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School Psychology PhD


Three School Psychology PhD candidates – Carly Chwat, Caroline Jaquett, and Jonah Ruddy – were matched with APA-accredited internships.

To become a licensed psychologist, all school psychology doctoral students must have completed an internship. Internships accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) are highly sought out, yet a large number of applicants go unmatched. In 2017, almost twenty percent of applicants were not matched with an APA-accredited internship.

Read below to see where each of the three will be interning and their experiences of the process.


Carly Chwat

Carly Chwat
Tennessee Internship Consortium
Loudon, TN

 

 

What was the application process like?
We had great support from faculty and within our cohort, so it actually wasn’t too stressful! I enjoyed traveling around for interviews and meeting other psychology students.

How do you feel about being matched?
I’m very excited for the opportunity to participate in an APA internship, and to have the potential to become a licensed psychologist.

What type of work will you be doing at your internship?
I will be in a fully school-based position in Sweetwater City Schools where I will work consulting with teachers and doing evaluations for students for special education. I actually did a practicum at Sweetwater my 1st year in the graduate program, so I’m very excited be be going back there. At that time, I was the student shadowing an intern, and now as an intern I’ll have students come and shadow me.

How do you feel about staying in Tennessee?
I’m thrilled to be staying in Tennessee! I would love to continue to stay connected to the university to do research and also to supervise future practicum students. Also now that I know I’m staying, I can work on getting my parents to retire up in East Tennessee!


Caroline Jaquett

Caroline Jaquett
Tennessee Internship Consortium
Loudon, TN

 

 

What was the application process like?
The application process was stressful, just due to all of the deadlines that co-occurred with an already busy school year. However, we were really supported throughout the entire process and I never felt alone. The professors in the program and my other cohort members were a huge help!

How do you feel about being matched?
I am thrilled! It has always been my goal to become a licensed psychologist, and this is another step accomplished towards that goal!

What type of work will you be doing at your internship?
I will be doing the work of a typical school psychologist in East Tennessee. This involves completing evaluations and re-evaluations for children who need special education, assisting with and leading IEP meetings, consulting with teachers and other staff as needed, and of course directly helping children whenever possible!

Will you be at one specific site?
Yes! I will be with Lenoir City Schools. I will serve students at the elementary, intermediate, and high school levels.

How do you feel about staying in Tennessee?
Over the past four years I have really grown to love Knoxville. I brag about the city to everyone I know – it has great food, scenery, and there is always something going on downtown! I have made great friendships here and I am so glad I don’t have to say goodbye to Tennessee just yet.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?
I am nervous, but excited to get started! It is exciting that after 4 years of graduate school my career is finally about to begin!


Jonah Ruddy

Jonah Ruddy
Tennessee Internship Consortium
Loudon, TN

 

 

What was the application process like?
The application process was long and complicated. There are many excellent internship sites to choose from, and each site has unique qualities to consider. It took a lot of time to research each site and evaluate what they had to offer. The APPIC Internship Match requires detailed records of your academic career, research, and clinical experiences as well as letters of recommendation and essays briefly describing your personal background, theoretical orientation, research interests, and experiences with diversity. There is a lot of red tape, fees, and deadlines to navigate. Luckily, Merilee McCurdy, associate professor, and several alumni helped us navigate the process.

After submitting my applications to the APPIC match website during the fall, one of the hardest parts of the process was waiting to hear back from the programs to learn if you would get an interview. I was asked to interview at 7 of the 12 programs that I applied for. December and January were spent planning and going on trips meeting face-to-face with each site. I traveled through rain, sleet, and snow to Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and, of course, Tennessee. I received a warm welcome at each location and enjoyed meeting the faculty, interns, and other applicants. It was also exciting to see the great work all of the programs were doing to train new professionals, meet the needs of their clients, and support their communities. Even harder than waiting to hear about interviews was waiting for match day and learning my placement. It was definitely a relief when the day came and I learned that I would be interning with the Tennessee Internship Consortium in Psychology (TIC).

How do you feel about being matched?
I am both excited and relieved to be matched with an APA-accredited internship. The accreditation assures me that the internship meets the training standards needed to help me prepare for a career in school psychology, makes me more competitive in the job market, and simplifies the bureaucratic process to become a licensed psychologist.

What type of work will you be doing at your internship?

I will be working with child and adult clients with learning and behavioral concerns. This includes conducting psychoeducational assessments to diagnose learning, developmental, behavioral, or mental health issues; providing direct intervention services; and consulting with parents, teachers, and other professionals.

Will you be at one specific site?
I will be splitting my time between the KLASS Center and Cherokee Health Systems, Inc.

How do you feel about staying in Tennessee?

While I visited and fell in love with several internship sites during this process, it is a relief to be staying in Tennessee. I have a wife and teenage son whom I would have lived away from for a year if I was matched to another placement. I know they are very happy that I am staying home. I also think it is a great opportunity for me to help clients in the community and surrounding area that I have called home for many years.

Carly Chwat, Jonah Ruddy, and Caroline Jaquett

“I want to thank my colleagues, Carly Chwat and Carrie Jaquett, who have shared this journey with me over the last four years. We’ve developed a great friendship, become family, and have been there for each other through all the ups-and-downs that have come our way. Their support has been an essential element in my success and growth. I am grateful that the Three Musketeers will be able to finish our final year together in Tennessee.” – Jonah Ruddy


The Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling wants to congratulate the graduates from seven of our programs who earned their degrees during the summer 2017 semester.

Amber Nicole Abel
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

Brooke Lauren Browarnik
PhD in School Psychology

Emily Courtney Brown
PhD in Counselor Education

Sharon Leah Bruner
PhD in Counselor Education

Sarah Megan Bunn
MS in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Emma Christine Burgin
PhD in Counselor Education

Joel Matthew Clark
MS in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Robert Charles Cox
PhD in Educational Psychology and Research – Adult Learning

Jaewoo Do
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

Trisha Danielle Franklin
PhD in School Psychology

Lauren Anastasia Green
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

Leslie Allison Hart
PhD in School Psychology

Anderson Freemason Hatfield
MS in Counseling – School Counseling

Patricia Jean Smith Higgins
MS in Educational Psychology – Adult Education

Amanda Lynn Johnson Praino
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

Judy Fisher King
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

Everett W. Painter
PhD in Counselor Education

Ivory Elizabeth Patten
MS in Educational Psychology – Adult Education

Katelyn Crabtree Scott
PhD in School Psychology

Jordan Beth Sherrod
MS in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Kelly Harrington Smyth
PhD in School Psychology

Anna Lora Taylor
PhD in Counselor Education

Stephanie Jean Teague
MS in Education – Instructional Technology

Kelly McCullough Thompson
PhD in School Psychology

Samantha Sue Turnbull
PhD in School Psychology

Caroline Elizabeth Whitaker
MS in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling

**If you were an Educational Psychology and Counseling student who graduated during this time frame, yet have unintentionally been omitted from this list, please send your name, degree, and major/concentration to Synthia Clark sclark41@utk.edu. We will add you to the list after receiving this information from you and confirming your graduation status.


Congratulations to the 2017-18 fellowship/scholarship recipients from the Educational Psychology and Counseling Department!

<strong>Brenna Berry</strong> <em>Evaluation, Statistics &amp; Measurement</em>
– Tennessee Graduate Fellowship Excellence

<strong>Ben Gaertner</strong> <em> School </em><em>Counseling
</em>- Eugene and Mary Sue Akins Graduate Fellowship

<strong>Takuya Hayakawa</strong> <em>Learning Environments &amp; Educational Studies
</em>- Travis Hawk Fellowship

<strong>Douglas Johnston</strong> <em> School </em><em>Counseling</em><em>
</em>- Eugene and Mary Sue Akins Graduate Fellowship

<strong>Ashley Kennedy</strong> <em> School </em><em>Counseling</em><em>
</em>- Helen Carter Murray Scholarship

<strong>Rachel Ladd</strong> <em>Evaluation, Statistics &amp; Measurement
</em>- Travis Hawk Fellowship

<strong>Jessica Marzi</strong> <em>Counselor Education</em>
– Access &amp; Diversity Fellowship
– Dr. Stephen Lee Alderton Graduate Fellowship

<strong>Sara Nasrollahian</strong> <em>Adult Learning
</em>- Travis Hawk Fellowship

<strong>Christina Nesbit</strong> <em>Clinical Mental Health Counseling</em>
– Charles Lowell Thompson Fellowship

<strong>Alex Price</strong> <em>School Psychology</em>
– Tennessee Graduate Fellowship Excellence

<strong>Jonah Ruddy</strong> <em>School Psychology</em>
– Dr. Richard Yoakley Fellowship

<strong>Lynnette Whitsitt</strong> <em>School Psychology</em>
– J. Wallace &amp; Katie Dean Graduate Fellowship

<strong>Mary Wynn</strong> <em>Clinical Mental Health Counseling</em>
– Charles Lowell Thompson Fellowship


Associate professor, Merilee McCurdy, and professor, Lisa Yamagata-Lynch began their new roles as associate department heads on July 1, 2017. We asked them some questions about their upcoming roles.


Merliee McCurdy

How long have you been with EPC?
I began my academic career at the University of Nebraska in 2001. In 2014, I began at UT and in the EPC department. I also coordinate the School Psychology doctoral program.

 

How do you feel about being chosen as one of the new associate department heads?
I really am honored to serve as an associate department head. It is a big responsibility and one that I take seriously. Our job is to make everyone else’s job easier – including the department head – and to help our department grow in productivity and national reputation. I look forward to starting this new academic year!

What are you primary functions within this role?
In many ways, we are still trying to make these decisions. Lisa will serve as the director of graduate studies for our department, which is a huge role. I will be the point person for the CRC (curriculum review committee) for the department. I will present all departmental curriculum changes to the CEHHS CRC for approval. I also will chair the department’s award committee. Our goal is to make sure we have faculty, student, and staff nominations for all eligible college and university awards. We have future plans to work with all faculty to edit and update the department bylaws and carry out the goals of the EPC strategic plan. It is definitely going to be a team approach to getting things accomplished!

What are you most looking forward to?
I look forward to getting more familiar with the entire department. Often, faculty tend to work in our own “silos” or program areas. We know our program and students very well; however, we may not know the department as well. An interesting aspect of this position is learning the strengths and goals of all programs and being able to advocate for and support those programs. I know this first year will be very challenging but I am excited by the opportunity.


Lisa Yamagata-Lynch

 

How long have you been with EPC?
I have been with UT since August 2011 so 6 years, when I came in as an associate professor in EPC.

 

How do you feel about being chosen as one of the new associate department heads?
It was an honor to be selected as an associate head. I like to be able to work in a community oriented way, so taking on a leadership position will allow me to do that in a way that being a faculty may not. I am looking forward to working for students, staff, and faculty.

What are your primary functions within this role?
I see my primary job to assist Jeff, our department head, lead our department while advocating for our students, staff, and faculty. I hope that I can contribute to the growth and development of our department in the coming years. I will also be the the Director of Graduate Studies so I am looking forward to working closely with our students.

What are you most looking forward to? Or, what are your top priorities for this position?
I am looking forward to getting to know our students, staff, and faculty in new ways that I have not had an opportunity in the past, and supporting open communication between all of them and the department leadership team.

“I am looking forward to this opportunity and hope to serve the department well.”