Students from Georgia Southern’s College of Behavioral and Social Sciences’ psychology program have won nationally competitive travel awards for their research two years in a row.

Heaven Divinity (’24) and Carmen Ford (’24) won the Council on Undergraduate Research’s (CUR) Social Science and Psychology Conference Travel Awards in 2025 and 2024, respectively. 

The awards allowed Divinity and Ford, both at the time of their research, to attend and present at the (NITOP), which is held annually in January.

Both were students of Associate Professor of Psychology Virginia Wickline, Ph.D., and conducted the research they would later present in her research experience class.

Divinity presented her work regarding an ongoing COIL program at Georgia Southern. COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) projects pair individuals worldwide to practice communication skills or accomplish a shared task. 

Her project, “Crossing Borders,” paired Georgia Southern students with international students to measure global readiness. Divinity said the COIL project impacted her personally and professionally while helping to shape how she approaches her work. 

“This project, in particular, has made me more adept at conducting the statistical analysis essential for my research, which will help me navigate graduate school,” she said. “It has also allowed me to delve deeper into the importance of understanding and respecting the diverse cultural backgrounds of others. The experience has equipped me with the tools to embrace diversity in my professional endeavors.”

Ford presented an experimental research study she helped develop on whether a syllabus with a one-page “snapshot” infographic of a professor would influence students’ first impressions.

She said the research helped put her on the path of wanting to teach psychology and made her aware of the biases people can harbor, including her own.

“As a student, I did not realize that I had my own bias and impression of professors from documents like syllabi and or Folio announcements,” she said. “Through this experience, I have truly learned the value of putting your best foot forward and leaving an impact not just professionally but personally.”

An experience made all the more significant because she collaborated with leading researchers in the field.

“The big benefit for Carmen in presenting is that we worked with two peers or mentors of mine who are nationally known names in teaching psychology, “said Wickline. “She had the chance to work with experts she’d been reading about in our lab, which isn’t very common at the undergraduate level.”

Both students plan to earn their doctoral degrees and one day become licensed clinical psychologists – goals bolstered by their experience in Wickline’s research lab and at NITOP.

“The experience was very rewarding,” said Divinity. “It gave me confidence, impressed upon me the importance of networking and refined my presentation skills. I’ll forever be grateful to Dr. Wickline and my fellow lab members for the opportunity.”

Ford echoed similar sentiments.

“Attending this conference is something I never could’ve imagined at the start of my academic journey,” she said. “Presenting allowed me to enter a new world that once seemed out of reach. It boosted my confidence, and I was honored to be accepted in that space.”

Their mentor, Wickline, says they have grown tremendously since she first taught them in their early undergraduate years, and she believes the sky’s the limit for both of them.

“Their success–and the success of other students like them–means the world to me,” she said. I am proud to see how far they have come and cannot wait to see what comes next!”

Divinity is pursuing acceptance into a doctorate in psychology program and hopes to work in private practice with children and families. Ford is now a first-year student in Georgia Southern’s Psy.D. program and wants to open a private practice and continue her pedagogical research.

The Psychology Clinic on the �����Ƶ Statesboro Campus will provide free dementia screenings and psychotherapy for caregivers thanks to a $10,000 donation from Rockin’ Out Alzheimer’s Disease (ROAD). The services will be provided in person and virtually.

“Caregiving for loved ones is stressful,” Psychology Clinic Director Amy Luna said. “I often reference the title of the book The 36-Hour Day to highlight the demands placed upon caregivers, many of whom are sandwiched between generations, meaning they may be providing care to older adults and children or grandchildren simultaneously.”  

Psychotherapy recipients will meet weekly or every other week with a doctoral student therapist enrolled in their second year of Georgia Southern’s Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology program. Student therapists perform under the supervision of Luna who is also a licensed psychologist.

“Psychotherapy can help relieve distress by offering strategies to help others cope with challenges and thrive in the face of adversity,” Luna said. “Telehealth is a great resource for those concerned about spreading COVID-19 to vulnerable populations like older adults as it minimizes contact with others.”

Dementia screenings will be offered later this semester. Luna said it’s important to find dementia in a patient as early as possible.

“Early detection of dementia is important, as the progression of the disease can be halted or slowed with medical intervention, depending on the type of dementia,” she said. “Dementia occurs regardless of pandemic status; therefore, services should be sought out when symptoms are detected.”

The in-person and virtual options are screenings only, so no diagnosis will be provided. However, the in-person screening will be more thorough than the telehealth screening. If a patient needs internet access or a webcam, the psychology clinic will provide a tablet and hotspot for those lacking the required technology.

“As the services are free, this opportunity is ideal for those who do not have health insurance or those whose health insurance is difficult to access due to cost,” Luna said.

ROAD is committed to raising and distributing funds that have a direct effect on Alzheimer’s and dementia care in Southeast Georgia. The organization has worked with CBSS, as well as other areas of Georgia Southern and the surrounding communities, to raise money and provide services in the past.

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (CBSS) Dean Ryan Shroeder said the opportunities provided by the donation from ROAD aligns directly with the college’s mission of service.

“The mission of CBSS is to use our expertise to make a real world impact on our communities,” Schroeder said. “The dementia screening program is a perfect illustration of the mission of the college, as we are using our expertise in dementia and elder care in the college to make a positive impact on our communities.”

For more information about the Psychology Clinic or to make an appointment for a free screening, visit or call 912-478-1685.

The �����Ƶ College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (CBSS) is teaming up with the Matthew Reardon Center for Autism’s (MRCA) Early Learning Academy (ELA) in Savannah to provide preschool students the best education possible.

“Responding to community demand, the ELA and �����Ƶ’s College of Behavioral and Social Sciences have partnered to create an excellent, evidence-based preschool that engages every child at his or her level of development upon enrollment and builds individual educational plans to ensure that every child ascends to the height of their abilities,” said Patti Victor, CEO of the Matthew Reardon Center for Autism.

The ELA is an inclusion preschool for students with and without autism. It uses a research-and-play-based curriculum that encompasses all aspects of education, from social-emotional development to the sciences and art. A $6,000 grant from International Paper will help fund the ELA’s partnership with Georgia Southern.

As part of the new agreement, CBSS will send a faculty member and two practicum students from the Applied Behavior Analysis Program to the ELA to do assessments, help design curriculum, and oversee and train staff members on how to best approach each individual student. 

“One of the goals here in CBSS is to make a real-world impact on our surrounding communities,” said CBSS Dean Ryan Schroeder, Ph.D. “By using the academic expertise that we have on the Armstrong Campus and bringing it out into the community, that’s one of our ways in which we’re making an impact: through our research and through our service.”

CBSS faculty members currently work with staff at the MRCA’s Advance Academy, a year-round day school for children with autism, and students from Georgia Southern have been doing their practicums with the MRCA for the last decade. 

Victor said Georgia Southern students have become an important part of the center, during their time as interns and beyond. The experience they gain in the MRCA classrooms under guidance from Georgia Southern faculty is important when starting their careers, which often begin at the MRCA.   

“Practicums offer intense, hands-on opportunities to learn and apply behavioral and relational skills in educational settings with children significantly impacted by autism under the supervision of experienced staff and Georgia Southern faculty,” Victor said. “Interns have become an integral component in staffing classrooms. In fact, we frequently hire our practicum students after graduation.” 

MRCA teachers and staff members benefit immensely from the research and observation done by CBSS faculty, such as assistant professor Jennifer Wertalik, Ph.D., who specializes in behavior analysis. 

“Dr. Wertalik does a wonderful job incorporating behavior analysis into our research-based curriculum, creating plans for children with and without disabilities, and providing training and feedback to ELA teachers in the classroom,” ELA Director Ciarra Torres said. “She also ensures that practicum students are maximizing hands-on experience with all children in the classroom.”

Victor said she wants the benefits of the existing partnership and past collaboration to transfer to the ELA. 

“As I have worked with new Georgia Southern administrators, Dean Ryan Schroder, Associate Dean John Kraft, Vice President of Academic Affairs Carl Reiber and, of course, President Kyle Marrero, I am enthused at the innovative energy I sense among them all, and I am absolutely delighted to begin this new partnership venture,” Victor said.

The �����Ƶ College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (CBSS) is teaming up with the Matthew Reardon Center for Autism’s (MRCA) Early Learning Academy (ELA) in Savannah to provide preschool students the best education possible.

“Responding to community demand, the ELA and �����Ƶ’s College of Behavioral and Social Sciences have partnered to create an excellent, evidence-based preschool that engages every child at his or her level of development upon enrollment and builds individual educational plans to ensure that every child ascends to the height of their abilities,” said Patti Victor, CEO of the Matthew Reardon Center for Autism.

The ELA is an inclusion preschool for students with and without autism. It uses a research-and-play-based curriculum that encompasses all aspects of education, from social-emotional development to the sciences and art. A $6,000 grant from International Paper will help fund the ELA’s partnership with Georgia Southern.

As part of the new agreement, CBSS will send a faculty member and two practicum students from the Applied Behavior Analysis Program to the ELA to do assessments, help design curriculum, and oversee and train staff members on how to best approach each individual student. 

“One of the goals here in CBSS is to make a real-world impact on our surrounding communities,” said CBSS Dean Ryan Schroeder, Ph.D. “By using the academic expertise that we have on the Armstrong Campus and bringing it out into the community, that’s one of our ways in which we’re making an impact: through our research and through our service.”

CBSS faculty members currently work with staff at the MRCA’s Advance Academy, a year-round day school for children with autism, and students from Georgia Southern have been doing their practicums with the MRCA for the last decade. 

Victor said Georgia Southern students have become an important part of the center, during their time as interns and beyond. The experience they gain in the MRCA classrooms under guidance from Georgia Southern faculty is important when starting their careers, which often begin at the MRCA.   

“Practicums offer intense, hands-on opportunities to learn and apply behavioral and relational skills in educational settings with children significantly impacted by autism under the supervision of experienced staff and Georgia Southern faculty,” Victor said. “Interns have become an integral component in staffing classrooms. In fact, we frequently hire our practicum students after graduation.” 

MRCA teachers and staff members benefit immensely from the research and observation done by CBSS faculty, such as assistant professor Jennifer Wertalik, Ph.D., who specializes in behavior analysis. 

“Dr. Wertalik does a wonderful job incorporating behavior analysis into our research-based curriculum, creating plans for children with and without disabilities, and providing training and feedback to ELA teachers in the classroom,” ELA Director Ciarra Torres said. “She also ensures that practicum students are maximizing hands-on experience with all children in the classroom.”

Victor said she wants the benefits of the existing partnership and past collaboration to transfer to the ELA. 

“As I have worked with new Georgia Southern administrators, Dean Ryan Schroder, Associate Dean John Kraft, Vice President of Academic Affairs Carl Reiber and, of course, President Kyle Marrero, I am enthused at the innovative energy I sense among them all, and I am absolutely delighted to begin this new partnership venture,” Victor said.

Meagan Bailie preferred working with adults when she started school in the Department of Psychology on the Georgia Southern Armstrong Campus. However, after starting her practicum at the Matthew Reardon Early Learning Academy in Savannah, and securing a job there after graduation, she can’t wait to help preschool students get ready for K-12 education.

“Kids are now my favorite part of the job,” Bailie said. “It’s amazing to see the progress that these kids make in such a short amount of time and know that I helped with that.”

At the preschool, Bailie works with 3-and-4 year-old children, some of whom have autism. Her practicum involved a lot of data collection for various behaviors of the students, such as wandering, climbing and aggression. Bailie also conducted mand training, which helps children with autism with limited verbal behaviors learn to ask for what they want.

Bailie really honed in on her love for psychology during her sophomore year when she took intro to behavior analysis with professor Jennifer Wertalik, Ph.D. She said the faculty on the Armstrong Campus have been a driving force for her career decisions.

“Intro to behavior analysis changed my thinking and my career path,” Bailie said. “Behaviorism made so much more sense than any other field in psychology, and I knew that I wanted to pursue a job in that field. When I first started in behavior analysis, Dr. Wertalik sat with me and helped me figure out how I could make is my career.”

After starting her practicum under the supervision of psychology professor Andrew Bulla, Ph.D., Bailie knew how she wanted to apply behaviorism in her career. Bulla said he saw skills in Bailie that made him want to invite her to join his research and oversee her practicum.

“Meagan displays many of the professional skills necessary to be successful inside and outside of the classroom,” Bulla said. “She is punctual, kind, intellectually engaged and has a keen eye for detail. She is a problem-solver and definitely thinks through questions before answering them, resulting in a really well throughout solution.”

Bailie said the personalized feel of her classes is one of her favorite things about the Armstrong Campus.  

“I really like the size of the Armstrong Campus because the classes are small enough that professors actually know who you are,” she said. “The psychology department is amazing, and the education and training I have gotten is excellent.”

Bailie will receive the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) credential upon completing her degree, finishing 1,000 supervised hours and taking the BCaBA certification exam, which will allow her to work under the Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the Matthew Reardon Center for Autism, who will give her responsibilities such as program design, assessment, and the training and supervision of staff.

“I was able to take the behavior plans that I wrote in class with Dr. Bulla and actually implement them in the classroom,” Bailie said. “I would love to be able to create more behavior plans and implement them and continue to use what I have learned in my classes to make real changes in people’s lives.”