Baylor University Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
LAB TEAM
STACY R. RYAN-PETTES, PH.D.
Director of Lab
Assistant ProfessorÂ
Baylor University Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
KATE MAGNUSON
Psy.D. Graduate Student, 5th year
Project Coordinator: iParent
On internship at Hennepin Healthcare Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology (Child Track)
I am a doctoral student at Baylor University working under the mentorship of Dr. Ryan-Pettes. My research interests include treatment options for at-risk children and adolescents through mobile phone-based interventions. I am particularly interested in how these mobile phone-based interventions can impact both treatment outcomes of youth, and the relationship quality between the youth and their caregivers. Beyond my research interests, I enjoy working baking, running, traveling, and spending time with my dog.
GRACE BEULEY
Psy.D. Graduate Student, 3rd year
Project Coordinator: APOYO sites Corpus, Portland, & Seattle
I am a doctoral student at Baylor University working under the mentorship of Dr. Ryan-Pettes. I earned my B.A. in Psychology from the University of Virginia in 2019. I am interested in mood disorders in teenagers and developing interventions to support and reinforce existing protective factors in underserved communities. My previous research experience at the University of Virginia includes examining the effects of protective factors like racial/ethnic identity and natural mentoring relationships on mental health outcomes of teenagers. In my free time, I enjoy performing and watching comedy, spending time with my dog, and doing crosswords.
KYLIE LI
Psy.D. Graduate Student, 3rd year
Research Coordinator: iParent, Ethics of Substance Use Treatment Research with Youth Mandated to Treatment
I am a doctoral student at Baylor University working under the mentorship of Dr. Ryan-Pettes. I earned two B.A.s in Psychology and Asian Studies at the University of California Berkeley. I am interested broadly in the different protective factors and risk factors of mental illness in various interpersonal relationships and cultural/ethnic contexts. My previous research background touches upon a wide range of topics in clinical, developmental and social psychology, including social stress as well as creativity in bipolar disorders, parent-child interactions and later adulthood psychopathology in different cultures, and emotion research in awe, contentment and envy that explores concepts of self and other. Beyond research, I also worked in both adolescent and adult mental health rehabilitation facilities, with populations primarily under diagnoses of mood disorders, PTSD, substance use and/or schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders. In my free time, I enjoy watching films, traveling and writing.
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MEGHAN MORRISON
Psy.D. Graduate Student, 2nd year
Research Coordinator: APOYO study site Ohio
I am a doctoral student at Baylor University working under the mentorship of Dr. Ryan-Pettes. I am interested in emotion regulation specifically in young children and adolescents. My previous research experiences were efforts to understand 1) parent-child interactions that socialize the child to appropriate coping strategies when experiencing stress, 2) how college students cope with stress, 3) and the underlying biological mechanisms to emotion dysregulation. I graduated from The University of Vermont with B.A.s in psychology and anthropology in 2018. After graduation, I began work as a behavior interventionist, working with emotionally disturbed children in their public school systems. It was the most impactful experience I’ve had in my life. Outside of research and clinical work, I enjoy baking and spending time with my family and friends!
HANNAH SKIEST
Psy.D. Graduate Student, 1st year
Research Coordinator: PCORI
I am a doctoral student at Baylor University working under the mentorship of Dr. Ryan-Pettes. I am interested in child and adolescent externalizing behaviors, parent-child relationship factors, and empowering community members through community-based participatory research. My previous research experience includes exercise-based interventions for individuals with serious mental illness and community-based participatory research with mental health recovery communities at Massachusetts General Hospital. I graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in 2017 where I conducted research on perceptions of childhood bullying and social conformity among preschoolers. Beyond research, I spent two years working with children and families involved in foster care and child protective services, and two summers at a residential therapeutic program for children with emotional and behavioral challenges. Outside of school, I love painting, running, attempting to keep houseplants alive, and spending time with friends and family!
MEGAN BOYD
Research Coordinator: EBAT
I am research coordinator of EBAT working under the mentorship of Dr. Ryan-Pettes. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Baylor University in December of 2018. I spent the semester of spring 2019 working under a team of mental health clinicians at a home for survivors of abuse and neglect in Guatemala. I returned to Baylor to obtain a Master’s in Spanish and graduated May 2021. My decision to pursue a Master’s in Spanish came from my belief that that cultural competency is at least as important as competency in other areas of clinical practice and research. I am applying to Clinical Psychology PhD programs; my research interests include child and adolescent trauma, mental health disparities among Latinos and Hispanics, implementation and decolonization of evidence-based practices, and community-based participatory research.  In my free time, I enjoy rock climbing, running, and spending time with friends and in community.
GRACE DENNIS
Research Assistant: PCORI
I am a research assistant working under Dr. Stacy Ryan-Pettes for the PCORI study. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2021, where I conducted research on the association between mothers’ previous experiences of racial discrimination and their children’s academic achievement. I am currently interested in investigating the specific gendered experiences of Black adolescents and how they influence their achievement, physical health, and mental health. I am currently taking a gap year to acquire research experience before applying to Clinical Psychology PhD programs. Outside of research, I enjoy hiking, exercising, making art, watching horror movies, and spending time with my younger siblings
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SHRIVALLI PENUMERTHYÂ ('24)
Research Assistant: APOYOÂ Study
I am a Sophomore Health Science Studies major (B.S.) in the BIC honors program at Baylor. In high school and at the university, I was involved in bench research but wanted to gain experience in research in psychology. I heard about Dr. Ryan’s lab and decided to join to make an impact on my community and to learn more about data collection and analysis. After graduating from Baylor, I hope to attend medical school and eventually get involved with global medicine. In addition to being a research assistant for Dr. Ryan’s lab, I am a member of the Global Health Committee and the BIC leadership council and like to teach music outside of Baylor.
LOGAN JACKSON ('24)
Research Assistant: APOYO Study
I am a psychology major with a minor in corporate communications from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I am currently working on the latter stages of the Adolescents and Parents Overcoming Youth Offenses study. I joined Dr. Ryan-Pettes' lab team because research is such a vital part of society. Being a part of the lab has helped solidify my passion for psychology. It is amazing that research allows us to identify problems in order to find solutions that impact younger generations and beyond. After graduation, I plan to attend graduate school to continue my education in psychology. Outside of the lab, I am a First in Line Student Ambassador and Trailblazer Scholar. In my free time, I love to volunteer, read, and spend time with my family and friends!