez doctoral degree from the University of Mississippi and completed her Predoctoral Internship at Emory University School of Medicine, where she is currently finishing her postdoctoral fellowship. She has conducted research in the areas of suicide, positive psychology, meaning in life, racial prejudice, and substance use disorders. Currently, she is interested in program development and evaluation aimed at strengthening evidence-based practices among undeserved population and individuals who struggle with substance misuse.
