Staff Psychologist
Derek Smith, PhDDerek 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 State of Utah.
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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Postdoctoral Fellow
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Chathuri Illapperuma-Wood, PhDDr. Illapperuma-Wood has a background in school psychology. She completed her internship at the Munroe Meyer Institute and graduated with her doctorate in school psychology from Mississippi State University in 2020. She has experience working with children in school system and clinic settings providing intervention and assessment services. Her professional and research interests include academic and behavioral interventions, professional issues in school psychology, and program implementation.
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Feeding Clinic Assistant Director
Vanessa Feola, M.Ed, BCBA, LBA
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Vanessa currently holds a Master’s of Education, BCBA, LBA and is a doctoral candidate in the program of School Psychology. She will be serving as the Feeding Clinic Assistant Director for the 20-21 school year. Vanessa believes in a multidisciplinary approach to assessing and treating feeding problems across the lifespan; serving UNI HOME clients (individuals with developmental disabilities) or research clients (community referrals for free services). Her interests include screening, assessment, and intervention practices for individuals with autism spectrum disorder; applied behavior analysis in school and clinical settings; interdisciplinary approach to pediatric feeding disorders. When she’s not engaged in school or work with UNI Home, Vanessa enjoys yoga, being out in the sunshine, spending time with friends and fam. She was also raised on an island!
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Training and Development Specialist
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Christina Hesley, MEd, BCBAChristina Hesley earned a bachelor’s degree in Special Education with an emphasis in mild moderate disabilities at the University of Utah in 2004. During her undergraduate career, she worked as a special education teacher for 14 years in a variety of school and clinical settings K-12. She earned a master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis at the University of Kentucky in May 2019. She has provided teacher trainings in public, private, and charter school settings in the area of PBIS, behavior, and academic interventions. Christina has also worked in a clinical setting providing parent training and conducting functional assessments. Her master's thesis was a single case research study targeting decreasing food selectivity in children in a preschool setting. Christina is currently one of the leadership staff members on the Behavior Response Support Team (BRST) providing services across six schools in Granite School District
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Lab Coordinators
Cara Duchene, JD
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Cara Duchene has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a JD from Brigham Young University and is a certified mediator in the state of Utah. Most recently she worked for the American Psychological Association in Washington, DC in their Education Government Relations Department and is now pursuing a Master's in Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She currently works as an estate-planning attorney, freelance photographer, teaching assistant, coordinator for the Mountain Plains Prevention Technology Transfer Center, and as the Administrative Lab Coordinator for the UTTEC Lab, in addition to accruing hours working towards her licensure as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor.
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Annie ChuangAnnie 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, as well as early identification of ASD and ADHD. She aspires to obtain a degree in social work and become a licensed clinician.
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Merry FengMerry Feng received her B.S. in Psychology at the University of Utah. She is currently working for the U-TTEC lab as an Administrative Lab Coordinator, and is planning to become certified as a Registered Behavior Technician. She wishes to pursue a Master’s of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling to provide multiculturally competent counseling.
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