CCSU Department of Psychological Science

08/12/2025

Amy Collier's APA presentation (and thesis) entitled: The relationship between emotional wellness and functioning among patients with chronic pain. Additional authors include Dr. Emily O. Wakefield, Dr. Carolyn R. Fallahi, Dr. Joanne DiPlacido, and Vaishali Belamkar.

08/12/2025

Wishing Amy Collier the best as she leaves with her MA in Psychology this week and travels to Old Dominion in Virginia to pursue her Ph.D. in Health Psychology! You will be missed Amy!

08/12/2025

Drs. Carolyn Fallahi and Joanne DiPlacido as well as Amy Collier, Liz McCall, and Ashley Carter (along with Mary Lippa, Payton Chabre, and Dr. John Protzko) presented their work on Political Climate Trauma and Health Outcomes: The Role of Minority Stress and Coping Among Sexual Minorities at the Division 44 APA: Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity last weekend!

08/12/2025

Ashley Carter, Dr. Carolyn Fallahi, and Dr. Joanne DiPlacido presented The Potential for Growth Following Adverse Childhood Experiences at APA this past weekend!

08/12/2025

Look who I found at the American psychological Association! Dr. Fallon ... we miss you!

08/07/2025

Samantha James-Brown presents her poster on Artificial Intelligence and Historical Empathy at the American psychological Association. Samantha worked with Dr. John Protzko on this study! Dr. Fallahi and students, Amy Collier, Liz McCall, and Ashley Carter all cheered her on! Congratulations Samantha! APA is being held in Denver, CO. this year!

07/29/2025

Dear Central family,

Coming up on Tuesday, August 5, we have a great opportunity to engage with our neighbors during the annual National Night Out at Osgood Park in New Britain.

National Night Out is an annual community-building event that promotes police-community partnerships in neighborhoods across the country. Members of the Central Police Department and Center for Community Engagement will be part of the event by hosting a table , and I encourage you to stop by and support them any time between 5 pm and 9 p.m. I know they would appreciate a little extra Central spirit throughout the evening!

Let's come together, have fun, and showcase the incredible work Central is doing. I look forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely,

Zulma Toro
President

06/27/2025

06/20/2025

Dear all,

I hope you are well. I wanted to let you know that one of our graduate students, Ms. Ameira Hernandez, will be defending her MA thesis titled: “Measuring the Autism Spectrum Disorder Female Phenotype” on Tuesday 6/24/2025 at 11:00AM via Teams. You can find below her thesis abstract and the information to the virtual event.

Advisor: Dr. Corbera Lopez
Readers: Dr. Carolyn Fallahi (CCSU) and Dr. Rebecca Wood (CCSU)

Abstract: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has historically been characterized and diagnosed based on the presentation of symptoms in males, leading to a significant underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of females with ASD. This capstone study examined the female ASD phenotype, which includes unique behavioral, social, and cognitive characteristics that diverge from traditional diagnostic frameworks. Through an extensive literature review, this study explored the biological, neurological, and psychological factors influencing ASD diagnosis in females, the limitations of current standardized assessments, and the barriers that contribute to the late or missed diagnosis of females with ASD. The study aimed to provide recommendations for improving ASD assessments to enhance diagnostic accuracy and accessibility for females, which would ultimately help address gaps in research and clinical practice. For that purpose, the extensive literature review assisted in the development of a comprehensive checklist of female-specific ASD traits to evaluate the accuracy of existing diagnostic tools in capturing these characteristics. Eight commonly used diagnostic measures for ASD were thoroughly examined, ADOS-2, ADI-R, CARS-2, DISCO, 3di, SCQ, CAT-Q, and M-CHAT, and were assessed against each of the symptom characteristics of the checklist. From that examination, a set of recommendations were developed, which suggested for an optimal assessment of the ASD female traits to use a complementary battery of tools, specifically, the ADOS-2, ADI-R, and CAT-Q along with targeted clinical queries to better identify ASD in females. By refining diagnostic methods, this research sought to improve early detection and support for females on the spectrum, reducing the prevalence of misdiagnosis and associated mental health challenges.

Link to the meeting:
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YjliNjQwM2EtZmI4MC00MGI1LTllYzgtZmU2N2Y2NjU0OTI0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%222329c570-b580-4223-803b-427d800e81b6%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22addf7865-bae2-467d-85ef-d23c0249775d%22%7d


All the best,

Sílvia Corbera López, Ph.D.

06/19/2025

Today, we honor Juneteenth—a reminder of the long struggle for freedom, justice, and equality in the United States. On June 19, 1865, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas learned they were free.

Juneteenth is a time to celebrate Black freedom, reflect on the enduring impact of systemic racism, and recommit ourselves to equity, inclusion, and justice.

Let us take this day to recognize the resilience, creativity, and strength of Black communities—past, present, and future.

Happy Juneteenth!

06/13/2025

The APA is pleased to announce that the fall 2025 virtual APA Psychology Graduate School Fair is happening on October 29th from noon-4pm (Eastern)! Registration for all prospective psychology graduate students is FREE, and psychology graduate programs that wish to recruit at this event can register for a modest fee. The goal of the APA Psychology Graduate School Fair is to virtually connect graduate psychology programs with current undergraduates, graduate students seeking to further their education beyond their current degree, and individuals returning for their graduate education.


Additionally, APA staff will be on hand from 10am-noon (ET) to answer students’ general questions about applying to graduate school in psychology. Programs are also strongly encouraged to do similar sessions in their rooms during the official noon-4pm recruitment hours as students report liking the ability to ask general, not just program specific, questions.



APA Psychology Graduate School Fair

The APA Virtual Psychology Graduate School Fair is open to all graduate psychology degree (MA/MS/PsyD/PhD/EdD/Other) granting institutions in the U.S. and Canada, and all areas of psychology are encouraged to participate, including health service psychology, scientific and applied psychology, and general psychology programs. Students who register will have the opportunity to meet virtually with recruiters from any of the participating programs. Individuals can come for a short time and meet with a select few recruiters or stay for the whole event and meet with everyone, depending on their schedule and interest. To learn more and register for the event, visit

06/02/2025

Ms. Saakhi Bhagat, will be defending her MA thesis titled: “The Association Between Olfactory Acuity with Depression and Anxiety in Young Adults” today, Monday 6/2/25 at 1:00PM via Teams. You can find below her thesis abstract and the information to the virtual event.

Advisor: Dr. Corbera Lopez, Ph.D.
Readers: Dr. Andreoletti and Dr. Conway

Abstract: Strong evidence suggests that the olfactory system plays a significant role in neurological and psychological disorders. Olfaction is an essential sensory modality, that follows a slightly different neurological pathway compared to the other senses, and it is traditionally associated with limbic areas of the brain. Additionally, it is also connected to various neurocognitive and social cognitive processes. Studies show that depressed patients express impaired odor threshold, discrimination, and identification, making olfactory threshold one significant feature in depression. People with depressive and anxiety symptoms may also over-analyze the pleasantness of positive odors, and gender differences have also been found in the olfactory identification of odors. However, more research is needed in this area. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the relationship between olfactory acuity, and symptoms of depression and anxiety in young adults; and whether there were any gender differences in this relationship. Results revealed no association between odor acuity and depression and generalized anxiety disorder symptoms (GADS). Additionally, no differences were found between these associations within male and female participants, although when comparing the associations between them only the one between olfactory acuity and GADS resulted significant. These differences revealed that male had a positive correlation between olfactory acuity and GADS and on the other hand, the female group had a negative correlation. These results helped us understand further about any possible risk factors in young adults that experience anxiety or depression symptoms, as to whether an impairment in olfactory skills could be associated with these symptoms. Although the results did not support our hypothesis of a positive relationship between symptoms and olfactory acuity, given the literature, we found that it is important to incorporate assessments of olfactory performance into depression screenings for older adults and further the research in this area.

Link to the meeting: