People
Faculty
Shannon Sauer-Zavala, Ph.D.
Dr. Sauer-Zavala is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Kentucky (UK) and is the founding Director of Clinical Services at the UK Clinic for Emotional Health. Dr. Sauer-Zavala received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from UK in 2011; she completed her predoctoral internship at Duke University Medical Center and her postdoctoral fellowship at Boston University. She then spent seven years on the faculty in BU’s Department of Psychological and Brain Science before returning home to UK in 2019. Her research is focused on exploring emotion-focused mechanisms that maintain psychological symptoms and using this information to develop more targeted, easily-disseminated intervention strategies. Her research has been supported by NIMH, NIAAA, Templeton Foundation, the Center for Implementation and Improvement Sciences, and the Canadian Institute of Health Research. Dr. Sauer-Zavala has co-authored over 140 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and books. In particular, she is a co-developer of the Unified Protocol and the founding director of the Unified Protocol Institute; she remains involved in consultation and training for this intervention. Email Dr. Sauer-Zavala at ssz@uky.edu and follow her on twitter at @SauerZavala
Matt Southward, Ph.D.
Matt is a Research Assistant professor in the TIPS Lab. He received his PhD in 2019 from The Ohio State University working with Dr. Jennifer S. Cheavens, and he completed his pre-doctoral internship at Duke University Medical Center. He is interested in using open science practices with translational behavioral research to better understand, optimize, and personalize the processes of change in therapy, specifically among those with mood and personality disorders. To this end, he has investigated facets of emotion regulation flexibility, the quality of participants’ emotion regulation skills, and the role of acceptance- and change-based skills on within- and between-person changes in DBT. His research has been supported by funding from the NIH and Ohio State. Matt currently serves as the Social Media Coordinator for the Society of Clinical Psychology (APA Division 12). Email Matt at southward@uky.edu, follow him on Twitter @Matt_Southward_, and see a full list of his research at Google Scholar and on OSF.
Doctoral Students
Nicole Stumpp, M.S.
Nicole is a fifth-year doctoral student in the TIPS program. She graduated from Centre College in May 2018 with a B.S. in Psychology. As an undergraduate, she conducted research on implicit racial bias. After graduation, Nicole served as a Mental Health Technician at The Ridge Behavioral Health System working with adolescents in the psychiatric and chemical dependency units. Nicole is broadly interested in self-injurious behaviors, borderline personality disorder, and outcomes of inpatient treatment. Email Nicole at nicole.stumpp@uky.edu.
Matina Fruhbauerova, M.S.
Martina is a fifth-year doctoral student of Clinical Psychology at UK. She received her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Washington in June 2016. As an Honor’s Psychology student and a McNair scholar, she conducted her original research at the UW Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress with Dr. Lori Zoellner. Then, she spent 4.5 years working first as a research assistant and later as a lead research coordinator at the Center for Suicide Prevention and Recovery (CSPaR) directed by Dr. Kate Comtois. Though Martina’s research interests remain broad, she’s passionate about cultivating new ways to understand, prevent, and treat self-harming and suicidal behaviors; the etiology and the mechanisms in the maintenance of severe psychopathology, specifically in borderline personality disorder; and developing methods to predict who will benefit from various evidence-based treatments, and the mechanisms of these treatments. Email Martina at anitram@uky.edu
Doug Terrill, M.S.
Doug is a fourth-year doctoral student in the TIPS Lab. He graduated from Indiana University Bloomington in 2017 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and History. After graduation, Doug worked for a year and a half as a Lab Manager in the Family Relationships Lab at Indiana University directed by Dr. Amy Holtzworth-Munroe. He then moved to Rhode Island, and spent two years working as a Clinical Research Assistant in a partial hospitalization program directed by Dr. Mark Zimmerman at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School. Doug is broadly interested in suicidal thoughts and behaviors, transdiagnostic mechanisms of psychopathology, personalized treatment, and factors that influence treatment outcomes in a variety of settings. Email Doug at Doug.Terrill@uky.edu
Alex Hines, M.S.
Alexandra is a fourth-year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Kentucky and is an affiliate member of the TIPS lab. Her primary appointment is with Dr. Thomas Widiger’s research program. Alexandra graduated from the University of Georgia in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Criminal Justice Studies. While at the University of Georgia, she worked in the Personality Studies Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Josh Miller and Dr. Courtland Hyatt and the Neuropsychology and Memory Assessment Lab under the mentorship of Dr. L. Stephen Miller. Alexandra’s research interests include personality, diagnosis and classification of psychopathology, and the development of mental health interventions. Email Alexandra at alexandra.hines@uky.edu.
Maddie Kushner, M.S.
Maddie is a third-year doctoral student in the TIPS Lab. She graduated from UC Berkeley in 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology. Prior to joining the lab, Maddie worked as an undergraduate research assistant with Dr. Sheri Johnson, and then as a research coordinator with Dr. Kiara Timpano at the University of Miami. Maddie’s research interests include emotion regulation, maladaptive behaviors, transdiagnostic mechanisms of psychopathology, and evidence-basedi nterventions which target them.
Hannah Croom, B.A.
Hannah is a first-year doctoral student in the TIPS Lab. She graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2024 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in psychology and sociology. As an undergraduate, Hannah began working in the TIPS Lab. Hannah is broadly interested in transdiagnostic mechanisms of psychopathology, treatment personalization, and increasing treatment accessibility. Email Hannah at Hannah.Croom@uky.edu
Project Coordinators
Caden Maynard, B.A.
Caden recently graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Her primary interests are related to personality disorders and personality vulnerabilities that confer risk for externalizing behaviors such as substance use, as well as transdiagnostic treatments. She is especially passionate about accessible and affordable treatment options for those facing mental health difficulties. Ultimately, Caden plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.
Sarah Cecil, B.A.
Sarah recently graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Her primary interests are related to personality disorders and personality vulnerabilities that confer risk for externalizing behaviors such as substance use, as well as transdiagnostic treatments. She is especially passionate about accessible and affordable treatment options for those facing mental health difficulties. Ultimately, Sarah plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.
Research Assistants
Vincent Buchenberger
Vincent is a sophomore undergraduate student at the University of Kentucky pursuing a major in psychology and a minor in saxophone performance. After graduation, Vincent plans to become a therapist with either a PhD in clinical psychology or a master's degree in social work. He also plans to continue creating music after graduation.
Natalie Carnevale
Natalie is a junior undergraduate at the University of Kentucky. She is currently working on her bachelor’s in psychology with a minor in criminology. Her interests include psychopathology, personality disorders, and mental health interventions. Natalie plans to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology following graduation to equip her with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the field of forensic psychology.
Madie McMillian
Madie McMillian is a senior undergraduate student at the University of Kentucky pursing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Neuroscience. She is planning on pursuing a PhD/PsyD in Clinical Psychology after graduation. Her primary interest includes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), holistic health and alternative medicine therapy, treatment resistant Depression and Clinical psychopharmacology.
Emma Rowland
Emma is a Sophomore undergraduate student pursuing her bachelor's in psychology at the University of Kentucky. Her interests include personality disorders, anxiety interventions, and forensic psychology. As an academic senior, she plans to pursue second bachelor's degree in accordance with these interests during her time as an undergraduate student. After graduation, she plans to pursue a Master's and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Thomas Luke Ruberg
Thomas Luke Ruberg is a junior undergraduate student at the University of Kentucky pursuing a bachelor of arts in psychology with a minor in studio art, a certificate in Diversity inclusion, and a certificate in peace studies. Luke Broadly has an interest in cognitive psychology, sociology, art therapy, and addiction psychology. He plans to pursue this passion after college and get his PhD/PsyD in industrial psychology or Art Therapy psychology.
Former Students
Stephen Semcho, Ph.D.
Stephen is a graduate of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program and trained under the mentorship of Dr. Shannon Sauer-Zavala. Stephen completed his predoctoral internship at the Lexington VA Medical Center and received his Ph.D. from UK in 2024. Stephen is currently completing postdoctoral training as a Staff Psychologist at the UK Counseling Center practicing under the supervision of Dr. Tina Bryant.
During his time with the TIPS Lab, Stephen authored theoretical review papers, provided clinical and research work toward treatment personalization studies and a novel treatment development for borderline personality disorder, and contributed to conceptual models integrating and differentiating personality and psychopathology. Additionally, Stephen’s dissertation investigated personalized models of high-risk alcohol use utilizing a longitudinal daily-diary study design.
Stephen has considerable experience providing psychological assessment, evidence-based individual (e.g., ACT, UP, CBT) and group (e.g., DBT) cognitive-behavioral therapy, as well as training and consultation seminars for professionals. Stephen remains interested in identifying transdiagnostic mechanisms of psychopathology and continuing to optimize efficacious, effective, and personalized cognitive-behavioral interventions for individuals with a variety of emotional, personality, and substance use disorders.
Stephen completed his undergraduate training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2010 and received his Master of Arts in Clinical Health Psychology from Appalachian State University in 2014. Prior to joining the CEH, Stephen delivered mental health services as a Licensed Psychological Associate in North Carolina from 2014-2019.
