In Fall 2025, eight students joined the lab as a part of a “Research in Clinical Psychology” course. We conduced a qualitative study interviewing elementary and middle school teachers on their experiences with active shooter response trainings. The photo above was taken in December 2025. Clockwise from left, they were:

Makenna Slocum (‘27), Caroline Martin (‘26), Hannah Dalton (‘26), Stephanie Ernestus (PI), Ciara O’Connell (‘26), Alyssa Furtado (‘26), Kristy Barry (‘26), Abby Sanwald (‘26), Emma Fontes (‘26).

Makenna, Caroline, Hannah, Ciara, Alyssa, and Emma all continue in the lab through the summer of 2026, and are working on a paper for submission in Fall 2026 .

Dr. Ernestus is an Assistant Professor at Stonehill College. She joined the Stonehill Psychology Department in 2019, and loves working with undergraduate students who are interested in learning more about research and careers in psychology. She is particularly passionate about mentoring and supporting students who identify as first-generation, BIPOC, LGBTQI+, or otherwise a part of an under-represented group in Psychology. Her research has focused risk and resilience in psychological presentations. When she is not working, you can find her outside finding an adventure, reading books by a fire, or eating chocolate.