Our Team

Jeff Burke

Jeffrey D. Burke, Ph.D. – Lab Director

Dr. Burke’s interests involve understanding the etiology, developmental course and outcomes related to oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. His work includes a focus on irritability as a component of oppositional defiant disorder, which raises the risk for the development of depression and anxiety in some people. Dr. Burke also studies factors related to service engagement and treatment outcomes for the disruptive behavior disorders. Dr. Burke’s work often involves the application of statistical models appropriate for count data, for modeling clustered and nested observations, and for measuring latent classification and latent growth processes.

1991 Northeast Missouri State University B.S. Psychology, Kirksville, MO

1996 University of Connecticut, M.A., Clinical Psychology, Storrs, CT

1997 University of Connecticut, Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, Storrs, CT

Faculty Webpage

Graduate Students

Emilie B. Headshot

Emilie J. Butler, M.S. – Graduate Student (matriculated Fall 2017)

Emilie is a sixth-year student in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program. She graduated from Boston University in 2015 with a BA in Psychology. After graduating, she worked at the Yale Child Study Center as a study coordinator for a study examining cognitive behavioral therapy for irritability and aggression in children across diagnostic categories. Her current research interests include the impact of parental and family factors on emotional dysregulation and irritability in children, and their treatment. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, crafting, and online shopping.

Student Webpage

 

 

 

 

Asia G. Perkins, M.S. – Graduate Student (matriculated Fall 2019)

Asia is a sixth-year student in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2015 with a B.A. in Psychology and English Language & Literature. After graduation, she became employed at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center as a project interviewer for several qualitative and quantitative research projects focusing on the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Concurrently, she served as lab supervisor for the Youth with Problematic Sexual Behaviors Lab. Her current research interests include disruptive behavior disorders in youth, callous-unemotional traits, and effective interventions. She also aims to explore and address racial and ethnic disparities in data collection as well as the creation of measures and evidence-based treatment models. In her free time, she enjoys trekking through the outdoors, trying new foods, creating fun craft projects, traveling the world, and learning about science and true crime.

 

M.S. Thesis (2021): Evaluation of Treatment Effectiveness and Role of Social Competence in Youth with Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits

Student Webpage

 

Lillian Blanchard, B.S. – Graduate Student (matriculated Fall 2021)

Lillian is a fourth-year student in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program. She graduated from Duke University in 2019 with a B.S. in Psychology. After graduating from Duke, she worked as a clinical research coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital contributing to research studies aimed at understanding the feasibility and acceptability of implementing cognitive-behavioral strategies in non-traditional settings. Her current research interests include improving treatment engagement and outcomes for children with irritability and emotion dysregulation and their families. She is also interested in exploring the dissemination of evidence-based treatments for oppositional defiant disorder in non-traditional settings. In her free time, she enjoys attempting ambitious cooking projects, watching scary movies, and traveling with friends and family. 

 

 

 

Jessica Foy, B.A. – Graduate Student (matriculated Fall 2023)

Jessica is a second-year student in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program. She graduated from Lehigh University in 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology and Public Health. After graduating, she worked as a clinical research coordinator at the Center for Autism Research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. There, she coordinated multiple projects including a R01 that studies social and emotional behaviors in children and adolescents with a variety of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions with the aim of using computer vision to validate fine grained measures of facial affect and gestures.

Her research interest consists of understanding how interpersonal relationships, such as with parents, teachers, and peer friendships, can impact psychopathology for children with disruptive behavior disorders. In her free time, she loves running, traveling, and cooking with friends and family.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Eunice Kim, Senior, Expected Graduation: May 2025

Major: Psychological Sciences, minor in Asian American Studies

Career Goals: I want to be a clinical psychologist, doing both clinical work and research and teaching

 

Anisa Rafik, Sophomore, Expected Graduation: May 2027

Major:

Psychology and Criminal behavior

Career Goals: Dream: Working in the FBI as a criminal profiler (fingers crossed I can make it work!)

 

Sam Moran, Junior, Expected Graduation: May 2026

Major: Psychology with a minor in Molecular and Cell Biology

Career Goals: I am interested in Psychiatry or Family Medicine

 

Natalie Kells, Senior, Expected Graduation: May 2025

Major: Psychology

Career Goals: I am interested in pursuing a career in Clinical Psychology with a potential focus on neuroscience

 

Alexandra Rader, Junior, Expected Graduation: May 2026

Major: Psychology

Career Goals: Therapy or clinical work with teens/young adults

 

Sumedha Sabbani, Junior, Expected Graduation: May 2026

Major: Psychology

Career Goals:I would like to purse a career in Human Resources

 

October 12, 2021: Admissions Council. Lauren Villanueva.(Photo by Robert Falcetti/Taft)

Lauren Villanueva, Junior, Expected Graduation: May 2026

Major: Molecular and Cell Biology with a minor in psychology

Career Goals: I'm interested in going to dental school after undergrad 🙂 I plan on applying this summer

 

Valentina De Castro Novaes, Senior, Expected Graduation: May 2025

Major: Psychology

Career Goals: I would like to work in clinical psychology, so either at a private practice or hospital

 

Naz Chaudry, Junior, Expected Graduation: May 2026

Major: Psychology

Career Goals: I’m not sure what career, but I know for a fact I want to go for my PhD in clinical psychology.

 

Allison Nana Aboagye, Junior, Expected Graduation: May 2026

Major: Psychology

Career Goals: Pediatric Psychiatrist

BADCO Undergraduate Fun!

Contact Information

Phone: 860-486-1129
jeffrey.burke@uconn.edu
Address: Department of Psychological Sciences
406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020
Storrs, CT 06269
List of People