About Our Team
Principal Investigators
Dr. Sarah Victor
Associate Professor at Texas Tech University, where she has been faculty since 2019. She completed her BA at Stanford University, followed by her MA and PhD at the University of British Columbia - Vancouver. After earning her PhD in 2017, she completed postdoctoral training in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Victor's research interests are focused on understanding how marginalization and prejudice impact mental health, particularly in relation to self-injurious behaviors and suicide, in marginalized groups.
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Dr. Adam Schmidt
Associate Professor at Texas Tech University, where he has been on the faculty since 2016. He completed his BA at UT-Austin, followed by his PhD at the University of Minnesota. After earning his PhD in 2006, he completed postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine, later transitioning to faculty positions at Baylor and Sam Houston State University. Dr. Schmidt's research interests are in pediatric neuropsychology and clinical psychology, particularly with respect to how to foster positive development (or resilience) across populations, contexts, and outcomes
Staff
Arianna Albertorio
Research Coordinator in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Texas Tech University, where she works on the WHALABY project. She earned her B.S. in Psychological Sciences and Human Development and Family Sciences from Texas Tech University in 2024. Arianna’s research interests center on exploring executive functioning in pediatric populations, particularly among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD). She is also dedicated to examining the validity of neuropsychological assessments and is passionate about enhancing quality of life and improving the accuracy of psychometric evaluations.
Dannielle Schutz
Research Coordinator for the WHALABY project in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Texas Tech University. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, Psychology, and Biochemistry from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. During her undergraduate career, she assisted with research projects involving pediatric nutrition and women and gender minority health. Dannielle served as a board member for Disability Rights Nebraska, advocating for the blind and visually impaired community. Her research interests include societal impacts of marginalized groups, enhancing quality of life in underserved populations, and the intersectionality of physical and mental health.
Faculty Co-Investigators and Consultants
Dr. Jason Van Allen
Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Training at Texas Tech University, where he has been on the faculty since 2013. He completed his BA in Psychology at the University of Kansas, followed by his MA and PhD in Clinical Child Psychology at the same institution. After earning his PhD in 2012, he completed an internship in Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Van Allen's research focuses on pediatric psychology, particularly health behavior change in children and adolescents.
Dr. Rona Pogrund
Professor in the Special Education Department and Coordinator of the Visual Impairment Program at Texas Tech University, where she has been on the faculty since 2005. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education/Visual Impairment from the University of Texas at Austin, her master’s in Special Education/Orientation and Mobility from California State University, and her PhD in Special Education/Educational Administration from the University of Southern California. Dr. Pogrund’s research focuses on service delivery systems, teacher effectiveness, and program models for students with visual impairments.
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Dr. Leslie Brick
Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown Medical School, where she has been on the faculty since 2017. She completed her BA in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado-Boulder, followed by her MA and PhD in Psychology (Behavioral Science) at the University of Rhode Island. After earning her PhD in 2015, Dr. Brick completed two fellowships at Brown Medical School, including a Fellowship in Developmental Psychopathology and a T32 Research Fellowship in Child Mental Health. Dr. Brick’s research focuses on understanding the biological and psychological mechanisms that influence risk for substance use and other stress-sensitive outcomes, including depression, PTSD, and trauma.
Dr. Gordon Legge
Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota, where he has been on the faculty since 1977. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Physics from MIT in 1971, his Master’s in Astronomy from Harvard in 1972, and his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Harvard in 1976. After completing a postdoctoral year at the Physiological Laboratory at Cambridge University, Dr. Legge joined the University of Minnesota, where he is currently the director of the Minnesota Laboratory for Low-Vision Research and a scientific co-director of the Center for Applied and Translational Sensory Science. Dr. Legge’s research focuses on visual perception, with an emphasis on low vision, and includes studies on reading, mobility, and the impact of impaired vision on brain organization.
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Dr. Katie Wang
Associate Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Yale School of Public Health, where she has been on the faculty since 2016. She earned her BA in Psychology and Statistics from Rice University in 2009 and her PhD in Social Psychology from Yale University in 2014. After earning her PhD, Dr. Wang completed a postdoctoral fellowship through the Yale AIDS Prevention Training Program. Dr. Wang’s research focuses on the role of stigma as a psychosocial determinant of mental and behavioral health inequities among marginalized populations, with a particular emphasis on individuals with disabilities and those with mental health or substance use disorders. Her work employs diverse methodologies, including surveys, experiments, psychophysiological measures, ecological momentary assessments, and qualitative interviews, to advance understanding and inform interventions.
Graduate Students
Courtney Goldenberg
Graduate student in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Texas Tech University. She earned her BA in Psychology from Northwestern University in 2021. During her undergraduate studies, she worked in Dr. Sandra Waxman's Infant & Child Development Center and Dr. Renee Engeln's Body and Media Lab. Following graduation, she served as a clinical research assistant at Women and Infants Hospital and Brown University in Rhode Island, and later as a Project Coordinator under Dr. Erika Lawrence at the Family Institute. Courtney’s research interests focus on developmental psychopathology, child maltreatment and early stressors, attachment relationships, and pathways to resilience for underserved populations.
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Swanaya Gurjar
First-year graduate student in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Texas Tech University. She earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology, Journalism, and Women’s Studies from Bengaluru City University in 2021 and her master’s degree in Psychology from Cleveland State University in 2024. Swanaya’s research focuses on understanding when, for whom, and how emotion regulation deficits increase the risk for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors, particularly among LGBTQ+ individuals.
