Enjoy reading about the accomplishments of the talented faculty of the School of Education and Human Development during the spring semester.
Julie Berrett-Abebe, PhD, LICSW, assistant professor of social work and director of the FCHC Scholars Program (a BHWET HRSA grant), presented at the annual Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Conference The title of her presentation was “Evaluating the impact of an interprofessional training on early-stage psychosis: Collaborative research in behavioral health,” Berrett-Abebe J. et al., 2025. Dr. Berrett-Abebe currently serves as a SSWR Conference co-chair for the Health cluster. Additionally, she became a co-principal investigator for the Mental Health Team for the Greenwich, Conn. United Way Needs Assessment; the assessment is managed by Fairfield University’s Center for Social Impact.
Dr. Berrett-Abebe co-authored two manuscripts that have been accepted for publication: “Social needs in cancer survivors: A scoping review and future directions,” in Current Oncology Reports, Berrett-Abebe J. et al., 2025, and “Evaluating an early-stage psychosis training program for interdisciplinary mental health trainees: A mixed-methods pilot study,” in Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 19(e70008), Berrett-Abebe, J. et al., 2025.
Lastly, Dr. Berrett-Abebe co-planned and facilitated an interprofessional training on stroke and aphasia for MSW students in collaboration with colleagues from University of Massachusetts Speech and Language Pathology program.
Carissa D’Aniello-Heyda, PhD, LMFT, associate professor and chair of the Department of Family Therapy and Social Work, had the following peer reviewed articles accepted for publication: “Feasibility Trial of a Mindfulness-Based Workshop for Caregivers of Young Adults with Substance Use Disorders,” in Alcoholism Treatment, D’Aniello, C. et al., 2025; “Emotion regulation and mental health symptoms in adults who use substances: A mediation model” in Journal of Affective Disorders, D’Aniello, C. et al., 2025; “Rethinking measurement: A preliminary study of mental health literacy among college students” in Cogent Psychology, D’Aniello, C. et al., 2025; and “Relationship benefits of gaming together: A phenomenological approach,” in Contemporary Family Therapy, D’Aniello, C. et al., 2025.
Dr. D’Aniello-Heyda also participated in the poster presentation session at the Society of Behavioral Medicine 46th Annual Meetings & Scientific Sessions; she presented: “The moderating role of mindfulness in the association between anxiety and internalized stigma among substance users,” D’Aniello, C. et al., 2025.
Joshua Elliott, EdD, associate dean and assistant professor of the practice and director of Educational Technology, participated as a panel member to discuss his perspective on cell phone use among Connecticut youth in K-12 schools at the University’s Campus Connect event, titled “Screen Time and Study Time: Navigating Devices in Education.” Dr. Elliott also attended an ISTE (The International Society for Technology in Education) / ACSD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) Summit, with educators from across 38 states, to discuss how teacher education should evolve in response to AI.
Nicole Fletcher, PhD, assistant professor of educational studies and teacher preparation, co-presented a project, titled “Pedagogical Possibility and Black Mathematicians’ Storytelling: Teachers’ and Students’ Reactions to Digital Math Stories,” in collaboration with faculty from other universities, at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting. Additionally, Dr. Fletcher was honored as the 2025 faculty recipient of Fairfield University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Vision Awards.
Paula Gill Lopez, PhD, associate professor and chair of the Department of Psychological and Educational Consultation, and director of the School Psychology program, had her article “Self-Care Revisited” accepted for publication in Communiqué, the journal for the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).
Dr. Gill Lopez also presented several professional development workshops, including: “Self-Care is My Super-Power,” presented to student teachers in Fairfield’s elementary, secondary, and special education programs, and PREPaRE Workshops, workshops developed by NASP to improve and strengthen school safety and crisis management plans and emergency response. Recipients of the PREPaRE Workshops included Cooperative Educational Services (CES) professionals, Conn. public school staff, and Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) consultants.
Britney Jones, PhD, assistant professor of Educational Studies and Teacher Preparation and director of Elementary Education, presented two papers at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting, titled “The Origins and Development of the Sociopolitical Consciousness of Five Conscious Secondary Science Teachers,” Jones, B.L., 2025, and “The Special-ness of Institutional Logics,” Jones, B.L et al., 2025. Dr. Jones also co-authored a paper that was presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Annual Convention, titled “Educator Perception of Bias Associated with Better Outcomes for Marginalized Students,” Jones, B.L. et al., 2025.
Suzanne Marmo, PhD, LCSW, associate professor and Master of Social Work program director, had the following work published in Best Practices in Jesuit Higher Education: “Cross-Campus Collaboration and Border Encounters: Best Teaching Practices for Preparing Jesuit University Faculty and Staff to Promote Solidarity with Migrants,” Marmo, S. et al., 2025.
Yeddi Park, PhD, assistant professor of Family Therapy and Social Work, presented at the annual Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Conference. The title of her presentation was “The Role of Self-Rated Mental and Physical Health in Utilizing Healthcare Services among Korean Americans,” Park, Y. et al., 2025.
Dilani Perera, PhD, LPC, LADC, NCC, MAC, BC-TMH, chair and professor of Counselor Education, attended the annual American Counseling Association Conference and Expo where she presented and also participated in the following roundtable discussions: “Let’s discuss ecological grief: Is it real?,” Perera, D. M., 2025; “A conversation on critical thinking and cultural humility,” Perera, D. M. et al., 2025; and “We are all addictions counselors,” Perera, D. M. et al., 2025. Dr. Perera also attended the Mediterranean Region Counseling Association (MR-CA) Conference where she presented “Let’s discuss ecological grief: Is it real?,” Perera, D. M. et al., 2025.
Bryan Ripley Crandall, PhD, professor of English Education and director of the Connecticut Writing Project (CWP)-Fairfield, collaborated with multiple community and University partners including K-12 school districts, libraries, and Fairfield University Athletics, to host the following author visits and community events: More than 3,000 local students participated in the Kids Day Out event at the Leo D. Mahoney Arena where they watched the Fairfield Stags women’s basketball team defeat Manhattan College; Fairfield’s Center for Climate, Coastal, and Marine Studies and CWP-Fairfield hosted author Ann E. Burg to discuss her talk, titled “A Force of Nature: Supporting Ecological Literacy Across Classroom Spaces and Schools;” Through a collaboration between CWP-Fairfield, local schools, and independent bookstores, acclaimed middle-grade author Torrey Maldonado addressed hundreds of young Conn. readers at local bookstores and schools; and 300 young readers came together in celebration of J vs. K, a middle-grade book created by #1 New York Times bestselling authors Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft, made possible through a collaboration between CWP-Fairfield and the Westport Library.
