OUR TEAM

SARAH R. BLACK, PH.D.
Lab Director
Sarah Black is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Kent State University. She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Stony Brook University, and completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Her research interests lie broadly in the area of developmental psychopathology, with particular interest in the mechanisms by which normative hormonal, social, and environmental events of childhood and adolescence can be disrupted and lead to increased risk for depression. She is further interested in how parenting, parental psychopathology, and stress may interact with biological processes to leave children and adolescents especially vulnerable to psychopathology across the lifespan. In her free time, Dr. Black enjoys reading, podcasts about Bravo shows, and exploring Northeast Ohio with her family.
Contact: sblack38@kent.edu

LAUREN AARON, M.A., M.S.
Graduate Student
Lauren is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in the BE-RAD Lab. She holds an M.A. in General/Experimental Psychology from the College of William & Mary and an M.S. in Applied Psychology from UNO. Her research interests focus on the effects and experiences of poverty and environmental risk on children and families, and she has published work on how having a parent incarcerated in jail or prison uniquely impacts children in middle childhood. She is especially interested in methodological considerations of measuring and analyzing poverty and risk. In her non-academic time, Lauren enjoys spending time with her two children, teaching a variety of fitness classes, and exploring the cultural experiences of New Orleans.
Contact: laaron2@uno.edu
Kaetlyn Connor, BA
Graduate Student
Kaetlyn is a first-year Clinical Psychology graduate student at Kent State University. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Integrative Neuroscience from Fordham University in May 2019. Her research interests include the generational transmission of affective disorders in the context of emotional regulation and the differential effects of maternal and paternal psychopathology. Kaetlyn enjoys outdoor walks, watching documentaries, and baking in her spare time.
Contact: kconne25@kent.edu
Hannah Duttweiler, BA
Graduate Student
Hannah is a first-year graduate student in the Kent State Clinical Psychology program. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester. Her research interests include the comorbid relationship between anxiety and depression, as well as transdiagnostic risk factors for internalizing disorders in adolescents. In her free time, Hannah enjoys reading, baking, and hiking mountains.
Contact: hduttwei@kent.edu
Jordan Prusiecki
Research Assistant
Jordan is in her final year of the undergraduate program at Kent State University. She is working towards a BA in Psychology with a concentration in Child Psychology. She hopes to pursue a MA in Mental Health Counseling in order to become a therapist for adolescents. Outside of her academics Jordan is a member of a variety of organizations including membership chair of Kent State's Psi Chi Honors Psychology Fraternity and a member of the Chi Omega Fraternity on campus. Originally from Buffalo, NY Jordan loves to cheer on the bills and cook delicious dishes for her family and friends during her free time.
Contact: jprusiec@kent.edu

Elliana Draper
Research Assistant
Elliana Draper is a third-year undergraduate student at Kent State, currently working on her BA in Psychology with a minor in American Sign Language. She is interested in studying child and adolescent psychopathology, as well as how learning disorders affect child development. In her previous summer, she enjoyed working as a children’s camp counselor for ages 6-12 with Gahanna Parks and Recreation. During her free-time she enjoys learning languages, painting, and watching terrible movies with her friends.
Contact: edraper4@kent.edu

Chon Cousins
Research Assistant
Chon Cousins is an undergraduate Psychology major. Chon’s primary interests include Applied Educational Neuroscience and Applied Behavior Modification. Past projects include Afro Battles, a game that harnessed the psychological effects of peer pressure to influence pre-adolescent children’s perceptions of kinky hair, and The Soulville Census, a combination survey and behavior modification project that explored the extent to which the vocabulary black Americans use to describe blackness is keeping up with the changing makeup of the U.S.’ black population.
Contact: acousins@kent.edu
LAB ALUMNAE
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Rachel M. Kaplan, M.S.
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David Brabham
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Miranda Evans
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Martin Tallent, B.S.
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Sara Meunier, B.S.
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Cheyenne Gilchrist, B.S.
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Madelyn McGovern, B.S.
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Lydia K. R. Barbry, B.S.
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Austin Cortiz
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Britt Baudier
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Sarah Butt
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Liz Dockter
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Jordan Herbert
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Meredith Knauer
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Mariah McGowan
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Tyler Ramsey
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Gabby Sheets