Carly Hanks, Ph.D.
Carly completed her pre-doctoral psychology intern at the Atlanta VA Medical Center where she completed rotations in Diversity, Women’s Wellness Primary Care Mental Health Integration, Trauma Recovery Services, and Consult/Liaison. Ms. Hanks will be obtaining her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University in June 2018. She also completed a Master’s in Forensic Psychology at Roger Williams University. During her time in Rhode Island, her research interests were forensic in nature, focusing on interrogation practices of the U.S. military, juvenile delinquency, Miranda right comprehension, and eyewitness identification. Ms. Hanks’ current research focuses on sexual practices across the lifetime, pornography consumption, and female sexual coercion. Her clinical interests include female veterans, LGBTQ populations, multiculturalism and trauma-related disorders. Ms. Hanks’ will complete a post-doctoral fellowship at the Atlanta VA after graduation and plans to pursue a career as a VA psychologist.
Samantha Litt, Ph.D.
Samantha Litt completed her doctoral studies in 2018. Samantha's primary research interests include sex offending, psychopathy, and intimate partner sexual violence. Her dissertation focused on the relationship between the various types of child maltreatment, psychopathic traits, and intimate partner sexual violence and coercion. She has completed practica at the Department of State Hospitals - Salinas Valley, Goodwill Parole Reentry Court, and the Gronowski Center. Her professional goals include forensic evaluation and providing mental health services to offenders with severe mental illness in a state hospital setting.
Rami Mogannam, Ph.D.
Rami completed his predoctoral internship at Utah State Hospital. He has been a member of the research group for five years and has contributed to research regarding early exposure to pornography use. His further research interests include forensic assessment and psychopathy. Rami is currently completing his dissertation evaluating the relationship between psychopathy and sexual coercion in college students. Having graduated, he is pursuing a career in forensic psychologist completing criminal and civil evaluations for the courts. In his free time, Rami enjoys Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and spending time with his Labrador retriever.
Lisa Cannizzaro, Ph.D.
Lisa completed her pre-doctoral internship at Larned State Hospital on the Sexual Predator Treatment Program. Her clinical interests include conducting individual and group therapy, as well as forensic assessment among sexual offenders and individuals with a mental illness involved in the legal system. Lisa's research interests include exploring predictors of female-perpetrated sexual coercion and examining how the relationship among trauma, pornography consumption, and sexual coercion may differ by gender. In her ever-evaporating spare time, she enjoys taunting her cats with a laser pointer and shamefully practicing guitar.
Bio coming soon
Jennifer Gelber, Ph.D.
Jennifer is a 6th year doctoral student. Jennifer's primary research interests involve the perpetration of sexual coercion and assault. Current projects include: the nexus between attachment and the perpetration of sexual coercion; the relationship between early exposure to pornography, personality characteristics, and prediction of sexual coercion; and the presence culture within top Forensic journals. Jennifer has completed practicum rotations at The Palo Alto VA, on acute inpatient psychiatry, and a dual diagnosis residential facility, where she provided therapeutic, assessment, and crisis services to adult male veterans and adult males receiving substance abuse treatment, respectively. Her professional goals include providing assessment and therapeutic services to both incarcerated and paroled offenders with lengthy sentences; specializing in adjustment, trauma endured while incarcerated, and end-of-life/ identity concerns.
Noelle Mathew, Ph.D.
Noelle is a 6th year doctoral student. Her primary research interests involve culturally informed assessment of childhood maltreatment and how ethnic background may influence perception of maltreatment. Current projects include a manuscript under review regarding the relationship between pornography use, sexual coercion, and childhood maltreatment; a manuscript in progress on maltreatment rates and the psychometric properties of the CTQ-SF with an ethnically diverse sample; and her dissertation involving the use of Item Response Theory with the CTQ-SF. Noelle is currently a practicum student at a residential treatment facility for individuals struggling with substance use. Her role at this site involves the administration, scoring, and interpretation of various neuropsychological and personality assessment measures. Previously, she has provided therapeutic and assessment services in to a juvenile justice population, as well as in a community mental health setting. Her professional goals include completing various evaluations in the justice system and providing therapeutic services for forensic populations.
Samantha Meyer, Ph.D.
Samantha is a 6th year doctoral student. She is currently on internship at California Medical Facility- Psychiatric Inpatient Program Vacaville. Samantha's primary research interest is examining risk factors for violence. Her dissertation examines the relationship between masculine gender role strain, pornography consumption, and intimate partner violence. Noelle, Dr. Fanniff, and Samantha recently submitted a manuscript for review that examines ethnic differences in endorsement of childhood maltreatment using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Samantha’s long-term career goals are to conduct assessments and provide treatment within a correctional setting, as well as conduct risk evaluations for those about to be released to the community.
Julia Kline, Ph.D.
Julia is a 5th year doctoral student. Julia's primary research interest is the interaction between trauma and offending. She is currently contributing to a meta-analysis that examines subtypes of juveniles who have committed a sexual offense as well as two manuscripts that examine disproportionate minority contact in the legal system. Julia completed her dissertation, which examined whether gender and polyvictimization are predictors of trajectories of delinquent behavior. She is currently completing her predoctoral internship through the Federal Bureau of Prisons at FCC Butner in North Carolina. Her professional goals include becoming a board-certified forensic psychologist within the Bureau of Prisons.
Florencia Iturri, Ph.D.
Florencia is a 5th year doctoral student. Originally from Bolivia she moved to California with the goal of becoming a board-certified forensic psychologist who conducts forensic assessments and provides psychotherapy to a culturally diverse forensic population. Florencia is currently working on her dissertation exploring the relationship between machismo, heteronormativity, and sexual assault perpetration in a sample of straight, gay, and bisexual Latino men. She is additionally working on research projects related to the intersection of culture and forensics. Florencia is currently completing her practicum training at BHRS working with detained juveniles. She was previously at the HOPE program where she provided individual and group therapy in English and Spanish to sex offenders on probation and parole.
Taylor York, Ph.D.
Taylor completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Forensic Psychology at Palo Alto University. She completed her MS degree through PAU’s online program before transitioning to the PhD program as a second-year student. She is currently a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Suffolk County Juvenile Court Clinic in Massachusetts where she is conducting forensic evaluations. She previously completed internship at Larned State Hospital and practicums at Monterey Country Children's Behavioral Health, StarVista's Insights program, GIRLS camp, Camp Glenwood and Youth Services Center, as well as the Gronowski Center. Taylor's primary research interests include culturally inclusive forensic practice and evidenced-based forensic practices. She is currently working on multiple studies related to cultural competence in forensic assessment. Taylor's professional goals include providing therapeutic services to incarcerated individuals and help to improve access to evidence-based mental health services for forensic populations.
Katareena Done, Ph.D.
Katareena's primary research interests are in sexual/gender identity and intimate partner violence. She is currently working on her dissertation regarding the barriers of gender and sexual minorities to reporting intimate partner violence to police. She has previously completed a practicum at HOPE conducting individual and group sex offender treatment and Caminar conducting treatment for serious mental illness in a community mental health setting. Katareena aspires to be a community mental health therapist for gender and sexual minority individuals, conducting program evaluations, clinical supervision, and is contemplating teaching.
Ariane Olsen, Ph.D.
Ariane is a 6th-year doctoral student. Ariane is currently completing her predoctoral internship at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, NC, where she is conducting assessment and intervention with individuals who committed sexual offenses currently in civil commitment, in addition to conducting court evaluations determining competency and criminal responsibility. She has previously completed practicum rotations at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, San Quentin State Prison, the HOPE Program, and the Gronowski Center. Ariane's primary research interest is in trauma histories in forensic populations, with a particular interest in the assessment and treatment of adult sexual offenders. Her dissertation focuses on how the organizational implementation of trauma-informed care affects vicarious trauma symptoms in sexual offender treatment providers. Her long-term goals are to conduct psychotherapy with adult criminal offenders in a correctional setting in concurrence with competency and risk assessments for adult offenders in a court setting.
Briana Ponte, Ph.D.
Briana is a 6th-year doctoral student. Briana's primary research interest is the intersection between forensic psychology and neuropsychology. She is currently working on a research project which reviews how rape myths are affected based on race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation of the victim, perpetrator, and participant, which provides considerations for future forensic studies. She recently presented a poster at the 2021 APA Convention, with research focused on the differences intersectional identities can have on rape myth acceptance. At this time, she is completing her internship at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Metropolitan Detention Center, Los Angeles, where she maintains a mental health unit and provides treatment to a population diagnosed with serious mental illness. She completed previous practicum rotations at Veteran’s Affairs, Palo Alto, the HOPE Program, and The Gronowski Center. Her doctoral dissertation focuses on sexual assault prevention in the community and the efficacy short messages about consent can have on attitudes related to sexual violence, knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention. She attained funding for her dissertation through the ATSA Doctoral Research award. Briana hopes to pursue a career in forensic assessment, working with the serious mental illness population and the court of law.
Leah Anderson, Ph.D.
Leah (she/her) is a 5th year doctoral student with primary research interests in the intersection of psychology, law, and public policy. She is currently completing her clinical psychology internship at the Norton Sound Health Corporation, a tribally owned and operated hospital serving the Bering Strait region. Leah's previous practicum experiences included working at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System - Santa Rosa Community Based Outpatient Clinic, Adventist Health - Vallejo and St. Helena, and the Gronowski Center. Leah is involved in research projects exploring topics of sociocultural identities, attitudes, and rape myth acceptance. Leah's dissertation is testing the racial threat theory among sexual assault case records in California. Leah's primary clinical interests are suicide prevention, cultural sensitivity, ethics, and promoting mental health via preventative care.
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Ayanna Payne, Ph.D.
Ayanna is a 4th year doctoral student. Ayanna’s primary research interests are in forensic assessments and environmental factors that contribute to recidivism rates in the African American Transitional Age Youth community. Ayanna is currently completing a practicum at San Quentin State Prison and has a practicum at The HOPE Program, a specialized sex offender treatment facility providing assessments and individual and group psychotherapy to individuals on parole with sexual offense histories. Ayanna previously completed her second-year practicum at the Gronowski Center, a community mental health clinic, providing psychotherapy to adults with varying diagnoses. Ayanna’s professional goals include conducting psychotherapy to adult criminal offenders in a prison setting and conducting and providing competency evaluations for adult offenders in a court setting.
Alexandra L. Montena, Ph.D.
Alex is a 6th-year doctoral student. Alex’s primary research interests include trauma, attachment, SMI, and neuropsychological assessment. Her dissertation will examine the relationship between attachment and neuropsychological performance across diagnoses. Alex is also interested in using a transdiagnostic approach to investigate overlapping psychosocial and neurocognitive factors in mental health conditions. Alex is currently completing a practicum at VA, Palo Alto, where she conducts psychological and neuropsychological assessments. Notably, Alex is receiving extensive training in Rorschach administration and interpretation through this practicum. Alex’s assessment supplemental practicum at Stanford University School of Medicine involves researching neurocognitive performance in typically and atypically developing children. Her research supplemental at VA, Menlo Park, involves qualitative research that assists in developing innovative implementations to improve care. Alex completed a practicum at Goodwill Wellness Center of Silicon Valley, a community mental health clinic that provides therapeutic and assessment services to a vulnerable population, SMI, chronic homelessness, and criminal justice involvement. Alex received training in ACT and DBT therapeutic approaches through this site. Alex’s professional goals include examining the impact of early adverse experiences to develop early intervention programs that utilize evidence-based treatments and assessments to enhance lasting outcomes.
Kenzie Bohnsack, Ph.D.
Kenzie is a 6th year doctoral candidate. She is completing her pre-doctoral internship at Mississippi State Hospital. Kenzie completed practicum rotations at Adolescent Counseling Services with their adolescent substance abuse treatment program, at the HOPE program, a community-based forensic training site that specializes in evidence-based sex offender treatment, at StarVista’s Insights program providing substance abuse and mental health treatment to youth who are on probation, and at Gronowski Center providing psychotherapy with adults and adolescents who have varying diagnoses. Her dissertation is on how the support of a caring adult and substance use impact offending over time in a sample of serious adolescent offenders. Kenzie’s primary research interests are in juvenile offending, substance use, trauma, and the developmental progression of problem behaviors. She is currently working on a group project that is focused on cultural identities of perpetrators and victims of sexual assault and their impact on rape myth acceptance. She is also assisting with a project looking at defense attorneys’ attitudes and beliefs regarding immaturity and competency in juvenile defendants. Her professional goals include becoming a board-certified forensic psychologist conducting forensic assessments and providing empirically supported treatments designed to fit the risks and needs of the forensic population.
Murphy Alafoginis, Ph.D.
Murphy (she/her/hers) is a 5th-year doctoral student. Murphy’s primary research interests include severe mental illness and forensic assessment. She has worked in various forensic settings and is currently providing acute mental health care in a hospital.
Ashton Scherrer, Ph.D.
Ashton (she/her/hers) is a 5th-year doctoral student. Ashton's primary research interests include severe mental illness, neuropsychological assessment, and neuropsychological disease. Ashton is currently working for Santa Clara County completing social security income evaluations and providing psychotherapy. She previously completed a practicum at Goodwill Wellness Center of Silicon Valley, an outpatient community mental health clinic, providing therapeutic services to adults diagnosed with severe mental illnesses and interpersonal relationship issues. Ashton has also completed a practicum at The Gronowski Center, a community mental health center focused on treating low-income patients with a variety of diagnoses. Ashton's professional goals include working in a hospital setting, performing neuropsychological assessments, providing psychotherapy, and diagnosing neuropsychological disease.
Katareena, Florencia, Jennifer, Dr. Fanniff, Julia, Ariane, Taylor
