FANTASTIC GRADUATE STUDENTS
JORDAN FRIEDMANN
PhD Candidate Jordan is interested in positive psychology, strength based approaches, and understanding resilience in youth. Her doctoral dissertation focuses on examining character strengths in kindergarten age children, as defined by the Values in Action (VIA) classification of strengths. She developed an online psychoeducational module to teach caregivers about character strengths, and is exploring the impact of such knowledge on caregivers’ awareness and understanding of their children’s character strengths. 
JESSIE HEAMAN
PhD Candidate Jessie is interested in understanding resilience in youth considering clinical, positive, and cognitive perspectives. In particular, she is focused on determining how fostering a growth mindset can enhance response to social challenge and improve overall youth well-being. Jessie's dissertation research explores how growth mindset, attributions, and psychological flexibility relate to well-being and depressive symptoms in youth. She is also examining the impact of a brief online growth mindset intervention on youth's well-being and depressive symptoms during high school transitions. Jessie appreciates working collaboratively with graduate and undergraduate students in the RYRG, with the aim of sharing psychological knowledge broadly to promote well-being and growth. 
SARAH-LYNN BOYLE
PhD Student Sarah-Lynn Boyle is a PhD student in the Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology program at the University of Guelph and is supervised by Dr. Margaret Lumley. She completed her Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree at the University of Prince Edward Island. Sarah’s research focuses on exploring factors that impact well-being within university students. For her master’s thesis, she is exploring the relations between coping ability and character strengths (e.g., hope, love, gratitude) in university students with an identified mental health challenge. Further, she is interested in exploring the impact of PSYC 1400 (i.e., a course-based intervention aimed at fostering well-being) and is currently involved in projects related to this course. Sarah has presented her research at various national and international conferences. Her research is also funded by SSHRC. 
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HAYLEY BOWERS
PhD Candidate Hayley’s current project explores the individual level factors associated with well-being (i.e., happiness and life satisfaction), resilience, engagement in school, and mental illness through a mixed methods approach. She has interviewed 30 students on campus with a mental illness regarding the factors they identify as conducive to positive functioning and generated online surveys based on these interviews to examine whether these factors influence functioning for students more broadly on campus. Her aim is to promote student engagement and well-being on campus for those with and without a mental illness.
KATIE NIVEN
PhD Candidate Katie is a Doctoral candidate in Dr. Lumley’s RYRG. Broadly, Katie’s research is in the field of positive clinical psychology, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology. For her Master’s thesis, Katie examined the longitudinal associations between positive and negative schemas and adolescent depression and well-being. For her Doctoral Dissertation, Katie is examining psychological flexibility. In particular, she is interested in how psychological flexibility is defined and measured, and how it relates to aspects of psychopathology and well-being, particularly among adolescents and teens. Katie has presented her research at several national and international conferences, and has published articles in positive and clinical psychology journals. She has also been fortunate to have her research funded by SSHRC and OGS. 
RYAN O'BYRNE
PhD Student Ryan is interested in using community-based research methods to examine the application of positive clinical psychology within school contexts. Specifically, he would like to develop and evaluate school-based mental health promotion programs. For his master's thesis, Ryan explored the accessibility of a strengths-based parenting intervention delivered through parents' online school accounts. He has also been involved in research projects regarding the mental health of university students and research consultation projects with a local school board. Ryan’s research has been funded by SSHRC and OGS. | ||||||||||||||
EMMA BELANGER
MA Student
Emma is a master’s student in the Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology program at the University of Guelph and she is supervised by Dr. Margaret Lumley. She completed her BA Honours Specialization in Psychology at Nipissing University. Emma is interested in the field of positive clinical psychology, and her master’s thesis will explore youth well-being. Specifically, she will examine the relationship between positive self-schemas and well-being among adolescents using the EPOCH measure of adolescent well-being. The EPOCH measures five dimensions of well-being: engagement, perseverance, optimism, connectedness, and happiness. Emma’s research has been funded by SSHRC.
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FORMER GRADUATE STUDENTS
KRISTY BOUGHTON PhD Kristy's Master’s Thesis considered how various perspectives of parenting behavior each relate to depressive symptoms and also to emotional resilience in youth who are experiencing mental health difficulties and seeking treatment. Her dissertation research examined youth with mental illness transitioning to University with a particular focus on parent-child relationships. 
LINDSEY KEYFITZ PhD
Lindsey's research in the RYRG has focused on incorporating positive constructs into traditional deficit-based cognitive models of youth emotional development. Her Master's Thesis involved the construction and validation of the first Positive Schema Questionnaire, and evaluated the role of positive schemas in the development of depression, anxiety, and resilience. Lindsey completed her Doctoral dissertation which evaluated the mechanisms though which positive life events interact with positive schemas to predict daily and long term adaptive and maladaptive emotional development. 
BRAE ANNE MACARTHUR PhD
Brae completed her Doctoral dissertation in the RYRG in the area of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder (PBD). She explored the relation between parenting and resiliency for youth with PBD and examined the mediating role of positive schemas. She has also been involved in the RYRG completing research examining the protective function of positive schemes in young adults who have experienced emotional maltreatment and in youth with a history of mental health difficulties. She has completed her pre-doctoral residency at Alberta Children's Hospital and is currently completing her post-doctoral fellowship at Temple University. |
For her SOPHIA FANOURGIAKIS PhD
Sophia completed her Master's Thesis at McMaster University, where she examined the language, affect, and behaviour characteristics of children with Selective Mutism compared to children with other anxiety difficulties during a self-presentation task. For her dissertation research, Sophia worked closely with the Wellington Catholic District School Board, and the alternative high school St. John Bosco in particular, to conduct community-engaged research on student engagement and well-being. 
ELIZABETH CARLSON
Elizabeth completed her completed her Master's thesis with the RYRG exploring how individual strengths relate to academic engagement for First Nations youth in a collaborative research project with Lakehead University. Elizabeth is currently completing her PhD at the University of Alberta. 
RACHEL TOMLINSON PhD
Rachel did her Honour's Thesis in the RYRG and continued as a Graduate Research Assistant in the lab during her Master's degree. Her dissertation research with Dr. Meghan McMurtry examined positive psychological factors as they relate to health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with chronic abdominal pain. Rachel's research with the RYRG examines how positive schemas relate to subjective well-being in children and adolescents. She has presented this research, along with her pain research at a number of conferences across North America. |
FABULOUS UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Current Honour's Thesis Students:
Jennifer Martow - Growth mindset and goal setting in adolescence
Caitlyn Beacock - What University students with mental illness need from their parents
Former Honour's Thesis Students:
Karli Longthorne: Karli examined the positive life events that may contribute to positive university experiences among students with mental illness. Gaining insight into positive life events has the potential for meaningful application for promoting well-being among vulnerable students.
Rochelle Thompson: Rochelle examined the process of everyday resilience in typically developing kindergartners. She is passionate about preventative and mixed methods research, and improving the measurement of resilience.
Raelene Hopper: Raelene examined the constructs of grit and resilience and their effect on psychological well-being and psychopathology in undergraduate students.
Keith Hamilton: Keith examined the effect of social identity on mental illness stigma among varsity athletes for his honours theirs. Keith is currently continuing his studies in clinical psychology.
Sarah Newcomb-Anjo: Sarah examined attachment style as a mediator between emotional maltreatment and positive schemas in young adulthood. Sarah is continuing her studies in clinical psychology.
Bikram Singh: Bikram examined how strengths in faith and culture related to youth-reported resilience for boys and girls in high school.
Mike Strating, BA: Mike published his Honour's Thesis from last year and was involved in various other lab projects. Mike is continuing his studies in clinical psychology.
Jennifer Martow - Growth mindset and goal setting in adolescence
Caitlyn Beacock - What University students with mental illness need from their parents
Former Honour's Thesis Students:
Karli Longthorne: Karli examined the positive life events that may contribute to positive university experiences among students with mental illness. Gaining insight into positive life events has the potential for meaningful application for promoting well-being among vulnerable students.
Rochelle Thompson: Rochelle examined the process of everyday resilience in typically developing kindergartners. She is passionate about preventative and mixed methods research, and improving the measurement of resilience.
Raelene Hopper: Raelene examined the constructs of grit and resilience and their effect on psychological well-being and psychopathology in undergraduate students.
Keith Hamilton: Keith examined the effect of social identity on mental illness stigma among varsity athletes for his honours theirs. Keith is currently continuing his studies in clinical psychology.
Sarah Newcomb-Anjo: Sarah examined attachment style as a mediator between emotional maltreatment and positive schemas in young adulthood. Sarah is continuing her studies in clinical psychology.
Bikram Singh: Bikram examined how strengths in faith and culture related to youth-reported resilience for boys and girls in high school.
Mike Strating, BA: Mike published his Honour's Thesis from last year and was involved in various other lab projects. Mike is continuing his studies in clinical psychology.
CURRENT RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
Chelsey Fedchenko
Erin Vander Hoevan
Timothy Patterson
Eirini Boutakis
Jennifer Martow
Tristian Kimball
Erin Vander Hoevan
Timothy Patterson
Eirini Boutakis
Jennifer Martow
Tristian Kimball
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