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This year’s Midwestern Psychological Association Conference is taking place from April 16-18, 2026 at the Palmer House in Chicago, IL. This marks the 98th meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association and will feature some of the highest-quality work in psychological sciences across the region. º£½ÇÂÒÂ× will once again be well represented at this conference, so if you’ll be in attendance, make sure you stop by and check out their work. We are incredibly proud of all the research being done outside of the classroom by our students, faculty, and staff, often in collaboration with alumni.

Professional Development Sessions

Devon Kardel (PsyD 4) & Dr. Courtney Cabell (Core Faculty, MA ’21, PsyD ’25): Liberatory Movement: Dance as a Pathway to Transformative Healing

Renelle Lamey (MA ’24, PsyD 2) & Kalani Banks (MA ’24, PsyD 2): Ethical Considerations in Couple’s Therapy 

Reba Meagher (MA ’23, PsyD 3), Emily Ehrlich (PsyD 3), Jennifer Medrano Delacruz (MA ’23, PsyD 3), Lauren Dushane (MA ’21, PsyD 3), Caddisy Girard-Nocifora (PsyD 3): Affirming Practice with LGBTQIA+ Clients Amid Political Polarization 

Renelle Lamey (MA ’24, PsyD 2) & Kalani Banks (MA ’24, PsyD 2): Cell Phones and Marriage: Connection or Disruption? 

Dr. River Farrell (Core Faculty): Guiding Growth: Integrating Trauma Informed and Developmental Supervision Practices

Ella Samhat (MA ’23, PsyD 2) & Aya Aldhalimi (MA with ABA ’24, PsyD 2): Cultural Competence and Psychological Assessment: A Training for Emerging Clinicians 

Dr. Courtney Cabell (Core Faculty, MA ’21, PsyD ’25) & Jennifer Medrano Delacruz (MA ’23, PsyD 3): Graduate Student Well-Being Across Cultural Contexts

Nicholas Semaan (MA ’21, PsyD 4), Dr. Dustin Shepler (Director of Clinical Training), Kevin Johnson (MA ’14, PsyD ’18), Julia Aharonov: The Effect of Music on Intravenous Ketamine for PTSD Treatment

Dalia Boussi (MA ’25, PsyD 1): Balancing Accessibility and Confidentiality: Ethical Considerations in Adolescent Teletherapy 

Poster Sessions

Dr. Dustin Shepler (Director of Clinical Training), Dr. Matthew Kadrich (PsyD Program Director, PsyD ’16), Dr. Doug Callan (Core Faculty), Mackenzie Mercer (PsyD 2), Tessa Passarelli (PsyD 1), Matt Greiner (PsyD 1), Jasmine Dhuga, Briana Foster (MA ’23): ADHD in High IQ Men: Evidence of Masking on CPT-3

Dr. Doug Callan (Core Faculty), Dr. Dustin Shepler (Director of Clinical Training), Dr. Matthew Kardich (PsyD Program Director, PsyD ’16), Mackenzie Mercer (PsyD 2), Jasmine Dhuga, Tessa Passarelli (PsyD 1), Matt Greiner (PsyD 1), Briana Foster (MA ’23): “Unmasking” ADHD and CPT-3 performance in high IQ boys 

Jamal Ghazi (MA ’21, PsyD ’25) & Dr. Dustin Shepler (Director of Clinical Training): Acculturation Strategies and Psychological Functioning Among Arab American Muslims

Marwa Attia (PsyD 2), Alexis Amos (PsyD 2), Renelle Lamey (MA ’24, PsyD 2), Zeinab Karout (PsyD 2), Isam Maaz (MA ’24, PsyD 2), Blake Kozlowski (MA ’24, PsyD 2), Ashlyn Olson (PsyD 2), Alizay Naqvi (MA ’24, PsyD 2), Jifune Hermiz (MA ’24, PsyD 2), Aya Aldhalimi(MA with ABA ’24, PsyD 2), Kalani Banks (MA ’24, PsyD 2),Francesca Belisario (PsyD 2), Dorothy Brown, Rebecca Cenusa (MA ’24, PsyD 2), Mackenzie Mercer (PsyD 2), Ella Samhat (MA ’23, PsyD 2), MyEssia Taylor (PsyD 2), Dr. Andrew Franks (Core Faculty): Authoritarian Aggression and Support for Immigrant Surveillance and Deportation

Zeina Laham (MA ’25): Navigating Identity and Mental Health: Culturally Sensitive Approaches for Arab Americans

Dalia Boussi (MA ’25, PsyD 1): Culturally Responsive Mental Health Practice with Arab American Communities