Amanda M. Marcotte, Ph.D.
Dr. Marcotte studies school-based practices that promote equal access for all children to high-quality, evidence-based instruction that meets their specific needs. Models of prevention empower school-based professionals to support all children they serve. Dr. Marcotte studies the components of effective academic prevention and intervention programs that include evidence-based instructional strategies for both typical developing students and those experiencing academic deficits using a multi-tiered system of supports, screening measurements to identify struggling learners, and progress monitoring technologies such as curriculum-based measurement, data-based decision making and response-to-instruction.
Her primary line of research is in the area of developmental reading theory for assessment and instruction, with research priorities extending to reading comprehension and early vocabulary assessment. However, her research endeavors span the breadth of prevention methods for improving academic outcomes for children in schools through data-based decision-making to improve academic, behavioral and social-emotional outcomes in school settings as indicated by the expansive endeavors of her research team, PAART.
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MEET OUR CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENTS
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Kristiana Parrillo
I am a doctoral candidate in my fourth year of UMass Amherst’s school psychology program. I grew up in Johnston, RI and received my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Stonehill College in Easton, MA. Currently, I work at the UMass Psychological Service Center as a student therapist on the Child and Adolescent Team. My primary research interest is in universally implemented interventions targeting whole-student development across academic, cognitive, social-emotional, and behavioral domains of functioning. After graduating, I hope to become a Licensed Psychologist and pursue a career where I can split my time between school-based and clinical-focused work with children.
Esther Lee
I am a third-year student in the School Psychology PhD program at UMass Amherst. I am originally from Southern California and received my Bachelor’s of Science in Cognitive Psychology from UC San Diego, where I also minored in Education. Prior to my graduate studies, I was an English teacher at an international middle/high school in South Korea. Currently, I work at the UMass Psychological Services Center with the Dialectical Behavior Therapy team. My research interests include culturally relevant pedagogy, social-emotional well-being, and effective academic support for bilingual students. In the future, I hope to become a licensed psychologist and pursue a career where I can work in schools and clinics
Katie Roslonek
I am a doctoral student in the School Psychology Program at UMass Amherst. I grew up in East Providence, Rhode Island, and completed my undergraduate studies in Psychology and Public Health at UMass Amherst. Currently in my practicum year, I am enjoying gaining valuable experience in the practical application of my studies. I am particularly interested in exploring mindfulness as a feasible and sustainable mental health practice in schools to enhance student well-being and improve school climate.
Jane Denenberg
My name is Jane Denenberg and I am a Ed.S student in the school psychology program. I am originally from Illinois and completed my undergraduate at Umass Amherst where I earned a degree in psychology and education. Upon graduation, I hope to work as a school psychologist in an elementary school and help students grow academically, socially, and emotionally.
Julie Tanguay
I am a doctoral student in School Psychology at UMass-Amherst with over 20 years of experience in education. As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Licensed Applied Behavior Analyst by the Massachusetts Board of Allied Mental Health, I have served as a consultant for several Western Massachusetts school districts. I have also served as the Director of Admissions and Learning at Amherst Montessori School and as adjunct faculty in the behavioral sciences at both Elms College and Holyoke Community College. Currently, I serve as the Director of Community Life at Becket Chimney-Corners YMCA Camp and as a Mental Health Cohort Thought Leader for YMCA-USA. My research interests include promoting adult well-being in school and out-of-school contexts in order to enhance youth engagement, community culture, and inclusion. I am particularly passionate about developing sustainable public-private partnerships to expand youth access to behavioral health services in underserved communities in Western Massachusetts. A Massachusetts native, I am an alumna of Clark and Simmons Universities.
Katie Dominici
I am an Ed.S student in the School Psychology program. I am originally from Westford, MA and graduated with a B.A in psychology from Clark University in May of 2024. As an undergraduate, I served as a research assistant helping with data collection regarding cognitive learning methods in elementary-aged students in relation to their math achievement. I hope to become a practicing school psychologist and to be an advocate for all students, especially for those who come from marginalized backgrounds while also ensuring that students receive the appropriate support they need to be successful both in and out of the classroom.
Sirsha Mondal
I am Sirsha Mondal, a doctoral student in the Special Education Program at UMass Amherst. I work as a Teaching Assistant for the Introduction to Special Education courses in the College of Education. I am from India, a country known for its vast cultural diversity and beauty. I am passionate about teaching young children and have over 5 years of experience providing one-on-one English language instruction to adolescents in India. I earned my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Human Development from the University of Calcutta, India. My research interests center on the structural efficacy of inclusive education systems, with a focus on the roles special and general educators play in improving these frameworks.
Carolyn Hall
I am a doctoral student in the School Psychology program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. I completed my bachelors degree at Keene State College where I studied Community Health Education and Addictions. This began my journey towards a career that supports my interest in behavioral health, education, and human services. I have worked both as a mental health and substance abuse counselor, and as an elementary education ESL paraprofessional. My time with PAART has resulted in contributions to our understanding of reading fluency interventions and further developing our understanding of academic supports that help all learners. My diverse professional background has solidified my research interests in areas such as early intervention and prevention strategies to support high risk students. Upon graduation, my goal is to become a practicing school psychologist.
Colleen D. Boyle
I am a doctoral candidate in the School Psychology program. My research interests include assessment and decision-making practices that aid in the prevention of reading problems and support the development of strong reading skills for all students. I hope to become a practicing school psychologist, and to work to implement systems-level practices that will support vulnerable students.
Lauren R. Erickson
I am a doctoral candidate in the School Psychology program. Although originally from Connecticut, I completed my undergraduate education at the University of Rhode Island where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies (with a concentration in Family & Community Settings). My research interests center around consultation, instructional support teams, and systems-level supports. Upon completion of my degree at UMass Amherst, I aspire to work in a public school setting, collaborating alongside teachers, administrators, and families to promote successful student outcomes and efficient system functioning.​
Anna Habib
More updates to come!
MEET OUR ALUMNI
Where are they now?
William (Mac) Furey, Ph.D.
William earned his doctoral degree from the UMass Amherst School Psychology program in 2017 and now teaches at Manhattan College. William specializes in supporting early career teachers with classroom and instructional management through consultation. Additionally, William has experience providing systems-level school consultation and providing therapy to children with autism spectrum disorder and training for their families. William's research focuses on assessment and instructional practices.
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Caroline (Carrie) Shackett, Ph.D.
Coming Soon!
Amanda M. Kern, Ph.D.
I am a 2017 graduate from the Special Education program. I am currently an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Inspired by my time as a special education teacher, my research is focused on the assessment of reading skills. My research projects are focused on improving reading test efficiency, accuracy, and utility for teachers.
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Amadee Meyer, Ph.D.
As a former teacher, a desire to learn more about how to identify and support struggling readers led me to the field of school psychology. In my doctoral studies, I have continued to study reading assessment and intervention, focusing on the critical years of early elementary school. After graduation, I look forward to practicing as a school psychologist in the local area.
Madeline Berkowitz
I am originally from Michigan (Go Blue!) and am a PhD student in the school psychology program. I eared a BA is psychology from Bryn Mawr College and a MS/CAGS in school psychology from Northeastern University. Before beginning my studies at UMASS, I worked as school psychologist for four years. My research interests include measurement of student risk and growth in academic areas. Currently, I am excited to be collaborating on a project applying PATH analysis to a large set of reading data.
Zoe Roberts
My name is Zoe Roberts, I’m originally from Western Massachusetts and I’m a doctoral student at UMass. I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Mental Health Rehabilitation at the University of New England. My research as an undergraduate student was based in reading comprehension and cognition with a focus on technology. As a graduate student I am still interested in reading comprehension, but with a focus on early intervention and the prevention of reading problems. In the future I hope to also pursue research related to technology based reading interventions or preventive strategies. Once I’ve completed my degree I hope to work as a practicing school psychologist, and later hold a faculty position at a university.