MoWest Psychology Department

05/20/2026

Dr. Kayla Waters had a big semester of success! In April, she was awarded a Summer Fellowship through the Faculty Research Grant Program at MoWest. The Fellowship will allow Dr. Waters to develop a mindfulness meditation lab space to support student research in future years.

In addition, Dr. Waters won the Excellence in Teaching award at MoWest and will be enjoying that awesome parking spot that comes with the recognition for the 2026-27 Academic Year.

Dr. Waters specializes in school psychology, and teaches courses in Applied Behavior Analysis, Counseling, Interpersonal Communication, and our Senior Sem that helps launch our students to the amazing opportunities you’ve seen in our feed from so many of our graduates.

Congratulations, Dr. Waters! Thanks for your commitment to seeing our students pursue their dreams!

05/15/2026

It’s hard to believe that commencement was almost one week ago! Even though the ceremony has passed, we’re still celebrating the incredible accomplishments of our grads and reflecting on all the unforgettable moments from such a special day.

From crossing the stage to celebrating with friends, family, and faculty, commencement was a reminder of just how much hard work, perseverance, and dedication our students have poured into their academic journeys. We are so proud of everything you have achieved and so excited to see where your next chapter take you. Whether you’re continuing your education, beginning a new career, or stepping into exciting new opportunities, know that we are cheering you on every step of the way.

Congratulations once again to the Class of 2026!

05/13/2026

Psychology senior Nathan Sheehan successfully defended his honors thesis to his committee. As part of the honors program, he had to complete a research project alongside the supervision and guidance of a faculty member, Dr. Christine Ziemer.

Nathan explored how mindfulness meditation may help students increase working memory and perform better on tasks learned through videos using faster playback speed.

Congratulations on a job well done, Nathan!

05/11/2026

Psychology faculty Drs. Henry and Ziemer kicked off the month of May with a trip up to our transfer partner school, Southeast Community College (SECC) in Lincoln, Nebraska. While there, they met with many students and served as judges at SECC’s Social Science Research Day. So many amazing projects and future scholars….we hope to see many of them take the path from being Bobcats to Griffons!

05/07/2026

Big congratulations goes out to our incredible students for their outstanding accomplishments within the Honors Program!

This year, psychology brought home an impressive number of honors awards. Lynn Cassani and Allaina Mace both completed their Majors Honors. They received a gold medal to be worn at graduation. Nathaniel Byers won the Rising Freshman Award and Kendall Vienhage won the Rising Sophomore Award. Dr. Teddi Deka also won the Outstanding Contributions to the Honors Program award!

From research projects, presentations, and rigorous coursework, your hard work truly stood out. We are so proud to see our students recognized for their passion and commitment. These accomplishments reflect the strength of our program and the bright future ahead for each of you!

05/06/2026

I spy a Griffon! Way to go Makenna!

Celebrating an exciting scholarly achievement! 👏

Makenna Snyder, OTR/L and Ph.D. in Therapeutic Science student (GTA), recently published an article stemming from her focused scholarship, mentored by Lisa Mische Lawson, PhD, CTRS, FDRT.

Snyder, M., Pacheco, C., & Mische Lawson, L. (2026). *Integrating social determinants of health frameworks with strengths-based approaches at the clinician level.* *American Journal of Preventive Medicine Focus.* https://doi.org/10.1016/j.focus.2025.100466

This work highlights the importance of combining strengths-based approaches with social determinants of health to inform meaningful, client-centered care. Congratulations to Makenna and her team on this impactful contribution!
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05/05/2026

We want to give a shoutout to the students who participated in Multidisciplinary Research Day (MRD) and Psychology Research Day (PRD)! Both events had such a great turnout. Our students have been hard at work this semester and their research efforts truly speak for themselves. We are incredibly proud of the work they have put in this year.

We would also like to recognize those who received awards during PRD. Kendall Vienhage won the Chairpersons' Research Scholarship, Allaina Mace won the Outstanding Senior Award, and the three finalists for the McCann Scholarship are Charlie Sansonetti, Destiny Green, and Gannon Ashford.

Of course one last shoutout goes to Dr. Teddi Deka. She was recognized for her years of service as the Psi Chi/Psychology Club advisor. She will be "handing the baton" off to Dr. Zach Williamson starting the next academic year. Thank you, Dr. Deka, for all your hard work and dedication to our department and most of all, our students!

Join us in celebrating their achievements and the impact they’re already making. The future of research is bright!

05/01/2026

Even as a junior, Rickie Dunn is already putting serious thought into what comes next and we love to see that kind of intentionality!

Rickie plans to continue his education in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, with a focus on leadership, team performance, and workplace development especially in high-demand, high-pressure environments. His goals reflect a strong commitment to understanding how people thrive at work and how organizations can better support their teams.

Outside the classroom, Rickie is a dedicated member of the MoWest football team and a founder of his own company. As a student-athlete, he’s learned that success doesn’t come without discipline. As he puts it, “Pushing limits, building brotherhood, and becoming a better version of myself on and off the field is truly rewarding.” That mindset shows up in everything he does— including his own brand "Rioveh". Rickie had the word trademarked in 2024. Rioveh meaning "The River That Remembers" is on clothing and he hopes to expand the business even further. With his brand, he hopes to create jobs for the future generation and build a community of people who understand that everything they need to be successful already exists within them.

Rickie is also honest about the challenges that come with balancing it all. He shares an important piece of advice for fellow students: Stay on top of your priorities. His experience is a reminder that growth often comes from learning the hard lessons and making adjustments.

We’re proud of Rickie’s dedication, resilience, and forward-thinking approach. We can’t wait to see the impact he’ll make in the field of Industrial-Organizational Psychology!

04/29/2026

Meet our newest members of Psi Chi, Linda Bieri and Austin Kimble! Congratulations goes out to both of them as they were inducted into our chapter a couple of weeks ago.

We’d also like to celebrate our graduating members— Lynn Cassani, Nicoletta Froehlich, Averi Holsted, Alex Lake, Allaina Mace, and Nathan Sheehan— for their contributions that helped our chapter throughout the years.

Join us in celebrating these milestones and wishing all of our students continued success!

04/27/2026

Help us celebrate one of our outstanding seniors, Autumn!

Autumn Dymek-Cervantes will be graduating with a Bachelor's in Psychology and continuing her journey this fall as a graduate student pursuing a Master's of Social Work here at MoWest.

She will also continue her important work at YWCA here in town, where she’s recently stepped into a new role as a Child and Family Interventionist! This well-earned promotion highlights her natural ability to support and uplift children and families during some of life’s toughest moments.Through her role, Autumn is already demonstrating the compassion, resilience, and dedication that define the field. What an exciting next step toward creating lasting, meaningful change in the lives of individuals, families, and communities.

Autumn shared that she has felt incredibly supported and appreciated during her time at MoWest—and we couldn’t be more proud to have been part of her journey!

We have no doubt that Autumn will continue to be a powerful advocate for change, helping to uplift and support individuals beyond just our community. We’re excited to see all the great things ahead for you, Autumn! Your passion for helping others and your commitment to making a difference will leave a lasting impact. Keep making a difference!

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