Current Graduate Students
Alex Tyskiewicz, MACP MS
Alex is a sixth year counseling student. He is originally from Rochester New York. He recently graduated with a Master’s in Addictions Counseling from CSU. Alex’s current research is concerned with predictors of cannabis use and cannabis use outcomes. He is particularly interested in the development of a standard dose of cannabis. Alex is interested in understanding variables that lead to both positive and negative cannabis outcomes. In his free time, he enjoys playing music and spending time with friends.
Patrice Arkfeld, MS
Patrice (she/her/hers) is a fifth year graduate student in the counseling psychology doctoral program. Originally from Iowa, she obtained her masters degree in clinical mental health counseling from the University of Nebraska – Omaha. Her current research focuses on improving therapeutic outcomes among adolescents and college-aged individuals who engage in self injurious thoughts and behaviors. Specifically, she is investigating ways to better identify who is at the highest risk for attempting suicide and how to improve outcomes by strengthening the unconditional support networks available (e.g., familial, social, educational, mental health) to each individual.
Emma Smith, BS
Emma (she/her/hers) is a fourth year in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program. Her research focus is primarily on the therapeutic uses and associated impairments of cannabis use, with interests in how potency, methods of administration, and quantity converge to create both subjective and objective intoxication effects in humans. She also hopes to explore the associations between prolonged grief and a variety of cannabis use characteristics in grieving populations. Prior to moving to Fort Collins, she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Washington State University in Pullman, WA, and is originally from the Seattle area. When she is not working or studying, she enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and attending concerts with friends.
Tom Schlechter MS
Tom (they/them/theirs) is a fourth year in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program at Colorado State University. Originally from Pennsylvania, Tom completed their B.A. at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH and worked as a Project Coordinator with the SURF Lab at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee before starting at CSU. Tom’s current research focuses on affirming ways to include Trans and Non-Binary communities in research, exploring informal ways LGBTQ+ communities seek help, the connection between LGBTQ+ language use and mental health, and ways to deconstruct heteronormative narratives in therapy. In addition to research, Tom is committed to working towards increased inclusion of Queer and Trans topics in psychology courses. Outside of graduate school, Tom is a local drag performer in Fort Collins, and they also enjoy open water swimming, painting, and going to vintage stores.
Brenna Carter
Brenna is a third year doctoral student in the counseling psychology program at Colorado State University. Born and raised in Colorado, she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Colorado State University. She then served at an academic intervention non-profit under AmeriCorps, specializing in interventions with minority students struggling with substance use, traumatic exposure, and low academic performance. During her continued time at Colorado State, she seeks to continue researching the intersection between substance use and traumatic exposure among minority groups, primarily LGBT+ populations. Additionally, she is pursuing additional research centered on the impact of traumatic exposure on academic performance among military veterans in higher education. In her free time, Brenna loves watching and performing in the arts, yoga classes, and reading fiction.
Mohammad Habib
Mohammad (he/him/his) is a first year student in the Clinical Science Ph.D. program. Originally from Arizona, Mohammad completed his B.A. at the University of Colorado Boulder and worked as a Research Assistant at Dartmouth College, before starting at Colorado State University. Mohammad’s research focus is primarily on the therapeutic and impairing effects of cannabis consumption. He is also interested in creating standard measures of cannabis consumption in an effort to develop a standard cannabis doses. In his free time, Mohammad enjoys hanging out with friends, listening to music, and going to basketball games.
Carolyn Lorenzi MA
Carolyn (she/her/hers) is a first year in the Clinical Science Ph.D. program. Originally from New York, Carolyn obtained her B.A. in Psychology at Stony Brook University and her M.A. in Clinical Psychology at Western Carolina University. Her research focuses on borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits in adolescents and predictors of maladaptive behaviors, particularly risky sexual behaviors and self-injurious behaviors. She is also interested in improving access to treatment for individuals with BPD. In her free time, Carolyn enjoys hiking, cooking, and spending time with her dog.
Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistants
Kira Sturgess BS
Kira (she/her/hers) is a post-baccalaureate student within the lab. In 2021, she began working in the lab as an undergraduate research assistant while completing her undergraduate degree and continues to volunteer in the lab since completing her B.S. in Psychology at CSU in 2023. Her current research involves investigating factors which decouple health risk behaviors and health outcomes in distinct populations (i.e. clinical populations, individuals with a chronic disease(s), histories of trauma). Specifically, she is interested in how mindfulness and other meditative practices impact risky behaviors such as cannabis use, medication adherence, and immune function. Originally from New Jersey, she enjoys surfing in her free time, training for half marathons and cooking for friends and family.Graduate Students on Internship
Elizabeth Lucci-Rimer MS
Elizabeth is completing her internship at Denver Health Medical Center in Denver, Colorado.
After receiving her B.A. in English from Amherst College in 2013, she spent the next five years working in educational and nonprofit settings in the Boston area, in the Tungurahua region of Ecuador, and in Oakland, California. Her research addresses systemic oppression and mental and physical health inequities, specifically in Latine and LGBTQ+ communities. Her current research focuses on applying intersectional analyses to explore stress-related physical health conditions among LGBTQ+ people. Elizabeth is also engaged in ongoing efforts to apply her research to support community-led social action in Colorado. Her clinical work focuses on community mental health and offering Spanish language clinical services and advocacy to families, children, adolescents, and LGBTQ+ Latine individuals.
Vanessa Joachin, MS, MPH
Vanessa (she/her/hers) is completing her internship at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she will be specializing in infant and early childhood mental health.
Vanessa completed her B.S. in Biology at George Mason University. She later completed her Master’s in Public Health from Tulane University. Her research interests lie broadly in health equity and diversity issues as they relate to liberation and social justice. In her free time, Vanessa enjoys reading, horseback riding, and quality time with her partner and children. Vanessa’s clinical interests lie in bilingual (Spanish and English) neuropsychological and psychodiagnostic assessment, as well as perinatal mental health therapy. She is particularly passionate about providing comprehensive evaluations and therapeutic interventions to diverse populations, ensuring culturally attuned care that addresses the mental health and social needs of the Latine community and expecting or new birthing parents and their babies.
Dissertation: Using Multilevel Modeling for an Intersectional Analysis of Inequity in Mental Health Distress Among College Student-Parents
Laura Hogan, MS
Laura (she/her/hers) is completing her internship at Colorado State University in Fort Colins, Colorado.
Before pursuing her Ph.D. in psychology, Laura taught high school math for 10 years in Fort Collins. The mental health concerns she saw among students and community members motivated her to take a different career path. Her research primarily focuses on the relationships between exercise, diet-culture, co-rumination, and mental health. Her clinical work includes supporting folks with disordered eating and body image concerns, religious/spiritual trauma, anxiety, and depression. In her free time, Laura enjoys live music, yoga, and spending time with her partner in the beautiful Colorado outdoors.
Previous Graduate Students
Morgan Sneed, LAC
Morgan was a graduate of the undergraduate addiction counseling program at CSU. He graduated from the Master’s of Addiction Counseling program at CSU in the Spring of 2020. He worked in the community and was pursuing certification as a Licensed Professional Counselor. Morgan was planning to apply to PhD clinical and counseling psychology programs to further his clinical and research knowledge and experience in trauma treatment and substance use.
Jamie Parnes, PhD
Jamie graduated from the Counseling Psychology doctoral program in 2021. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University and Bradley Hospital.
Shane Kentopp, PhD
Shane graduated from the Counseling Psychology doctoral program in 2021. He is currently a Clinical Child Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School.
Ryan Rahm-Knigge, PhD
Ryan graduated from the Counseling Psychology doctoral program in 2021. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health, University of Minnesota Medical School.
Gemma Wallace, PhD
Gemma graduated from the Counseling Psychology doctoral program in 2023. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow on the NIMH Suicide Research T32 at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Megan Gardner Weishaar, PhD
Megan graduated from the Counseling Psychology doctoral program in 2024. She is currently a Rehabilitation Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Washington School of Medicine, Harborview Medical Center.
Sam DiCecco, PhD
Sam graduated from the Cognitive Psychology program through the Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Neurosciences program in 2024. He is currently working as a Postdoctoral Fellow on the NIDA T32 Training in Genetic and Neurobehavioral Mechanisms of Addiction Program at University of Minnesota.