Meet the Lab

I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Asheville with a B.S. in psychology before earning my M.A. in Clinical psychology from Western Carolina University. After my Masters, I got licensed and practiced for three years, serving rural and under-served populations in Appalachia. I went back to school and got my PhD in Counseling psychology from the University of Kansas (RCJH!). I’m an avid board gamer, outdoor adventurer, and beer brewer.

Keegan is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at Texas Tech University. His research expands compassionate, evidence-based care to Veterans and underserved populations across outpatient, correctional, and residential treatment settings. Keegan recently defended his dissertation, which examined alternative scoring methods for the CBS of the PAI in military populations. His broader interests focus on increasing access to psychological services in hard-to-reach communities, including through the thoughtful integration of technology to bridge service gaps and promote equitable care. As a recipient of the VA’s Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP), Keegan will complete his predoctoral internship at the Montana VA Health Care System. He is excited to continue growing as a psychologist and hopes to pursue a career within the VA, where he can integrate clinical service and program development to improve care access for Veterans and underserved communities.

Sarah earned a Dual B.A. in Psychology and Criminology at Texas Tech University in 2019. After graduating, Sarah worked in a local prison teaching a Life Skills program to justice-involved persons on probation. Sarah’s current research interests include improving treatment effectiveness and assessment accuracy for justice-involved persons, particularly with mental illness. Sarah is also interested in detecting symptom misrepresentation and justice-involved veterans. She sees her career in clinical practice. In her free time, Sarah enjoys visiting her family, hiking, and spending time with her cat.

Megan earned a B.S. in psychology from Ball State University in 2019 and complete dual master’s degrees in Clinical and Quantitative Psychology from Ball State University in 2021 where she worked with Dr. Tayla Lee. Her thesis investigated the nomological network of compulsivity. She is interested in pursuing clinical and research activities related to assessment, dimensional models of personality and psychopathology, clinical utility, and underserved populations. In her free time, Megan enjoys being an overly involved dog-mom!

Luke has a masters in clinical neuropsychology and has dedicated his career to helping Veterans and Active-Duty personnel with those issues. Luke is also a Veteran himself.

Ali graduated with her bachelors in psychology from North Carolina State University in 2021 (go pack!). Before joining the lab, she worked as a research assistant for the research non-profit Child Trends. In the lab, her primary research interests are psychological assessment, diagnostic assessment of adult ADHD, executive functioning, and psychometrics. She’s passionate about improving psychological measures through the use of latent variable modeling measures and believes our constructs are only as good as how we measure them. Ali is also passionate about social justice and making community impacts. Outside of the lab, she crochets some amazing things, (including the PATS logo in the lab), and loves spending time with her cats Nemo (pictured), Boots, and Oatmeal.

Tristan earned a B.A. in psychology from Texas Tech University in 2022. Before joining the graduate program, he worked in three labs spanning assessment, cognition, and developmental neuroscience. His research interests include psychometrics, executive functioning, and neuropsychology across the life span. Tristan is an aspiring neuropsychologist and professor who enjoys playing bass guitar and wrangling his chaotic pug. 

Tina likes frogs. Everyone should like frogs, really.

Cole Morris (they/them) graduated from Texas Tech University’s Counseling Psychology PhD program with a doctoral minor in Women and Gender Studies in 2025. They completed their pre-doctoral internship at Rogers Behavioral Health in the Trauma Recovery Program and received supplemental training at the OCD, Anxiety, and Depression Residential Program. Dr. Morris is pursuing post-doctoral training focusing on transgender health at the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Morris’ research has 4 intersecting foci that center on gender and sexual minority communities: 1) culturally responsive psychological assessment, 2) post-traumatic stress and co-occurring conditions, 3) sexual and gender health, and 4) applying liberation and feminist frameworks to training, education, supervision, and program development. In addition to these topics, Dr. Morris is passionate about clinical work focused on sexual health, interpersonal stress, group therapy, and working with folks who are sexual and gender minorities, first-generation students, and economically disadvantaged.