Coordinators
Coordinator of Supervision & Clinical Training
Derek Smith, PhD (he/him)
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Derek is cross-trained in both school and counseling psychology. He completed his school psychology training at the University of Idaho - earning his M.Ed. in Counseling and School Psychology in 2010. During his training, however, his grandfather was diagnosed with dementia, and he took on the role of co-caregiver. This opened his eyes to the limited resources available for older adults in the community, and he decided to change his clinical focus and pursue his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Utah with emphases in neuro- and geropsychology. Derek did his time in Leavenworth! (That is to say he completed his predoctoral internship at the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System in Leavenworth, KS - not time in prison!) He completed his Ph.D. in 2018, and he works as a fully licensed psychologist in the States of Utah, Idaho, and Washington.
Professionally, Derek enjoys school-based interventions, working with students and teachers, geropsychology (working with older adults), providing caregiver support, psychological and neuropsychological assessment, providing holistic care to older adults. In his personal time, you can find him games (card, board, and video), animals, visiting parks & zoos & aquariums, the ocean, marine biology, spending time with family and friends, reading (fiction and nonfiction), and spending time outdoors. |
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Coordinator of Research & Programming
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Chathuri Illapperuma-Wood, PhD, NCSP, BCBA (she/her)Chat was born and raised in Sri Lankan and arrived to the United States in the year 2015 to begin her graduate education. She completed her doctoral internship at the Munroe Meyer Institute and graduated with her doctorate in school psychology from Mississippi State University in 2020. Upon graduation, she joined the U-TTEC Lab to complete a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Fischer. Chat currently serves as the research and programs coordinator for the lab and the implementation coordinator for the Utah School Mental Health Collaborative. Her professional interests include school-based mental health programming and service delivery, tele-mental health implementation in schools, professional issues in psychology, virtual reality to improve teacher and student functioning, and diversity, equity, and inclusion programming in school settings. In her free time, Chat enjoys spending time with her family, whipping up delicious meals and desserts for them to enjoy, and binge-watching FRIENDS on repeat.
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Administrative Coordinators
Annie Chuang, B.A.
Annie Chuang is a Lab Coordinator for the U-TTEC lab. She received her B.A. in Psychology
with a minor in Human Development from the University of California, Davis. Her research
interests include intervention work for neurodevelopmental disorders across the lifespan,
early identification of ASD and ADHD, and tele-consultation with special education teachers
and students. She aspires to obtain a degree in social work and become a licensed clinician.
In her free time, Annie enjoys hiking, exploring the outdoors with her dog, and cooking.
with a minor in Human Development from the University of California, Davis. Her research
interests include intervention work for neurodevelopmental disorders across the lifespan,
early identification of ASD and ADHD, and tele-consultation with special education teachers
and students. She aspires to obtain a degree in social work and become a licensed clinician.
In her free time, Annie enjoys hiking, exploring the outdoors with her dog, and cooking.
Jose (Lean) Agravante, He/Him
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Lean Agravante is a lab coordinator with the UTTEC lab. He graduated with his degree in Psychology at the U in 2021 and has been working with the lab ever since. He is interested in teaching and pursuing research in educational psychology and policy- especially in the globalization of education, having lived in 3 countries. Lean has lived in the Philippines, South Korea and now Utah. He enjoys sports, video games, and binge-watching sitcoms and movies.
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Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Grecia Corona, B.A. (she/her)
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Grecia Corona is the Lab Marketing & Communications Director. She is a first-generation student, and graduated class 2021 in Strategic Communication & Design from the University of Utah. She is pursuing new opportunities in non-profit and community organizations and is continuously learning new ways to innovate the systems around her, showing activism to uplift, educate, and empower her community. Grecia aspires to obtain a degree in clinical psychology and become a licensed sex therapist.
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Supervisors
BCBA Supervisor & Psychology Resident
Diana McCarty, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA-UT (she/her)
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Diana McCarty received her doctorate in school psychology from the University of Utah in 2021 and is a licensed behavior analyst (BCBA #1-17-27126). She completed her APA accredited doctoral internship in clinical psychology at the National Psychology Training Consortium-Cascades Region and currently lives in Washington state. She has experience working with multidisciplinary teams within school and clinical settings providing direct services, consultation, and system-level supports. Her professional interests include working with individuals with ASD and their families, behavioral consultation, Applied Behavior Analysis, and utilizing telehealth to improve access to services for underrepresented populations. In her free time, she enjoys exploring nature, watching flicks, playing board/card games with friends, and spending time with her family.
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Licensed Clinical Social Worker Supervisor
Molly Davis, MSW, LCSW (she/her)
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Molly completed her Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at the University of Utah Honors College. She later completed her Master's of Social Work at the University of Utah and a certificate of study in Refugee and Migration Studies from Oxford University. Molly has a passion for research and studied the disproportionality of student suspensions and expulsions for minority students in schools along with other work in the field of systematic racism and policy enforcement. previously she worked in various settings including adoption, crisis work, and substance-use disorders in a residential treatment setting. Molly specializes in motivational interviewing, DBT, ACT, mindfulness practices and Currently she also does private practice therapy on the side at Azure Counseling.
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Feeding Clinic Assistant Director
Anniette (Annie) Maldonado, M.S.Ed., BCBA, LBA (she/ella)
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Annie is a doctoral candidate in the School Psychology program at the University of Utah. She is a board certified behavior analyst and licensed behavior analyst in the state of Utah. She will be serving as the Feeding Clinic Assistant Director for the 2022-2023 school year. Within the Feeding Clinic, Annie schedules Huntsman Mental Health Institute HOME clients (individuals with developmental disabilities) and research clients (community referrals for free services), conducts feeding assessments within an interdisciplinary team, writes assessment reports, coordinates treatment, and supervises graduate student clinicians. Her research interests broadly center around equity of accessibility to evidence-based practices for individuals from minoritized backgrounds, cultural and linguistic adaptations to evidence-based practices, and interdisciplinary assessment and intervention. In her free time, Annie enjoys spending time with friends and family, camping, hiking, and reading.
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Postdoctoral Fellows
Xiaoning Sun, PhD, BCBA-D, COBA, LBA (she/her)
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Xiaoning initially landed in the United States for her graduate studies in curriculum and instruction at the University of Texas at Austin. To better support students with special needs, she pursued further training in special education and received her Ph.D. at the Ohio State University in 2022. Xiaoning joined U-TTEC lab as a postdoctoral fellow right after her graduation. As a researcher and board-certified behavior analyst, Xiaoning mainly works as a BCBA supervisor offering onsite behavior support across school districts in Utah and BCBA supervision to U-TTEC lab members. Her research interests are technology-based interventions and teacher/caregiver training. In her free time, Xiaoning enjoys swimming and exploring outdoors in the Salt Lake City area.
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Jenna McGinnis, PhD, NCSP (she/her)
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Jenna recently received her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of Minnesota after completing her doctoral internship at the Munroe Meyer Institute. Prior to that, she received her M.A. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Central Florida. Jenna’s professional interests include school-based mental health, engaging parents and caregivers in school-based mental health services, and school mental health consultation. Her professional interests include school-based mental health, engaging parents and caregivers in school-based mental health services, and school mental health consultation. In her free time, Jenna enjoys hiking, yoga, and playing board games with friends and family.
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