Current Research

• 9/03- present Depression and Suicide Research (Advisor: Jeremy Pettit) - I have assisted in the data collection of a study assessing several constructs related to depression including: acculturation, eating disorders, self-esteem, anxiety, negative affect, positive affect, etc. I also recently designed a study to further examine the phenomenon of contagious depression, its mechanisms, and the effect learning about another person's suicide has on mood and perceptions of that person.
• 11/03 - present Anxiety and Depression Clinics - In this study designed to further understand the effect cognitive-behavioral treatments have on mood and anxiety disorders, I conduct structured assessments of possible participants.

Volunteer and Professional Experience

• 7/02-7/03 and 5/01-8/01 California Specialty Hospital , Vallejo , CA - I worked as a part-time Mental Health Counselor and Creative Therapist at this locked inpatient psychiatric hospital.
• 7/02-7/03 Napa County Health and Human Services , Napa , CA - I worked as a Mental Health Worker for the Emergency Response Unit. I assessed the needs of mental health clients in emergency situations. My duties include assisting mental health clients see a psychiatrist for medication, referring them to psychotherapy, or hospitalizing them based on my assessment.
• 8/00-5/02 Student Counseling HelpLine , Texas A&M University , College Station , TX - I volunteered for 4-10 hours per week.
• 5/00-8/00 LifeWorks , Austin , TX - I worked as a volunteer assisting coordination and supervision of groups for children from low income housing with social workers. Group sessions were held twice a week for a six-week period with goals being to give the children an activity, boost their self-esteem, and teach them better communication skills.

Honors and Awards

• Stella Erhardt Fellowship from the University of Houston
• Departmental Scholarship from the Psychology Department at the University of Houston
• 2002 Gathright Scholar (Highest GPA in the senior class of the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University )
• Graduated with University Honors and Summa Cum Laude
• Texas A&M University Dean's List - 6 semesters (Fall 1999 to Spring 2002)
• 2001-2002 University Undergraduate Research Fellow for Texas A&M University
• Lechner Scholarship from Texas A&M University (Fall 1999 to Spring 2002)
• Austin-Travis County Livestock Show Scholarship for the 1999-2000 school year
• 3 time recipient of Cinemark Corporation Scholarships, including their most prestigious scholarship in the U.S. , the Gene Hatten Memorial Scholarship (1999 to 2001)

Professional Presentations

• Argo, A. (2002, April). The Assessment of Active Listening Skills in HelpLine Volunteers. Poster Session presented at the Twenty-Sixth National Convening of Crisis Intervention Personnel, Chicago , IL .
• Hope, K., Vavra, S., Neu, T., Smith, A., Argo, A., Garcia, K., Wright, S., Bias, J., Flores , C., Quiros, A., Carman, C., & Hinesley, E. (2001, April). Critical Incidence Stress Debriefing: Conceptual Overview and Practical Application in the Aftermath of the Texas A&M University Bonfire Tragedy. Paper presented at the Twenty-Fifth National Convening of Crisis Intervention Personnel, Chicago , IL .

Publications

• Paukert, A., Stagner, B., and Hope, K. (2004). The assessment of active listening skills in helpline volunteers. Stress, Trauma, and Crisis, 7(1), 61-76.
• Pettit, J. W., Paukert, A. L., & Joiner, T. E. (2004). Refining moderators of mood contagion: Men's differential responses to depressed and depressed-anxious presentations. Manuscript submitted for publication.
• Pettit, J. W., Paukert, A. L., Joiner, T. E., & Rudd, M. D. (2004). Early onset bipolar disorder moderates the association of negative life events and nonfatal suicide attempt. Manuscript submitted for publication.
• Pettit, J. W., Morgan, S., & Paukert, A. L. (2004). Stability of axis I diagnoses among inpatient youth. Manuscript submitted for publication.