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Current PhD Students

Jasmine Aaenson Fletcher

Jasmine Aaenson-Fletcher

Research Interests: 

Email: u1529301@utah.edu 

Abigail Anderson

Abigail Anderson

Research Interests: LGBTQ youth level of functioning, self-harm, mood disorders, policies on national and state level that affect LGBTQ youth, macro influences.

Emailu1213328@utah.edu 

Courtney Bushnell

Courtney Bushnell 

Research Interests: 

Email: u1591607@utah.edu

Jamie Camino

Jamie Camino

Research Interests: 

Email: u1591607@utah.edu

Morgan Cruz Erisman

Morgan Cruz Erisman

Research Interests: Homelessness, housing, housing interventions, social justice issues, poverty and inequality, substance use, mental health, macro social work.  

EmailMorgan.Cruzerisman@utah.edu

Denae Cook

Denae Cook

Research Interests: Academic attainment barriers, bridging gaps in educational attainment, increasing educational outcomes in underprivileged communities, educational justice.

EmailDenae.Cook@utah.edu

Finau Conklin

Finau Rabuka-Conklin

Research Interests: Trauma-informed approaches, integration, implementation, and impact in Early Head Start, Head Start, and Migrant Head Start systems.

EmailFinau.Rabuka-Conklin@utah.edu

Mariah Cowell

Mariah Cowell

Research Interests: Diversion and divestment from the criminal legal system, hyperincarceration, law enforcement use of force, community-based interventions to structural violence, macro social work education, anti-oppressive social work practice.

EmailMariah.Cowell@utah.edu

Megan Foster

Megan Foster

Research Interests: 

Email: megan.foster@utah.edu

Myra Garcia

Myra Garcia

Research Interests: Mental health implications of racial trauma, intragroup discrimination, acculturation gap among communities of color.

EmailMyra.Garcia@utah.edu

Sarah Elizabeth

Sarah Elizabeth Garza-Levitt

Research Interests: Health and Health Disparities, College Student Basic Needs Insecurity, Trauma-Informed Systems, Grief and Loss, Integrative Health, Implementation Science. 

ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9763-0073

EmailSarahElizabeth.Levitt@hsc.utah.edu

Hailey Johnson

Hailey Johnson 

Research Interests:

Email: u1587770@utah.edu

Rachel Denton

Rachel Johnson

Research Interests:

Email: u1130223@utah.edu

Amy Kenney

Amy Kenney

Research Interests: Substance use, addiction, and mental health in individuals and families. Prevention, treatment, and recovery at micro, mezzo, and macro level. 

EmailAmy.Kenney@utah.edu 

Rosa Kim

Rosa Kim

Research Interests: Mental health issues among immigrant and refugee populations. Acculturation. Social Network Analysis.  

EmailRosa.Kim@utah.edu

Cate Lau

Caitlin Lau

Research Interests: Child welfare system; youth perspectives; family perspectives; mental health outcomes; intervention access.

EmailCaitlin.Lau@utah.edu

Malissa Morrell

Malissa Morrell 

Research Interests: Mental health interventions and outcomes, Art therapy, Trauma treatment, including PTSD and subthreshold PTSD, Non-manualized treatments, Treatment-resistant mental health issues.

Email: u0595439@utah.edu

Mackaully Parada

Mackaully Parada

Research Interests: Social work in healthcare, social determinants of health, pediatric oncology and chronic illness, religion and spirituality. 

Email: Mackaully Parada

Kara Patin

Kara Patin

Research Interests: Trauma, macro level implementataion of trauma-informed practices, policy and practice, social justice.

EmailKara.Patin@utah.edu  

William Russell

William Russell

Research Interests: Veterans and veteran mental health and transitional issues, military mental health issues. 

Emailwilliam.russell@utah.edu 

Mace Warren

Cyrus Mace Warren 

Research Interests: 

Email: u0126061@utah.edu

Bobby Younce

Bobby Younce

Research Interests: Intimate partner violence (IPV), violence prevention, intimate parter violences in the LGBTQ+ community.

EmailBobby.Younce@utah.edu  

 

 

 

Last Updated: 3/3/26