Graduate Student Alumni
Jody Samuels, Ph.D. received her doctoral degree from the University of South Carolina in 2024, after completing her predoctoral internship in neuropsychology at Oregon Health and Science University. Her research as a graduate student focused on investigating neurocognitive predictors of learning challenges and their implications for intervention. She is also interested in understanding how identity and psychosocial factors impact the diagnostic journeys of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. She is currently completing a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at McLean Hospital / Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Amanda Davis, Ph.D. received her doctoral degree from the University of South Carolina in 2024, after completing her predoctoral internship at the Florida State University Multidisciplinary Center. Her research as a graduate student focused on advancing the science and practice of promoting supportive relationships in schools. Specifically, she developed a behavior-based measure of teacher-student relationship quality (the Relationship-Building Behaviors Scale) and is interested in further exploring how this instrument may be integrated into a MTSS framework to support universal screening and intervention efforts. She currently works as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Elon University. For more information about Amanda's ongoing projects and the Relationship-Building Behaviors Scale, please visit https://amandadavis.showit.site/.
Mackenzie Hart, Ph.D. received her doctoral degree from the University of South Carolina in 2023, after completing an assessment-focused clinical internship at the Florida State University Multidisciplinary Center. Her research as a graduate student focused on empowering and supporting youth from or in low-resource environments. Specifically, she is interested in expanding and strengthening evidence-based, non-traditional service provision, such as through combining mentoring and Motivational Interviewing. She currently works as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology (School Psychology Program) at the University of Texas-San Antonio.
Anna Flitner, Ph.D. received her doctoral degree from the University of South Carolina in 2023, after completing her clinical internship at Centerstone Consortium in Florida. Her research as a graduate student focused on identifying ways in which racism infiltrates youth mentoring programs at an individual and systems level, as well as the effects of cultural humility trainings on youth mentors. She currently works as a school psychologist in Powell, Wyoming and hopes to start a private practice providing services to individuals in rural and underserved areas.
Daria Thompson, Ph.D. received her doctoral degree from the University of South Carolina in 2023 where she worked on developing preventative strategies to decrease the impact of racial stress and trauma on Black high school students in the classroom. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Richland School District 2, and she currently works in Richland 2 as a school psychologist.
Asia Thomas, Ph.D. received her doctoral degree from the University of South Carolina in 2020, where she worked with Dr. McQuillin on coordinating and implementing a school-based classroom-focused assessment. She completed her predoctoral internship at Richland School District Two. Currently, she works as a school psychologist for Lowndes County School District in Valdosta, Georgia.
Jacqueline Anderson, Ph.D., received her doctoral degree from the University of Houston, where she worked with Dr. McQuillin on developing youth mentoring programs and conducting program evaluations. She completed her clinical internship at Applewood Centers Inc. in Cleveland, OH, and currently works as a postdoctoral researcher at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Specifically, she works in the Center for Depression Research and the Clinical Care Risk and Resilience Network. Dr. Anderson has expertise in positive mental health and school systems, and leads UT Southwestern’s school-based mental health team with hopes to develop sustainable mental health programming in schools, particularly targeting anxiety and depression.
Kerri Nowell, Ph.D., completed her Ph.D. in School Psychology at the University of Houston with Dr. McQuillin, and her predoctoral internship at the Munroe Meyer Center for Autism in Omaha, NE. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Currently, Dr. Nowell is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Health Psychology at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. She is housed at The Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders where she provides clinical services to individuals and families impacted by neurodevelopmental disorders, serves as the Principal Investigator on several research grants, and supervises doctoral students, predoctoral interns, and postdoctoral fellows.
Brent Smith, Ph.D. is a pediatric psychologist at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Galveston, TX. He provides trauma-informed intervention and assessment services to pediatric burn patients and their families, and provides consultative services as part of each patient’s multidisciplinary team. He continues to use mentorship skills learned during his work with Dr. McQuillin in his role as a clinical practicum supervisor for doctoral and masters-level psychology students.
Aaron Boyce, Ph.D., LSSP completed a Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of Houston under the mentorship of Dr. McQuillin. Dr. Boyce then completed a predoctoral internship at the Munroe Meyer Center for Autism in Omaha, Nebraska. During internship he was trained in evidence-based interventions for pediatric feeding disorders. As a School Psychologist at Cypress Fairbanks ISD, he currently provides broad school-based psychological services for a large school district including assessment, consultation, and intervention. His primary interest is working with families who have children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Cypress Fairbanks ISD also has a predoctoral internship program, and Dr. Boyce provides supervision and didactics for the interns.
Allyson Tagliarina, Ph.D. currently splits her time working between a private practice and a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) providing outpatient psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and their families for a wide range of presenting concerns. One of her specialties is working with student athletes who are struggling with mental barriers that are negatively impacting their performance in some way. She received her doctoral degree from the University of Houston under Dr. McQuillin’s mentorship.
Erika Gonzalez Flynn, Ph.D. worked with Dr. McQuillin at the University of Houston, and continues to work in greater Houston, TX at Deer Park Independent School District. She works with students from various background in both special and general education. She works directly with elementary aged students, consults with teachers and administrators, and provides parent management training to parents.
Research Assistant Alumni
Alana Averett, Undergraduate RA
Prerana Shidhaye, Undergraduate RA
Bekah Smith, High School Student RA Intern