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OSU Psych
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• B.S. 2000, Kansas State University
• M.S. 2002, Oklahoma State University
• Ph.D. (Anticipated, 2005), Oklahoma State University

Background: While attending Kansas State University, I became involved in some of the research conducted by the department.  Over my undergraduate years, I focused on the perception of human performance and later changed my focus of research to that of children’s experiences and perceptions.  During the last semester at K-State, I completed a Field Placement at a Drug and Alcohol Mental Health Center.

Research Interests: My research interests focus on examining the coping strategies and adjustment of children diagnosed with a chronic illness. Additionally, my interests include how family and parental variables influence the behavior, emotional reaction, and coping style of a child. In turn, I am also interested in how the child's behavior and reaction to the illness affects the family dynamics and coping abilities. Specifically, my thesis examined parental influences on child distress and the potential moderating role of children's perceived illness uncertainty on parent-child distress relationships in a sample of children with juvenile rheumatic disease (JRD). My dissertation will be a longitudinal examination of these variables, focusing on examining the changes in adjustment over an 8 to 12 month follow-up.

Clinical Interests: Currently, I am a practicum student at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) working with children and their families in both individual and group therapy. Specifically, I am working part time on a grant examining treatment for children with sexualized behavior problems. In the future, I would like to complete an internship in pediatric psychology and focus my career on working with children with chronic illnesses and their families.

Professional Memberships:

• Brain Injury Association of Oklahoma (BIA-OK): Advocacy Committee Leader and Co-Facilitator Brain Injury Support Group in Stillwater, OK.
• American Psychological Association
• APA Division 22: Rehabilitation Psychology
• APA Division 38: Health Psychology
• APA Division 45: Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues
• APA Division 54: Society of Pediatric Psychology
• Southwestern Psychological Association
• Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy
• Oklahoma Psychological Association
• American POsychological Association of Graduate Students
• Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society
• Psi Chi National Honor Society

Publications:

• Barnett, M.A., Bartel, J.S., Burns, S.R., Sandborn, F.W., Christensen, N.E., & White, M.M. (2000).  Perceptions of Children Who Lie: Influence of Lie Motive and Benefit.  The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 161 (3), 381-383.

• Hommel, K.A., Chaney, J.M., Wagner, J.L., & White, M.M., Hoff, A.L., & Mullins, L.L. (in press).   Anxiety and depression in older adolescents with long-standing asthma: The role of illness uncertainty.  Children's Health Care.

• Hommel, K.A., Wagner, J.L., Chaney, J.M., & White, M.M., Mullins, L.L. (under review).   Perceived importance of activities of daily living and arthritis helplessness in rheumatiod arthritis: A prospective investigation.  Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Manuscripts In Preparation

•  Hommel, K.A., Wagner, J.L., Chaney, J.M., White, M.M., & Mullins, L.L. The influence of the importance of activities of daily living on arthritis helplessness in rheumatoid arthritis: A prospective study.

•  Hommel, K.A., Chaney, J.M., Wagner, J.L., White, M.M., Hoff, A.L., & Mullins, L.L. Illness uncertainty in older adolescents with long-standing asthma: The role of anxiety and depression.

•  White, M.M., & Chaney, J.M., Wagner, J.L., & Hommel, K.A. Transactional patterns of parent and child adjustment in juvenile rheumatic diseases: The role of uncertainty.

Presentations:

• White, M.M., Wagner, J.L., Chaney, J.M, Hommel, K.A., & Jarvis, J.N.(August, 2002). Transactional Patterns in Juvenile Rheumatic Disease: Moderating Effect of Uncertainty. Poster presented at the annual American Psychological Association,Chicago, IL

• Wagner, J.L, Chaney, J.M., White, M.M., Hommel, K.A., Avendano, K.K., & Jarvis, J.N. (August, 2002). Moderating Effect of Intrusiveness on Parental Distress and Child Depression. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.

• White, M.M., Chnaey, J.M, Wager, J.L., Hommel, K.A., & Jarvis, J.N. (April, 2002). Influence of Attributional Style and Illness Uncertainty on Depression in Juvenile Rheumatic Diseases. Poster presented at the Great Lakes Regional Meeting on Child Health Psychology, Milwaukee, WI.

• Wagner, J.L, Chaney, J.M.,White, M.M., Hommel, K.A.,& Jarvis, J.N. (April, 2002). Transactional Patterns of Adjustment in Juvenile Rheumatiod Diseases: Moderating Influences of Attributional Style. Poster presented at the Great Lakes Regional Meeting on Child Health Psychology, Milwaukee, WI.

• White, M.M., (March, 2002). Influences of Illness Uncertainty and Transactional Patterns in Juvenile Rheumatic Disease. Colloquim, Stillwater, OK.

• White, M.M.(March, 2002). Transactional Patterns of Illness Uncertainty in Juvenile Rheumatic Disease. Paper presented at the 13th Annual Research Symposium, Stillwater, OK

• Wagner, J.L, White, M.M., Hommel, K.A., McLaughlin, M.S., Chaney, J.M., & Jarvis, J.N. (November, 2001). The Contribution of Parental Distress to Depression in Children with Juvenile Rheumatic Diseases. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Association of the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Philadelphia, PA.

• Wagner, J.L., White, M.M., McLaughlin, M.S., Hommel, K.A., Chaney, J.M., & Jarvis, J.N. (November, 2001). Influence of Attributional Style on Depression in Juvenile Rheumatic Diseases. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Association of the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Philadelphia, PA.

• Hommel, K.A., Chaney, J.M., Wagner, J.L., McLaughlin, M.S., White, M.M., Shaw, S.R., Mullins, L.L., & Keirn, B.R. (August, 2001). The Influence of Anxiety on Illness Intrusiveness in Older Adolescents and Young Adults with Long-standing Asthma. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.

• Hommel, K.A., Chaney, J.M., McLaughlin, M.S., Wagner, J.L., Shaw, S.R., White, M.M., Mullins, L.L., & Keirn, B.R. (August, 2001). The Contribution of Anxiety to Illness Uncertainty in Older Adolescents and Young Adults with Long-standing Asthma. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.

• Hommel, K.A., Chaney, J.M., Wagner, J.L., McLaughlin, M.S., Hoff, A.L,White, M.M., & Mullins, L.L. (2001, April). Illness Uncertainty in Older Adolescents and Young Adults with Long-Standing Asthma: The Role of Anxiety and Depression. Poster presented at the 8th Florida Conference on Child Health Psychology, April 27th, 2001, Gainesville, FL.

• Barnett, M.A., Bartel, J.S., Burns, S.R., Sandborn, F.W., Christnesen, N.E., & White, M.M. (2000, April).  Perceptions of Children Who have Lied: The Role of Liar’s Motive and Benefit Achieved by the Lie.  Poster presented at the meeting of the Southwestern Society for Research in Human Development, Eureka Springs, AR.

• Burns, S.R., Bartel, J.S., Sanborn, F.W., Christensen, N.E., & White, M.M. (1999, April).  Undergraduates�EPerception of Children Who Have Lied.  Paper presented at the 1999 Kansas State University Undergraduate Convocation, Manhattan, KS.

Scholarships/Honors:

• 2001 Recipient of the APA Division 38 Student Research Award
• 2000 Recipient of the Mortar Board National Foundation Fellowship, Kansas State University
• 2000 Recipient of the Peterson Prize, Department of Psychology, Kansas State University
• 2000 Completion of the Clinical Psychological Technician Option, Kansas State University
• 2000 Participant in the National Fellowship Competition, Phi Kappa Phi, Kansas State University
• 2000 Nomination for the Anderson Award for Outstanding Seniors, Kansas State University
• 2000 Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society
• Psi Chi National Honor Society
• Graduated with honors:  Summa Cum Laude, Kansas State University

E-mail me at: [email protected]