FEBRUARY 2023 FALL SEMESTER

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM

Newsletter Editors: Khandissa Brown & Natasha Brown

COORDINATOR'S CORNER
WRITTEN BY DR. MARIAN FISH
Thank you, thank you, thank you, to my wonderful colleagues

E-Board Members 2022- 2023

for taking such good care of our School Psychology Program when I

Co-Presidents: was on leave last spring. Sherrie Proctor’s leadership as coordinator

Jessica Rojas with great support from Emilia Lopez, Pam Gershon, Cliff Chen, and,

Anna Koullias of course, Diane Mantellino, allowed the program to flourish. When I

returned this fall, the incoming class of 36 first year students was

Vice President: eager to start the program and everything was ready to go.
Diana Jadunandan
My leave was restorative in many ways and I realized how

challenging it was for me to work within the confines of the pandemic

Secretary:
Andrew Farrell restrictions both in teaching and with administrative tasks. We all did

what needed to be done, but it took its toll, and so the leave helped

Treasurer: revive my spirits. I used the time to work on professional projects

Jennifer Briggs including a study examining interprofessional work relationships

between educational administrators and school psychologists and to

NASP Liaison:
take professional development workshops in areas of psychology that

Bradford Johnson
I wanted to learn more about, but also it was a time to explore family

Naya Krcic
genealogy, to organize photos and to travel to South Dakota near

Special Events Coordinator:

Rapid City to visit the Badlands, Deadwood and Mt. Rushmore. One of

Christen Patalano my favorite memories is the traffic jam created by buffalo herds

sauntering down the road in Custer State National Park. They

Social Media Chair: definitely have the right of way.

Toshoya Archer
Returning to in-person teaching this fall was very rewarding

and something I truly missed. My observation is that the social

First Year Representative:

Crystal Reyes isolation from the pandemic has resulted in a loss of interpersonal

Lindsay Tello skills and that we will all have to work hard to re-learn and restore

those skills, especially because of the nature of what we do. There is

Second Year Representative:

a troubling lack of spontaneity when working on line, and informal

Juli Colle
and casual interactions, which are so important in our every day lives,

rarely occur during task-oriented zoom meetings. I will be interested

Third Year Representative:

Allie Koenig

Continued on page 2
PAGE 1

FEBRUARY 2023 FALL SEMESTER

COORDINATOR'S CORNER
to read the research to see how this plays out in the larger society; do we just measure productivity or do

we consider social-emotional health? Of course, I do understand that there are differing opinions on this

topic as access to education is often facilitated for many through virtual options.
We have had a successful fall semester with a mix of in-person and virtual course offerings. Most of the first

year courses are in-person which allowed students to get to know each other, form friendships and establish

a group identity. Our second year/practicum offerings were on-line, and the final year internship courses

were mixed.
This spring we have 37 students enrolled in practicum. Many use public transportation and Drs.

Gershon and Wagner are working to find placements that are accessible. If you have interest in either a

practicum student or an intern for next year, please contact Dr. Gershon (pam.gershon@qc.cuny.edu) or Dr.

Wagner (vanessa.wagner@qc.cuny.edu).
Some exciting news is that the program has been given approval to search for a new Assistant Professor for

Fall 2023. Our last hire was over 7 years ago when Dr. Chen joined our faculty. We are actively interviewing

to find a candidate with interests that align with the goals of our program and who will provide additional

expertise to enhance our program offerings.

Once again we have canceled our Annual School Psychology Conference. We would like to return to

the in-person format with continental breakfast and lunch which has been so successful in bringing alums

together for professional development and networking and providing us with the opportunity to thank our

supervisors. While we explored different options, and have received numerous inquiries from our alums,

campus services including catering are not yet up and running at the level needed for us to ensure a

successful conference.
As always, we thank all our fall adjunct faculty members including: Keren Adler, Julie Cooperstone,

Caryn DePinna, Cortney Farrell, Elissa Finkelstein, Morty Frank, Karen Green, Laura Hackimer, Joshua

Looser, Roberta Manfredo, Edel McCarville, Patricio Romero, Seth Sebold, Maria Tuccillo, and Vanessa

Wagner. And, a most important thank you to Diane Mantellino who has been in the office 2 days a week all

fall. NYASP Conference Recap

pg 3
Faculty Publications
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2023. pg 4
Upcoming Conferences
pg 4
Marian Fish Interview with NASP President, Dr. Celeste Malone, PhD
ps 5-7
Fall Activities Highlights
pg 8-9
National School Psychology Week
pg 10
Preparing for Practicum
pg11
Congratulations!
pg.12
National Book Read
pg 12
PAGE 2
FEBRUARY 2023 FALL SEMESTER

2022 ANNUAL CONVENTION RECAP

Uniondale, N.Y.
.

Gil Trachtman Leadership in School Psychology Award Winner

Dr. Sherrie L. Proctor, Ph. D.
Congratulations to Dr. Sherrie L. Proctor who was awarded the Gil Trachtman

Leadership Award. She was recognized as a leader in the field of School

Psychology who has made significant contributions in teaching, research, and

supervision.

NYASP Presentation
Dr. Emilia Lopez, students Khandissa Brown and Esther Chang

and QC alum, Patricia Hernandez presented at NYASP. Their

presentation entitled "Framing Consultee Centered Consultation to

Support English Language Learners and Culturally Diverse Families,"

examined instructional, teacher and parent consultation cases, for

Ted Bernstein Award Winner
ELL students. They discussed the challenges that the consultees
faced as well as how they, as consultants, each approached their

case from a consultee centered perspective. They all helped the

consults to reconceptualize the students' difficulties and see them in

a new light.

Dr. Pamela Gershon and Patricia Hernandez

Congratulations to QC alum, Patricia

Hernandez on receiving the

Ted Bernstein Award. This award is

given to person who shows outstanding

professional promise in School

Psychology.
Dr. Emilia Lopez, students Esther Chang, Khandissa Brown,

and QC alumni, Patricia Hernandez PAGE 3

 FEBRUARY 2023 FALL SEMESTER

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS
1. Proctor, S. L., *Li, K., *Chait, N., & *Gulfaraz, S. (2022). Use of critical race theory to

understand the experiences of a Black male during school psychology graduate education.

School Psychology Review. Advance online first publication.

https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2022.2036077
2. Proctor, S. L. (2022). From Beckham until now: Recruiting, retaining, and including Black

people and Black thought in school psychology. School Psychology International, 43, 545559.
https://doi.org/10.1177/01430343211066016
3. Sabnis, S., & Proctor, S. L. (2021). Use of critical theory to develop a conceptual framework

for critical school psychology. School Psychology Review, 51, 661-675.https://doi.org/

10.1080/2372966X.2021.1949248

UPCOMING CONFERENCES

NASP 2023 Denver, CO February 7th- 10th, 2023

Elizabeth Sang and Aurora Topalli will be presenting:

Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training: Perspectives of School Psychology Students (Wednesday,

February 8th, 4:30 p.m. - 5:20 p.m.)

Dr. Sherrie Proctor will be presenting:
Distinguished Lecture: Embracing Diversity Through School Psychology Programs as Sites of Liberation

(Thursday, February 9th, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.)

Dr. Cliff Young-Chi Chen and recent graduates will be presenting two posters:
Impact of Personal Protective Equipment on Standardized School Psychology Assessments During the

COVID-19 Pandemic
(Mengjia Lei & Giselle Rivera; Thursday, February 9th, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)
Impact of Childhood Family Cohesion on Adult Attachment
(Kristine Rupnarain; Thursday, February 9th, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.)
Dr. Pamela Gershon and students will be presenting a poster:
Promoting a Growth Mindset in School-Based Counseling
(Jackie Avione, Khandissa Brown, Juan Mackenzie, Camryn Roeller, and Nora Strecker;
Thursday, February 9th 1:30 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.)
Dr. Sherrie Proctor and students will be presenting:
School Psychology, Trauma, and Black Youth Exposed to Police Violence
(Natasha Brown, Natasha A. Chait, Sehrish Gulfaraz, Jade Jacobs, Bradford Johnson, Alyssa C. Li,
Kathrynne Mei, Ogundunni Ogundiran & Elizabeth A. Sang; Thursday, February 9th 3:30 p.m.- 4:50 p.m.)

International School Psychology Association

Conference
July 5th - 8th 2023
Bologna, Italy
PAGE 4
 FEBRUARY 2023 FALL SEMESTER

Interview with NASP President, Dr. Celeste Malone, PhD

Dr. Celeste Malone, PhD, 2022–2023 NASP President, is the second

person of color to ever serve in this role. Her Harlem upbringing

rooted a passion for issues of educational equity and sparked her

interest in preparing school psychologists to serve diverse

populations. She has been recognized for her ongoing leadership and
commitment to social justice in psychology by presidential

recognitions from NASP, the Maryland School Psychologists’

Association, and APA Division 16 School Psychology. Dr. Malone was

asked to share her journey to NASP presidency and her vision for

NASP 2023, as well as, changes she would like to see in the

profession. In addition, she was asked to offer some advice to future

school psychologists. See her responses below.

Please describe your road to becoming the President of NASP. What led you to the field of School

Psychology? And what motivated you to run for President of NASP?

Since graduate school, I’ve been intentional about involvement in both APA and in NASP as I believe both are

professional homes for doctoral-level school psychologists. I was initially interested in getting involved because of

my interest in multicultural training and the role that our professional associations (i.e., NASP and APA) have in

establishing training guidelines. Additionally, it’s important for school psychology to have a presence within APA

because of that organization’s influence on the profession. For my involvement in both groups, I got to my current

roles through a combination of networking, gradual advancement, volunteering, and applying for positions.

My path to the NASP Board of Directors started in graduate school. I served as the student leader for my

graduate program (Temple University) and was appointed as one of two local student members for the 2012 NASP

Convention Committee. At our in-person meeting, I was vocal in advocating for graduate students to have increased
access to meaningful leadership opportunities (aside from the Student Development Workgroup) and more relevant
convention programming (e.g., diversity, leadership, graduate school experience). As a follow-up to that discussion,
the Board of Directors invited me to present on APA’s student leadership model and provide recommendations as

they started the Governance Enhancement Initiative (GEI). One of the GEI recommendations was expansion of the

Leadership Development Committee. I was invited to apply and was selected to be a member and then the co-chair.
When Lisa Kelly-Vance (2018-2019 NASP president and attendee at the convention committee meeting) was elected
president-elect, she recommended that I replace her as a strategic liaison on the Board of Directors. I was the first

strategic liaison for the social justice goal and led that goal team through most of the strategic plan (2017-2021).

Continued on page 6

PAGE 5
FEBRUARY 2023 FALL SEMESTER

Interview with NASP President, Dr. Celeste Malone, PhD

People have asked me about running for NASP president since I graduated in 2012, but it was not an idea I
was willing to entertain until I earned tenure at my university (which I did in 2019). By that time, I was on the

Board leading the social justice goal team and I did not see the need to run for president because I was already

doing meaningful leadership work. In summer 2019, I had two conversations that made me seriously consider

running for president. The first was with Kathy Minke, the NASP executive director and a past president, who

asked when I was planning to run for president. In response to my hesitance, she acknowledged that president

would be a shift from the work I was doing now. But through the presidential theme, Communique columns, and

convention programming, I would have a powerful platform to highlight important issues in the profession like

social justice. The second conversation was with Sherrie Proctor, who was then co-chair of the NASP Social

Justice Committee. We were planning a social justice professional development session for NASP and the

conversation turned to leadership. She shared many similarities between me and Deborah Crockett, NASP’s first

Black president. I was honored that Sherrie, a scholar I admired so much, could see me in that leadership role.

Both Kathy and Sherrie mentioned my intentional approach to social justice leadership. The feedback affirmed

and validated my identity as a scholar-leader. After those two conversations, I started to see NASP president as a

viable possibility and a way to make a different impact on the profession.

What changes would you like to see within the field of School Psychology?

I would like us to become a more reflective, introspective, and critical field. Although school psychology has

made significant progress with regard to culturally responsive and socially just practices, we will never be able to

reach the goal of equity and liberation without confronting our past. Many of the problems school psychology

seeks to redress through social justice advocacy, such as the overidentification of youth of color in special

education, are problems that we helped create. We must take a deep dive into our history and examine how we

have been influenced by racist and ablest biases and how these biases show up in our professional practices.

In my role as strategic liaison for the social justice goal, I worked closely with NASP and state leaders to

incorporate social justice in their work. While colleagues were enthusiastic about social justice in theory, they

struggled with it in practice because they wanted clear-cut directions and readymade solutions. That’s not how

social justice works. It requires self-awareness, critical consciousness, and a tolerance for ambiguity. School

psychologists are not known for those traits. The NASP social justice goal for 2017-2022 has been revised to

focus on school psychologists’ self-awareness and critical consciousness. I am cautiously optimistic that this new

goal will help the profession move closer to where we need to be.

Continued on page 7

PAGE 6
FEBRUARY 2023 FALL SEMESTER

Interview with NASP President, Dr. Celeste Malone, PhD

Describe your vision for NASP 2023 in Denver, CO.

I distinctly remember my first NASP convention in 2010. Although I knew the demographics of the profession

(over 90% White at that time), the lack of racial and ethnic diversity among convention attendees was striking.

There were few sessions on culture and diversity, and those tended to be scheduled at odd hours. I felt like an

outsider until I attended the African American Subcommittee and got connected to other Black school

psychologists.

My goal for NASP 2023 is that attendees feel a sense of meaningful inclusion. What does that look like?
Culture, diversity, and social justice being reflected in all convention programming and not being siloed to a

few sessions
Social justice and diversity programming that explicitly name oppression and provide tools for school

psychologists to engage in anti-oppressive and liberatory practices

Recognition of the contributions of school psychologists from marginalized groups have made to school

psychology research, practice, and advocacy

Racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity among featured convention speakers

I want all school psychologists, especially those underrepresented in the profession, to come to NASP and feel

affirmed, welcomed, and proud to be a school psychologist.

What advice would you give to new professionals in the field of School Psychology?

All school psychologists, regardless of career stage, have the capacity for leadership. Our voice is needed more

than ever to create just, equitable, and affirming school environments that enable all children to thrive.

Leadership is more than a title. We use our professional privilege and influence to leverage change.
Identify your “why.” Involvement in leadership provides a platform to fulfill your purpose as a school

psychologist. Think about the contributions you want to make and for whom you want to make them.

Remembering and staying true to your purpose will help you discern the opportunities that will be best for

you.
Your “why” will lead to your “how.” Be willing to explore leadership opportunities outside of diversity,

multicultural, or social justice committees. A social justice equity lens is needed for all facets of school

psychology practice and organizational leadership. Consider other opportunities to link your school

psychology expertise with your interest in diversity and social justice. For example, if you’re interested in

promoting anti-racist, culturally responsive practices, consider professional practice, professional

development, convention, advocacy, or publications committees.

Find your social support network and practice self-care. Doing social justice and anti-racism work is often

emotionally, spiritually, and (sometimes) physically draining work. It is important to have a community of like-

minded scholars for encouragement, support, validation, and peer mentorship.

PAGE 7
FEBRUARY 2023 FALL SEMESTER

Fall Activities Highlights

Buddy Social

At the start of the fall semester, the Queen's College School

Psychology Club hosted our first Buddy Social. Every Fall

semester the School Psychology Program pairs the entering

class with a buddy, a student entering their second or third

year in the program. Since the start of Covid-19, most in-

person student interaction has been limited. The goal of the

Buddy Social was to provide an opportunity for buddies to

meet, socialize in person, and receive mentorship.

Autism Walk

Last year, the Autism Speaks Walk was hosted at Jones Beach. A few students from our School

Psychology Program were in attendance.

In partnership with Autism Speaks, the QC School Psychology Club hosted a fundraiser with a $500

goal. The goal of raising $500 dollars was surpassed, raising $662.

PAGE 8
FEBRUARY 2023 FALL SEMESTER

Fall Activities Highlights

Food Delivery Service Project

The Food Delivery Service Project helps to serve families that are unable to afford groceries
on a consistent basis. This project allows families to anonymously sign up and receive a bag
full of groceries once a month.

In partnership with the Gaton Foundation, a few students from our School Psychology
program volunteered to deliver groceries to the doors of 135 families.

QC School Psychology Gear

Our QC School Psychology gear was tweaked and new colors were added.
Along with the usual back, gray and white options were also available.
Stay tuned for the Spring t-shirt contest and launch.

PAGE 9
FEBRUARY 2023 FALL SEMESTER

Embrace collaboration and

Sepearate work life and home life.
emphasize the importance of every If work MUST be brought home, set a timer.
team members' voice Do not allow your work to consume you or

you will lose yourself

Never give up
Keep trying
No matter how bad things can get, time heals. Take one step at a time, you'll be ok
You are bigger than the challenge. Challenges are meant to overcome
Remind yourself that rest is just as important as productivity
Every difficulty ends at one point
It is best to reach out to your support system. Don't need to carry everything alone
Don't be so hard on yourself when making mistakes. You will learn and grow from them

Provide appropriate learning strategies to ensure we meet the needs of students

Acknowledge students' strengths instead of only focusing on weaknesses
Support students anyway you know how
Provide positive reinforcements

Trust in yourself. Your instincts are usually right.

Take mental breaks from time to time
When things start to get overwhelming, try doing things that you enjoy
Throw the work away and take walks, watch movies or Grey's Anatomy

PAGE 10
FEBRUARY 2023 FALL SEMESTER

Preparing For Practicum: Tips from QC's School Psychology

Students
Practicum season is here for our second-year students, and the thought of it can be nerve-wracking. However,

a few of our 3rd-year students provided tips and words of encouragement to help create a smooth

experience.

Do research on your school district before going! (Who is in administration, the head of

psychologist/social workers/school counselors in your district, etc.)

Look at the demographic information of your school and keep those details in mind as you interact

with students (socioeconomic status, housing, race/ethnicity, languages spoken, etc.)

- Emily Trinidad, 3rd Year

Be organized.
During practicum, I used a planner to remind myself of assignments and their due dates, an

expanding file folder for papers related to my case studies, and a notebook to jot down acronyms,

resource websites, and other useful information

Be resourceful and culturally/linguistically responsive.
During practicum, I created visual supports and brought in books, games, and toys to use with

students during counseling sessions.

- Khadijah Hughes, 3rd Year

Don't be afraid to ask questions. It's definitely okay to ask your supervisor clarifying questions, but it is

also okay to ask other school personnel professional questions to show you are invested in the school

and in the learning process.

Feel free to reach out to others in your year or program to see how they've handled things. It's good to

keep an open mind and remember that there are multiple ways to do the same things or solve the same

problems. While this is helpful, always ensure your supervisor is on board and agrees with the new

ideas.

- Jessica Rojas, 3rd Year

Really immerse yourself in the experience. Listen. Take it in. Make connections between what was learned

in class to what happens in the real life situations you are exposed to.
It's ok if you don’t know EVERYTHING-again you’re just getting started. Every school does things

differently. But also- remember that you know much more than it will feel like. Be confident in yourself!
You’ve made it this far, and it will only go up from here.

- Allie Koenig, 3rd Year

PAGE 11
FEBRUARY 2023 FALL SEMESTER

NASP /National Book Read 2023

Date TBA (end of February)

“Troublemakers: Lessons In Freedom From Young Children at School,” by

Carla Shalaby.

For those who attend, please note that our professors have also agreed to give

EXTRA CREDIT in the following Spring 2023 courses

1st year students can receive extra credit in the Developmental

Psychopathology course.
2nd year practicum students can receive extra credit in the Counseling

course.
Internship/ Final Year students can receive extra credit in the Research

course.
*Professors of each of these courses will indicate specifics about the extra

credit in their Spring 2023 syllabi.*

The book can be purchased by New Press with a 25% discount using the

promotional code NASP

Congratulations!!

Engagements:
Ramona Rameshwar
Allie Koenig
Meghan Dallas

Letter from the Editors

To the Queens College School Psychology Students, Faculty, and Alumni,

It's hard to believe that yet another semester has passed us by. After almost 2 years of remote

learning, returning to campus has been one of the highlights of the semester. We had the pleasure of

meeting some members of our cohort for the first time in person. As another semester begin, we would

like to wish the best to the students beginning practicum. We hope you find the tips to be helpful. For

the internship students, you are more prepared than you realize. Keep on pushing, the finish line is

near. Thank you to all who contributed to making this newsletter possible. Thank you to our wonderful

professors, adjunct faculty, and Ms. Diane Mantellino for all you do to keep this program running

smoothly.
Best regards, Khandissa Brown and Natasha Brown.

QUEENS COLLEGE, CUNY

65-30 KISSENA BLVD. | QUEENS, NY 11367-1597

PHONE: (718) 997-5000 PAGE 12