Back-to-School Party!

Hi everyone!  Hope you all had a RELAXING stress-free summer and are ready to hit the books this Fall semester.  PGSA is hosting a “Back to School” party to welcome in the new semester before classes get too demanding!  


So, grab your calendars, planners, smart phones, or I-pads and get ready to jot down the following time: Friday, September 7^th from 6:00-til.  The venue, depending on cooperating weather conditions, will be poolside at the Vista Commons (1100 Pulaski Street Columbia, SC 29201).  We plan on grilling and having a good ol’ fashioned potluck style event, so please bring a dish, chips, or dessert to share with others!  You can just park on the street outside of the gate to the complex and there will be signs guiding you in. Also, BYOB and please NO GLASS bottles.  We are looking forward to seeing y’all at the party and having a great time!

Note:  If the weather is not suitable for outdoor activities, we plan on moving the party indoors at Liberty Tap Room.

Feel free to bring your swimmies and have a great start to the semester!

- Jessi and the PGSA

Meet the new PGSA Officers!!

President- Sandra Coulon is a 5^th year student in the clinical-community program and is happy to be serving as PGSA president. She works with Dr. Dawn Wilson doing health psych research related to stress and cardiovascular health. Her somewhat neglected hobbies are searching for vintage and odd treasures, eBay commerce, and befriending large wooden gnomes.

Vice President- Matthew Facciani is a 2^nd year experimental psychology PhD student and is the vice president of PGSA. He works with Dr. Shinkareva doing neural decoding research via fMRI. He is currently working on the neural representations of affect and mental imagery. His hobbies include activism, traveling, running, sports, video games, and being a goofball.

Treasurer- Bryn Schiele is a second year School Psychology student and is the treasurer of PGSA. She works on the School Mental Health team under Dr. Mark Weist studying evidence-based practices, family involvement and quality of youth mental health services. Bryn is particularly interested in the identification and treatment of individuals with internalizing disorders in the schools. Additionally, she is interested in integration of physical and mental health services in the schools, as well as how physical health behaviors can both prevent and treat mental health difficulties. In her spare time, Bryn loves to be active, by running, dancing and swimming, as well as to travel and spend time with her puppy.

Social Chair- Jessi Scherr is a second year School Psychology student and is the social chair of PGSA. She is originally from Jamestown, North Dakota, which is home to the world’s largest buffalo (sadly not a living buffalo, but a statue of a buffalo). She is currently working in a Neurodevelopmental Disorders Lab under Dr. Roberts and learning about the many aspects of the development of children with Autism and Fragile X Disorder including attention, physiological arousal, language, behavior regulation, and social interactions. In her spare time, she loves to be active and partake in activities such as swimming, hiking, and traveling. Jessi also enjoys her attempts at cooking and painting, which both have yet to be perfected!

Secretary- Kassy Alia is a third year student in the Clinical Community program and is excited to be serving as secretary this year. She works with Dr Dawn Wilson doing research related to environmental determinants of obesity and obesity-related health behaviors. She is also very interested in community based obesity and chronic disease prevention programs. She loves spending time with her husband Greg and is a proud dog momma to Josey (a mastiff), Peaches (a hot dog mix), and Tara (a Chihuahua). She also loves cooking/eating/talking about food, being outdoors and reading when she gets a chance.