First-year School Psychology Ph.D. student Kimberly Smoots recently graduated from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in Spring 2016. Originally from El Paso, Texas, Smoots is biracial and bilingual. “I am proud of my Mexican and Black American culture and excited to be part of the doctoral School Psychology program,” said Smoots.  “I actually am a first-generation graduate and was excited to have graduated yet alone get accepted to the University of Houston."

Smoots works as a Research Assistant (RA) for professor & director, School Psychology program Bradley Smith’s research lab and is also a Teaching Assistant (TA) for the Human Development & Family Studies (HDFS) program. Her research interests are in Mindfulness Training and she would like to work with disadvantaged populations. The purpose of Smith’s Research Lab is to conduct applied research in the area of school-based yoga and mindfulness and evaluate its effects on children, adolescents, young adults, teachers, and school administrators. “We partner with schools in the area that have yoga and mindfulness courses available to students and are looking for the acute effects in order to identify the best practices,” said Smoots.

In collaboration with a local yoga school, In-Powered by One Significant Act, she has been discussing a process for schools to be certified as “In-Powered Schools” that create positive learning environments using yoga and supportive relationships to foster social, emotional, and academic success.

The School Psychology program has allowed Smoots to meet exceptional peers, professors, and community partners who are encouraging and very positive.  She informed us that all of her professors have mutually encouraged her to be the best and strive to be a leader in the future. “My goals are still not finalized but I would eventually like to implement a school-wide intervention in mindfulness, especially in schools with children of color and/or who are economically disadvantaged,” said Smoots.

"Kimberly has emerged as a leader among our Teaching Assistants in HDFS," said clinical assistant professor & HDFS program area coordinator, Kimberly Schoger. "She is also an excellent mentor and instructor for our undergraduate students."

After earning her Ph.D. Smoots said, “one of my goals is to become a leader in academia and to inspire other students to become leaders in the field.” This includes promoting bi-lingual graduate education. While in graduate school, Smoots hopes to practice anywhere where she can apply her Spanish-speaking skills. “I am open to various opportunities, but I hope to do practicum at a site where I can practice all the skills that school psychologists are trained to do, such as consultation, assessment, and counseling and work with people who are culturally and linguistically diverse,” she said. 

"The School Psychology Ph.D. program supports this goal for Smoots and any other student who speaks a language other than English," said Smith. "Because of the opportunities we can offer students like Kimberly, this year the Program at UH was recognized by the National Association of School Psychologists as one of only 12 Multicultural and Bilingual Graduate Programs.”