Meet Caroline West, a Reuter Graduate Fellowship Fund recipient. Caroline is a Psychological Sciences Ph.D. student majoring in Clinical Psychology.
Please give a short overview of your research:
My program of research has examined socioenvironmental and psychosocial factors related to disordered eating among adolescents, with a specific emphasis on youth from backgrounds historically under-represented within eating pathology research. To build upon my previous research, my dissertation project aims to examine the role of experiences of discrimination and disordered eating behaviors among adolescents.
What made you choose to pursue your graduate degree here at Kent State?
I chose to pursue my graduate degree at Kent State University because of the comprehensive training in clinical psychology to help build a strong research and clinical skillset. In addition, Kent State University offered me the chance to work with a highly skilled research mentor (Dr. Amy Sato) and facilitated opportunities for clinical and research collaboration with a local children’s hospital (Akron Children’s Hospital).
What do you enjoy most about attending Kent State for graduate school?
Attending Kent State University for graduate school has been extremely rewarding. The atmosphere among students and faculty alike is friendly and collaborative, yet productive, with numerous opportunities to further my training.
What are your future goals?
My future career goals involve continuing to study disordered eating among youth from under-represented backgrounds, ideally in a university setting or within an academic medical center.
What does this award mean to you and how will it aid you?
I am extremely grateful and fortunate to have received the Jeanette and Louis Reuter Graduate Fellowship in Developmental Sciences! This award will allow me to devote my final year at Kent State University to working on my dissertation research study in an effort to successfully defend my dissertation prior to beginning a one-year clinical psychology internship.