Meet the Team
Director
Dr. Sycarah Fisher received her doctoral training in School Psychology at Michigan State University with an emphasis on working with culturally diverse populations. She completed her pre-doctoral internship in New Orleans, Louisiana focusing on Response to Intervention within urban school systems. After the completion of her degree, she served for 3 years as a School Psychologist at an urban charter school in Washington, DC. Dr. Fisher's research focuses on improving life outcomes for diverse populations. This manifests itself in two lines of research. The first involves examining models of risk and resilience related to mental health and substance use for African American adolescents. The second line of research focuses on the implementation of expanded school mental health services and substance use preventive interventions in low-income minority serving schools.
Graduate Students
Libby Day is a first-year student in the School Psychology PhD program. She graduated from Belmont University with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Education. While receiving her undergraduate degree she worked in the Hemmeter Project Lab at Vanderbilt University studying social-emotional development and coaching support for teachers. As a graduate student, she is currently working with Dr. Fisher as a research assistant and is pursuing becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Libby’s current research interests include Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), self regulation and resiliency factors.
Publications
Fisher, S., Arsenault, C., Fisher, A., Huang, H., Day, E., & Barnes-Najor, J. (Under Review). Teacher support as a moderator of peer victimization and school engagement: Does student race matter? School Psychology
Publications
Fisher, S., Arsenault, C., Fisher, A., Huang, H., Day, E., & Barnes-Najor, J. (Under Review). Teacher support as a moderator of peer victimization and school engagement: Does student race matter? School Psychology
Shlon Smith is a third-year PhD student in the School Psychology. She graduated from the University of Buffalo with a B.S. in Psychology and from the University of Rochester with a M.S. in Education Policy. Shlon spent several years working in schools in various capacities prior to starting her PhD program. Recently, she was selected to join the Robert Wood Johnson’s Health Policy Research Scholars program. Dr. Fisher is Shlon’s faculty mentor for the HPRS program as Shlon’s research interests focus on access to mental health services in low-income schools and the school-to-prison pipeline.
Grants
2020-2023 Co-Principal Investigator. Health Policy Research Scholars: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Title: Access to Mental Health Services in Low-Income Schools and the School to Prison Pipeline
Grants
2020-2023 Co-Principal Investigator. Health Policy Research Scholars: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Title: Access to Mental Health Services in Low-Income Schools and the School to Prison Pipeline
Kahyah Pinkman is a fourth year PhD student in the School Psychology program. She graduated from Georgia State University with a B.A. in psychology and from the University of Kentucky with a M.S. in Education. Before attending graduate school Kahyah worked as an ABA therapist for children with autism spectrum disorder. Currently, she is interested in research focusing on disparities that exist for Black children with autism and school based mental health resources and consultation within low resource schools.
Fellowships:
Helen Thacker Graduate Fellowship in Educational & Counseling Psychology
Doris Nowak & William E. Stillwell, III Graduate Fellowship in Counseling & Educational Psychology
Awards:
Jennie Ewald Scholarship Recipient
UK Eller & Billings Appalachian Research Center Research Award
Fellowships:
Helen Thacker Graduate Fellowship in Educational & Counseling Psychology
Doris Nowak & William E. Stillwell, III Graduate Fellowship in Counseling & Educational Psychology
Awards:
Jennie Ewald Scholarship Recipient
UK Eller & Billings Appalachian Research Center Research Award
Undergraduate Students
Hannah Huang is a third-year undergraduate student studying Biology and Public Health at the University of Georgia. She currently works as an undergraduate research assistant for Dr. Sycarah Fisher and is planning to head to medical school after undergrad to pursue an MD/MPH. She has research interests in race-based disparities in health and academic achievement and optimizing school-based mental health interventions for at-risk, low-income minority youth.
Publications
Fisher, S., Arsenault, C., Fisher, A., Huang, H., Day, E., & Barnes-Najor, J. (Under Review). Teacher support as a moderator of peer victimization and school engagement: Does student race matter? School Psychology
Fisher, S., Benner, K., & Huang, H. (Under Review). Adolescent substance use and school-based SBIRT: "We have to help." School Mental Health
Publications
Fisher, S., Arsenault, C., Fisher, A., Huang, H., Day, E., & Barnes-Najor, J. (Under Review). Teacher support as a moderator of peer victimization and school engagement: Does student race matter? School Psychology
Fisher, S., Benner, K., & Huang, H. (Under Review). Adolescent substance use and school-based SBIRT: "We have to help." School Mental Health
Previous Lab Members
Dr. Amy Fisher received her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of Kentucky in August 2020. Prior, Dr. Fisher worked in both public and private school settings as a school psychologist. She returned to school to focus on research related to educational equity in special education. Her work draws from disability studies and critical race theories to show how racism and ableism are intertwined within the educational system. She is currently completing postdoctoral clinical hours in a psychological service private practice near Louisville, KY.
Publications
Fisher, S., Arsenault, C., Fisher, A., Huang, H., Day, E., & Barnes-Najor, J., (Under Review). Teacher support as a moderator of peer victimization and school engagement: Does student race matter? School Psychology
Fisher, A.E., Fisher, S., Tyler, K., & Campbell, J.M. (under review). Educator expectancy bias and student identity: a factorial experiment. American Educational Research Journal.
Fisher, A., Fisher, S., Jacob, R., Arsenault, C., & Barnes-Najor, J. (In Press). The protective role of ethnic identity on the relationship between school climate and self-esteem for african american adolescents. School Psychology Review.
Publications
Fisher, S., Arsenault, C., Fisher, A., Huang, H., Day, E., & Barnes-Najor, J., (Under Review). Teacher support as a moderator of peer victimization and school engagement: Does student race matter? School Psychology
Fisher, A.E., Fisher, S., Tyler, K., & Campbell, J.M. (under review). Educator expectancy bias and student identity: a factorial experiment. American Educational Research Journal.
Fisher, A., Fisher, S., Jacob, R., Arsenault, C., & Barnes-Najor, J. (In Press). The protective role of ethnic identity on the relationship between school climate and self-esteem for african american adolescents. School Psychology Review.
Dr. Chelsea Arsenault graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2019 with a Ph.D. in School Psychology. She completed her undergraduate studies at Castleton University in Vermont. She has experience in implementing academic and behavioral interventions, working within multidisciplinary teams, and providing group and individual counseling to children and adolescents. She is currently employed as a School Psychologist at White Mountains Regional School District in New Hampshire. Her research interest includes underserved populations, racial microaggressions, and white identity development.
Publications
Fisher, S., Arsenault, C., Fisher, A., Huang, H., Day, E., & Barnes-Najor, J., (Under Review). Teacher support as a moderator of peer victimization and school engagement: Does student race matter? School Psychology
Fisher, S., Hsu, W., Adams, Z., Arsenault, C., Milich, R. (In Press). The effect of impulsivity and drinking motives on alcohol outcomes in college students: A 3-year longitudinal analysis. Journal of American College Health
Fisher, A., Fisher, S., Jacob, R., Arsenault, C., & Barnes-Najor, J. (In Press). The protective role of ethnic identity on the relationship between school climate and self-esteem for african american adolescents. School Psychology Review.
Fisher, S., Zapolski, T., Al-Uqdah, S., Stevens-Watkins, D., Arsenault, C., & Barnes, J. (2019). Person-environment fit, substance use attitudes, and early adolescent substance use. Substance Use Misuse, 54 (4), 628-638.
Arsenault, C., Fisher, S., & Stevens-Watkins, D. (2018). The indirect effect of ethnic identity on marijuana use through school engagement: An african American high school sample. Substance Use Misuse, 53 (9), 1444-1453.
Fisher, S., Sheehan, C., Stevens-Watkins, D., & Hargons, C. (2017) Alcohol related disorders and other substance use disorders, in Handbook of DSM-5 Childhood Disorders, Springer. (pp 539-565)
Publications
Fisher, S., Arsenault, C., Fisher, A., Huang, H., Day, E., & Barnes-Najor, J., (Under Review). Teacher support as a moderator of peer victimization and school engagement: Does student race matter? School Psychology
Fisher, S., Hsu, W., Adams, Z., Arsenault, C., Milich, R. (In Press). The effect of impulsivity and drinking motives on alcohol outcomes in college students: A 3-year longitudinal analysis. Journal of American College Health
Fisher, A., Fisher, S., Jacob, R., Arsenault, C., & Barnes-Najor, J. (In Press). The protective role of ethnic identity on the relationship between school climate and self-esteem for african american adolescents. School Psychology Review.
Fisher, S., Zapolski, T., Al-Uqdah, S., Stevens-Watkins, D., Arsenault, C., & Barnes, J. (2019). Person-environment fit, substance use attitudes, and early adolescent substance use. Substance Use Misuse, 54 (4), 628-638.
Arsenault, C., Fisher, S., & Stevens-Watkins, D. (2018). The indirect effect of ethnic identity on marijuana use through school engagement: An african American high school sample. Substance Use Misuse, 53 (9), 1444-1453.
Fisher, S., Sheehan, C., Stevens-Watkins, D., & Hargons, C. (2017) Alcohol related disorders and other substance use disorders, in Handbook of DSM-5 Childhood Disorders, Springer. (pp 539-565)
