UMass Lowell Psychology

What an amazing week at the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) 52nd Annual Convention in San Francisco! 🎉

This year, SEVEN students from our PhD and Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Studies (ABAAS) programs attended and presented their research.

🎤 PhD student Jack Blake presented his talk on productivity analyses in a medical data entry task using different break schedules and was awarded the D. Chris Anderson Student Research Grant!

🎤 ABAAS student Jonathan Labrie delivered his very first conference presentation on distributed vs. accumulated breaks and impulsivity.

We also had:
📌 ABAAS student Tien Pham presenting his thesis
📌 ABAAS student Henry Champey and Jack Blake co-presenting Jack’s qualifying paper at the poster symposium
📌 PhD student Gloria Leyla Fanning Tacoaman presenting her work on language of instruction and culturally/linguistically diverse learners, with PhD student Karen Salazar chairing the symposium

And a special shout-out to our faculty member, Dr. Anita Li, who was announced as president-elect of the Organizational Behavior Management Network (OBMN) and received the organization’s Early Career Award. 👏

We are incredibly proud of all our students and faculty for representing the Department of Psychology so well at this year’s convention. Congratulations to everyone on an inspiring and successful week of scholarship, collaboration, and professional achievement — we can’t wait to see what next year brings!

🎓 Congratulations to the Psychology Class of 2026! 🎓
This past weekend, the Department of Psychology at University of Massachusetts Lowell proudly celebrated our graduating students during the university’s Commencement festivities at the Tsongas Center.

We honored the accomplishments of students across our undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs — graduates whose dedication, compassion and intellectual curiosity exemplify the values of our department.

We congratulate our Ph.D. graduates for their years of rigorous research and scholarship that contribute to advancing psychological science and improving lives through discovery, advocacy and applied practice.

We also celebrate the graduates of the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Studies, who are prepared to make meaningful impacts in the lives of individuals, families and communities through evidence-based practice and compassionate care.

To our undergraduate Psychology graduates: congratulations on this important milestone. Your resilience, leadership and commitment to understanding human behavior have strengthened our campus community, and we are excited to see where your journeys take you next.

We were especially proud to see Psychology represented by student speaker Nokomis Bramantecohen, whose interdisciplinary studies reflect the curiosity and engagement shared by so many members of this graduating class.

Commencement weekend was filled with celebration, reflection and pride as graduates crossed the stage surrounded by family, friends, faculty and mentors. We are honored to have been part of your journey and look forward to all that you will accomplish in the years ahead.
Congratulations again to the Psychology Class of 2026 — once a River Hawk, always a River Hawk! 💙🐦

The Department of Psychology at University of Massachusetts Lowell was proud to celebrate student achievement, scholarship and leadership at our 2026 Psi Chi Induction and Student Awards Ceremony on May 12! 🎉

The event brought together undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, families and guests to recognize academic excellence, research accomplishments and service to the psychology community.

This year, we welcomed 22 new members into Psi Chi in recognition of their academic excellence and commitment to the field of psychology: Nayeli Almanzar, Logan Augustus Biedermann, Nokomis Bramantecohen, Krystianna Cabral, Emily DeLuca, Emily Diaz, Neala Duffy, Emily Dunbury, Mariela Sofia Giraldo, Chloe Marie Hardy, Dylan Michael Hubbard, Samantha Emma Lyons, Valerie Maffeo, Alexandra Magdalena Nicholls-Millen, Dhanvi Patel, Damien Pecquex, Sherlyn Quezada, Diego Rosa Silva, Owen Schultz, Adria Thistlewood, Olivia Grace Vaccari and Amber Williams. 👏

We also recognized students across our undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs for excellence in academics, research, clinical practice, leadership and service. Congratulations to all award recipients, including:
🏆 Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award: Henry Champey and Rory Kangiser
🏆 Kunzendorf Award for Excellence in Research: Hallie Moeller and Jesus Santiago
🏆 Award for Excellence in Community Leadership and Service: Jeremiah Adames and Gordon Wachira

Additional Excellence Awards were presented to Cameron Bartlett, Logan Augustus Biedermann, Liam Burne, Elyssia De La Rosa, Richelly Dos Santos, Paige Jurkevich, Jasmine Lopez, Emily Lindtveit, Jane Mumo, Jack Oppen, Dhanvi Patel and Adria Thistlewood.

Students in the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Studies program were also honored for their accomplishments, and doctoral students Jack Blake and Angelina Davis received the PhD in Psychology Research Award for their outstanding scholarly contributions.

A special thank you to our faculty and program leaders for their mentorship and dedication to student success throughout the academic year. 💙

Congratulations again to all of our students and families. We are proud to celebrate your hard work, achievements and continued impact in the field of psychology!

The Department of Psychology in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at UMass Lowell at University of Massachusetts Lowell is proud to celebrate several faculty members recognized during the 2026 university awards cycle! 🎉

Please join us in congratulating:
• Ashleigh Hillier and Anita Li, recipients of the 2026 Department Teaching Awards, for their outstanding commitment to teaching and student success.
• Sarah Merrill, recipient of the 2026 Faculty Excellence Award for Excellence in Online Teaching, recognized for her innovative and impactful work in online education.

These awards reflect the dedication, mentorship and excellence our faculty bring to the Psychology community every day. We are proud to see FAHSS faculty recognized for the meaningful difference they make in the lives of students and across the university.

Congratulations to all! 👏

This past Tuesday, we were proud to host our 2nd Annual Psychology Research Symposium! 🎓🧠✨

Students from our undergraduate psychology program, PhD in Psychology program and MS in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Studies program came together to present innovative research on topics including applied behavior analysis, developmental psychology, cognition, AI, bilingualism, trauma, mental health and child advocacy.

We were excited to celebrate the incredible work being done by our students and the supportive community that makes events like this possible.

Congratulations to this year’s award winners:
🏆 Best Oral Presentation: Jonathan Aube and Gloria Leyla Fanning
🏆 People’s Choice Award for Oral Presentation: Jack Blake
🏆 Best Poster Presentation: Angelina Davis
🏆 People’s Choice Award for Poster Presentation: Karen Salazar

A huge thank you to all of our student presenters, faculty mentors, judges and guests for making this year’s symposium such a success.

We are so proud of our students and all they have accomplished!

Read more here:
https://www.uml.edu/news/department-news/2026/psychology-department-hosts-2nd-annual-research.aspx

We’re proud of our Department of Psychology honors students who recently presented their honors theses and research projects at UMass Lowell! 🎓👏

Their presentations highlighted months of hard work, critical thinking, and original research across a variety of psychology topics. Completing and presenting an honors project is a significant achievement, and we congratulate all of the students on this milestone.

A special thank you to the faculty mentors who supported and guided students throughout their research journey.

Read more about the presentations here:
https://www.uml.edu/news/department-news/2026/department-of-psychology-celebrates-honors.aspx?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Department of Psychology Celebrates Honors Students’ Research | News Megha Saokar with Assistant Professor Samantha Miadiach and Assistant Teaching Professor Sandhya V. Royan 05/07/2026 By Jamie Trottier The Department of Psychology is proud to recognize a group of outstanding Honors students who recently presented their honors projects & theses, showcasing innovativ...

Join us Tuesday, May 5th in Coburn Hall 255 for the Psychology Department Student Research Symposium.
We are excited to share the research our psychology students have been working on.

🎉 Big congratulations to our amazing students!

At the 2026 Student Research and Community Engagement Symposium, our students earned top honors while showcasing innovative research across areas like child advocacy, prevention science and the cognitive impacts of emerging technologies.

👏 Highlights include:
• Graduate oral presentation winner exploring how adults perceive children’s testimony
• Undergraduate and graduate poster winners tackling topics like child sexual abuse prevention and culturally responsive interventions
• A fan-favorite project examining AI and unconscious plagiarism

This recognition reflects the incredible dedication, curiosity and impact of our students—and the strength of psychological science in action.

Psychology Students Earn Top Honors at UMass Lowell Research Symposium | News Students Shine at 2026 Student Research and Community Engagement Symposium Gabriela Lay, Ph.D. Student in Psychology, presents. 04/01/2026 By Jamie Trottier Students in the Department of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell earned top honors at the 2026 Student Research and Community...