(back row) Crystal Kannankeril, Linda Herbert, Katie Kane, Jessica Rothstein; 

(front row) Kathryn Morris, Nina Azhdam, and Kathryn Frisch;  not pictured: Caryn Seebach

MPAGS Board Chairs 2007-2008

Below is an overview of the MPAGS executive committee positions and a short introduction to the people who presently hold each position.  In addition to these board positions, there are also opportunities to be a school representative or committee chair.  If you are interested in learning more about any position please contact Jessica Rothstein.

• Chair serves a one-year term and is the chief officer of MPAGS.  He/she is a voting member of the MPA Board of Directors and the Executive Graduate Council.  This person coordinates the efforts of the board members, as well as MPAGS members.
  
  
  • Jessica Rothstein is a fourth year student in the Psy.D. program at Loyola College in Maryland. Her clinical interests include child maltreatment, emotion regulation, aggressive behavior in children, and adults with personality disorders. Her dissertation investigates the therapeutic decision making process of treatment providers who work with maltreated children. Her future goals include working in a inpatient setting with children providing individual, family, and group psychotherapy.
  
  
  

• Chair Elect serves one year as Chair Elect and the following year as Chair.  He/she shares in the duties of the Chair and assists in overseeing the affairs and activities of MPAGS.
  
  

• Kate Morris graduated from Vassar College in 2004 and is now in the 2nd year of the Psy.D. program at Loyola College in Maryland.  Her clinical interests include corrections, adults with personality disorders and adolescents.  Her in-process dissertation focuses on burnout in the correctional psychologist.





• Membership Chair is responsible for recruiting members and will work towards creating a diverse membership base.  He/she is the liaison between the campus representatives and the MPAGS Executive Council.
  
  

• Katie Kane is a fourth year graduate student at The American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, Washington, DC.  After completing the MA clinical psychology program, she is now in the Psy.D. program, working towards a concentration in child & family studies. Her interests include premature infants and attachment, pediatric neuropsychology, trauma, and crisis.
  
  
  

• Communications Chair is responsible for keeping and distributing minutes of all MPAGS meetings.  She/he is also responsible for coordinating graduate student submissions to the MPA newsletter and maintaining MPAGS web page resources.
  
  

  • Caryn Seebach is a third year student in the Psy.D. program at Loyola College in Maryland.  She has her masters of science in clinical health psychology and her clinical interests include counseling medical patients with chronic and terminal illness.  Her dissertation focuses on overcoming barriers to collaboration between psychologists and physicians.
    
    
    

• Advocacy Chair coordinates state and federal legislative advocacy efforts and is the liaison between the MPA Legislative Committee and MPAGS.   
  
  

  • Linda Herbert is a 3rd year student in the Human Services Psychology Ph.D. Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.  She is currently working on research projects regarding the impact of food allergy on children and families in the pediatric psychology lab at UMBC.  As the current Advocacy Chair, she wishes to increase graduate student awareness of current professional issues.  Outside of psychology, Linda is interested in politics and current events, history, and tennis.   

• Convention Co-Chairs oversee all aspects of convention planning, advertising, and management.  He/she may appoint a committee to assist him/her with these duties.
  

   

• Nina Azhdam is a third year Psy.D. student at Loyola College in Maryland.  Her clinical interests include childhood anxiety and depression, family stressors and disruptive behavior in children.  Her dissertation focuses on the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in a disabled and nondisabled college freshmen population. 
  
  
• Katy Frisch is a third year student in the Psy.D. program at Loyola College in Maryland.  Her clinical interests include adult psychotherapy and assessment.  Her dissertation explores the ecological validity of neuropsychological tests. 

• Diversity Chair coordinates the MPAGS Diversity initiative.
  
  

  • Crystal Kannankeril is in her second year of the Psy.D. program at Loyola College in Maryland.  She graduated from The George Washington University in Washington, DC with a B.A. in Psychology.  Her clinical interests include psychotherapy and assessment with adolescents and adults.  Her dissertation is focused on music and its use as a coping mechanism for adolescents.