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Impact

Here are some of our alumni's contributions to our department and the professional world:

Aline M. Garrett, Ph.D.

UL Lafayette or USL as it was known when I was an undergraduate major in Psychology, helped to prepare me for my future career. After graduate school I returned to USL as a Professor for the next 33 years. As Department Head for 23 years, I became well aware of the financial needs of students, as well as the programmatic needs of the department. By establishing the Aline Mitchell Garrett Memorial Endowed Scholarship in Psychology, I not only honor my mother who made it possible for me to attend USL, but also I hope to serve as a role model to students who some day may be in a position to give back to the university.

Christine E. Angelloz, Ph.D.

I graduated with an M.S. in the Predoctoral Program in Psychology at USL in December 1976.  The excellent education I received at the Master's level prepared me to complete the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology through the Louisiana Consortium for Professional Psychology at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.  I graduated on August 7, 1981 with a major in Clinical Psychology and a minor in Human Development (Special Education).  I have been in private practice as a clinical psychologist since November 1982 following licensure by the State of Louisiana for the independent practice of Psychology.  I can truly say that I love my career and patients even more now than when I first began private practice. 

In 1992, I had the privilege of donating money to set up the Emily "Mae Mae" LeBlanc Badeaux Memorial Endowed Scholarship in Psychology in loving memory of a Christian lady who was one of my key role models from my earliest childhood until her death on November 18, 1991 at the ripe old age of 93.  The opportunity for education is an investment in the future of our state and country.  The opportunity to fund the thesis research for graduate students in Psychology has been a very rewarding and gratifying experience for me.  I strongly encourage you to consider donating to the Psychology Department at ULL. 

Eric Green, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, SP

I am a tenured associate professor of counseling at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, as well as a part-time faculty associate at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School of Education in Baltimore, MD. I coordinate and present on play therapy interventions each summer at JHU’s annual Play Therapy Institute. Beginning in summer 2016, I will be counseling patients at Joni Orazio, MD’s child psychiatric practice in Lafayette, LA, focusing on psychotherapy with abused and traumatized children and families. My line of research focuses on evidence-informed interventions with children affected by interpersonal abuse and complex trauma. I'm the author of four recent books on play therapy and expressive arts with children, as well as four professionally produced DVD's by Alexander Street Press. Over the past 10 years, I’ve been the invited keynote speaker at 32+ professional conferences throughout the US and internationally, speaking on child trauma interventions, and my national disaster work has appeared in the CNN television news documentary, “Children of the Storm.” I’m the 2015 recipient of the “Counselor of the Year Award,” conferred annually by the Indiana School Counselor Association. Finally, I’m a proud graduate of ULL, as the training I received by Drs. Val MacGyvers, Aline Garrett, Irby Gaudet, Charles J. Sandoz, Theresa Wozencraft, and Kathryn Elliott prepared me with the foundational skills needed to become a humanistic psychotherapist advocating for underserved children in the community.

Sara Sohr-Preston, Ph.D.

I am an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, LA.  I received a master's degree in psychology from UL Lafayette in 2001. In 2006, I earned a PhD in applied developmental psychology from the University of New Orleans. At Southeastern, I currently teach developmental psychology, research design, and advanced research design and statistics while conducting studies of the experiences of pregnant and parenting college students.  My graduate studies at UL Lafayette helped to provide valuable training in research and statistics that I had not received as an undergraduate student in psychology. Entering my doctoral program with a master's degree also qualified me for enriching practicum experiences and assistantships not available to students entering with only a bachelor's degree. Because of these benefits of earning my M.S. at UL Lafayette, I now regularly advise my undergraduate students to apply to the graduate program themselves.

Katherine Prejean, M.S.

I am currently a Program Manager with the Louisiana State Office of Behavioral Health working in the area of youth with substance use and co-occurring disorders.  For 10 years, I was the Director of the Early Childhood Supports and Services clinics in Lafayette, Iberia, and St. Martin parishes.  My experience as a graduate student in the Psychology Department of ULL prepared me with the knowledge to pursue this career.  Further, the experience and mentorship of faculty provided me with challenging experiences that resulted in my personal growth and assisted me to develop my abilities.  My continued relationship with faculty and staff of the department throughout my career has enriched my work and allowed me to stay abreast of current research and issues impacting this field.