Anna Flitner Wins Outstanding Community Engagement Award

YESS Lab member, Anna Flitner, was recently named the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Community Engagement Award. This award is presented by the Graduate School to a graduate student at the University of South Carolina who demonstrates a strong commitment to the Carolina community or beyond through community service, social advocacy, civic engagement, or volunteerism. Anna received this award in recognition of her work across several community organizations, including the Dickerson Children’s Advocacy Center (for youth who have experienced trauma), St. Lawrence Place (a transitional housing organization), the South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS), schools, and community mental health clinics. Her research also strives to serve the community by exploring how cultural humility training can help individuals bridge cultural divides.

Congratulations, Anna!

YESS Lab Graduate Students Appointed to NMRC Associate Board

YESS Lab members Amanda Davis and Savannah Simpson were recently appointed to the National Mentoring Resource Center’s Associate Board! Amanda and Savannah look forward to learning from and collaborating with other mentoring scholars while serving on the Associate Review Board. For more information on their areas of expertise, please visit: https://nationalmentoringresourcecenter.org/about/

Way to go, Amanda and Savannah!

YESS Lab Undergraduate Member wins Magellan Scholar Award

YESS Lab undergraduate research assistant, Danielle Doennebrink, was awarded a 2020 Magellan Scholar Award. The Magellan Scholar Award is the University of South Carolina’s flagship undergraduate research award. Her research project is titled “The effects of childhood sexual abuse on adult cardiovascular health”. Congratulations, Danielle!

Dr. McQuillin wins Garnet Apple Award for Teaching Innovation

Dr. McQuillin was awarded the 2021 Garnet Apple Award for Teaching Innovation! Dr. McQuillin was recognized for his exceptional use of media and technology to increase engagement and experiential learning opportunities for students. He also incorporated Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles into his curriculum. Great work, Dr. McQuillin!

YESS Lab Undergraduate RA wins Research Award

Jayme Banfield, an undergraduate research assistant in the YESS Lab, was recently recognized with a prestigious research award. The Roger W. Black Award recognizes outstanding achievements by an undergraduate student in psychological research, and is selected by the Undergraduate Program Committee. As a member of the Lab for the last year, Jayme has helped to coordinate the mentoring program and has contributed to research examining adolescents’ experiences with COVID-19.

Mackenzie Hart named USC CHQ Junior Scholar

Mackenzie Hart, 3rd year Graduate student and lab member, was named as a University of South Carolina Center for Health Care Quality Junior Scholar. The Junior Scholar program is based in the SmartState Center for Healthcare Quality (CHQ) in the Arnold School of Public Health. Students who are selected for this competitive program work on a health-focused project with research mentors for one year.

Asia Thomas wins SPARC Award

Graduate student and lab member Asia Thomas was awarded the Support to Promote Advancement of Research and Creativity (SPARC) grant sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research. The SPARC grant is a merit-based award for innovative research, and will fund Asia throughout the summer as she works on her dissertation research project titled “Screening Utility of Classroom Performance Survey”. Congratulations Asia!

Dr. McQuillin wins Breakthrough Star Award

Dr. McQuillin was awarded a 2020 Breakthrough Star award at the University of South Carolina. The Breakthrough star award, presented each year by USC’s Office of the Vice President for Research, honors outstanding early career faculty. Read more about this award, and his recent work, here.

APA Presentations

Our lab traveled to Chicago, IL for the annual convention of the American Psychological Association. Graduate students Anna Flitner and Mackenzie Hart presented posters related to lab research, and Anna was recognized as having one of the top two posters in her division! Dr. McQuillin and Mackenzie chaired a symposium entitled “Expanding the Scope and Improving the Effectiveness of Youth Mentoring in School Systems” along with researchers from the University of Virginia, the University of Arkansas, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Massachusetts- Boston. Moreover, Dr. McQuillin contributed to a symposium by another UofSC lab focused on identifying dyslexia in schools. A fun time was had by all!