CAFE Lab members with Yossef Ben-Porath, Ph.D. (top) and Auke Tellegen, Ph.D. (bottom), co-authors of the MMPI-2, MMPI-2-RF, MMPI-3, MMPI-A, and MMPI-A-RF measures, at the 2017 Society for Personality Assessment Annual Convention.

Current CAFE Lab Members

• Monica C. Gutierrez (Psychology Major; Pre-Law Minor; Spring 2022) obtained her AS-T in Administration of Justice at Hartnell College in 2018. Her participation in the CAFE Lab includes data collection for a research project to see if English and Spanish versions of psychological tests work in the same way as each other. She has an interest in social work, the law, and forensic psychology and plans to graduate in Spring 2023. Monica is a Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC) Researcher, UROC Apple Scholar, and member of the Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology.

• Melissa McGinnis (Psychology Major; Spring 2023) graduated from Gavilan College with an A. A in Health Science. She is a member of the Tau Sigma Honor Society and Psi Chi Honor Society. Her CAFE Lab work involves data collection for a research project to see if English and Spanish versions of psychological tests work in the same way as each other. She plans to apply for doctoral programs in clinical psychology. Melissa is an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC) Researcher.

.

• Efrain P Ramirez (Psychology Major; Statistics Minor; Spring 2025) obtained his AA-T in Psychology from Sacramento City College in 2022. He is a member of CSUMB’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC) Scholars Program. His research interests include clinical and forensic psychology and bilingual cognition.

.

• Yeritzi Victoria (Psychology and Spanish Language & Hispanic Cultures Major; Fall 2024) obtained her AA-T degrees in Psychology and Spanish from Hartnell College in Spring 2022. She is a member of Tau Sigma National Honor Society, McNair Scholars, and CSUMB’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC). Her research interests are cognitive psychology in bilingualism and educational psychology. With the support of her husband and children, Yeritzi hopes to apply to doctoral psychology programs to continue her education. Giving back to her community would be her ideal career.
   
• Details to Come for Other Lab Members

Former CAFE Lab Members

• Jennifer Balderrama-Canales (Psychology Major; Spring 2018) was a CAFE Lab member in Spring 2018. In addition to being a Course Assistant for PSY 300, she contributed to a research project on Spanish translations of psychological tests. Jennifer has a passion for helping adolescents and hopes to become a school counselor.

.

.

• Jennifer (Jenn) Bennett (Psychology Major; Spring 2016) was a member of CAFE Lab from June 2015 to May 2016.  Her research interests included clinical assessment, posttraumatic stress disorder, and anxiety disorders. She led a study examining self-reported writing skills in undergraduate psychology students. In addition to her academic work, Jennifer was also the campus representative for the Association for Psychological Science and president of Psychology Society of CSUMB.  She received her A.A. in Psychology from Cabrillo College in 2014 and was a recipient of the 2016 CSUMB Outstanding Future Alumni Award. She now attends the University of West Florida M.A. in Psychology Program with a Concentration in Counseling.

• Daarian Bringle (Psychology Major; Spring 2020)  joined the CAFE lab in Fall 2019. He graduated from Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo with associate’s degrees in English and Liberal Studies. His specific areas of interest include the efficacy, validity, and empirical verifiability of modern treatment modalities—specifically DBT and CBT—with a focus on the environmental and neurobiological etiology of psychological disorders. He plans to pursue a master’s degree in counseling.

• Maddie Cardellio (Psychology Major; Spring 2020) obtained A.A. degrees in Psychology and Social/Behavioral Science from Moorpark College in Spring 2018 and has been a CAFE Lab member since Fall 2019. She is completing a Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology at the University of Denver and intends to pursue a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology with a Forensic focus. She would like to work with underserved populations.

.

• Taylor Chille (Psychology Major; Spring 2018)  was an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC) Researcher and recipient of the 2018 CSUMB Outstanding Future Alumni Award. Taylor is now pursuing a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology at Eastern Kentucky University. She is interested in the assessment and conceptualization of psychopathy as well as psychological testing in forensic settings. She is also interested in issues such as competency to stand trial and expert testimony.

• Haley Cline (Psychology Major; Pre-Law Minor; Spring 2017)  is pursuing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University and plans to have an emphasis in forensic psychology.

.

• Katrina Conen (Psychology Major, Statistics Minor; Spring 2019) was a member of CSUMB’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC) Scholars Program and was awarded a 2018 Barry Goldwater Scholarship Honorable Mention as well as the 2019 Dean’s Medal for the CSUMB College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Her research interests lie in the development, use, and validation of assessments to measure constructs like work values, personnel selection, and job performance. She obtained a Master’s degree from the University of South Florida Industrial/Organizational Psychology Program and now supports governmental research projects (LinkedIn).

• Emily Cordova (Psychology Major, Statistics Minor; Spring 2020) joined the CAFE Lab in Summer 2018. Her research interests included suicide risk, intervention, and prevention and the utility of MMPI-2-RF scales in suicide risk assessment. She is also interested in other psychopathology disorders associated with the MMPI-2 RF and the impact of culture on certain disorders. She presented at student and professional conferences, her most recent presentation being the 54th MMPI Annual Symposium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She now attends the University of Southern Mississippi’s Clinical Psychology PhD Program under the mentorship of Drs. Nora Charles and Randy Arnau to study non-suicidal self-injury.

• Coraima Enriquez (Psychology Major; Spring 2017) joined the lab interested in examining the reliability of forensic assessments in the determination of incompetency to stand trail, not guilty by reason of insanity, as well as risk assessments. She is also interested in researching the best clinical methods in the treatment of juvenile and adult offenders and in the reduction of stigma towards mental illnesses. Cori earned an MSW at Boise State University. (LinkedIn).

• Jenny (Hatch) Gilmour (Psychology Major; Human Development Minor; Fall 2018) was a member of CSUMB’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC) Scholars Program. She previously obtained her AA-T in Psychology from Hartnell College in Fall 2015. She was awarded the 2018 Barbara Baldock and Phillip Butler Scholarship. Her ultimate career goal is to become a clinical child psychologist focusing on psychotic disorders.

.

.

• Amanda Noelle Hansen (Psychology Major, Statistics Minor; Spring 2020) became a CAFE Lab member and a UROC Researcher in June 2018 and was awarded the 2020 Provost’s Award for Exemplary Academic Achievement. Her research interests include personality dysfunction, psychological assessment, and forensic psychology. She has presented at three professional conferences, including the 54th Annual MMPI Symposium. In addition to research, she volunteered as a Sexual Assault Counselor through the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center. 

• Kimberly (Kim) Hudson (Psychology Major; Social Work Minor; Cum Laude; Fall 2016) was selected from all graduating psychology students to be the recipient of the 2017 CSUMB Service Learning Award for her volunteer work at her local Veterans Administration CBOC—Mental Health Clinic (Palo Alto Health Care System). While volunteering, Kim assisted licensed clinicians in group therapy for Veterans focusing on anger management, anxiety, and depression. In addition, she volunteered with a Family Service Agency in Santa Cruz working as a suicide hotline responder. Kim’s primary research interest focus on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression in Veterans. She is pursuing her PsyD in Clinical Psychology at William James College (Newton, Massachusetts) with an emphasis in military and Veteran psychology.

• Grace Lee (Psychobiology; UCLA) served as CAFE lab manager and worked on a meta-analysis to investigate the Validity Scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) across evaluation settings. She graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology and earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology from Ohio University under the mentorship of Dr. Julie Suhr. She is a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA (ResearchGate).

• Zaida Lopez (Psychology Major; Spring 2020) worked in the CAFE Lab on research related to the MMPI-2-RF Somatic/Cognitive Scales. She is a graduate student in Loma Linda University’s Clinical Psychology PsyD program. She plans to pursue a concentration in neuropsychology. She will collaborate with Dr. Richard Hartman on neurodegeneration, particularly TBI, and help promote brain resiliency with nutritional therapies. Upon graduation from CSUMB, she was selected for Distinction in the Major.

.

.

.

• Jayme Luna (Psychology Major; Social Work Minor; Spring 2017) obtained her AA-T in Psychology at Chabot College in 2015. She was a member of CSUMB’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC) Researchers Program. Her research interests included trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder. After graduation, she earned a Master of Social Work at CSUMB.

.

• Leah Lyons (Psychology Major; Fall 2016) was a member of the CAFE lab and also conducted research in a human sexuality lab. Her research focused on treatments for sexual dysfunctions and sexual offender rehabilitation. She has been published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy.

.

• Kayla Marshall (Psychology Major; Cum Laude; Spring 2017) transferred from Santa Rosa Junior College, where she earned an Associate’s degree in Psychology in 2014. Upon graduation, she worked for the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center as a Prevention Educator facilitating the My Life Club in Monterey County high schools, where she educated girls on ending sexual violence in their community and school. After graduation, she earned a Master of Social Work at San José State University. (LinkedIn).

.

• Gareth Meeson (Psychology; Fall 2015) practiced his statistical coding skills by creating complex diagnostic categorization syntax for data analysis in SPSS. He has since worked as an open source code analyst and attended the San Jose State M.S. program in Human Factors and Ergonomics with a focus in human-computer interaction. (LinkedIn).

.

• Akshata Melanahalli (Psychology Major) joined the CAFE lab in Fall 2019. Her interests include psychopathology and psychopharmacology (especially applying these subjects to advance and improve the treatment of psychological disorders). She hopes to apply to PhD, PsyD or Masters programs. Akshata graduated from Evergreen Valley College  with an AA-T in Psychology and enjoys learning more about therapy and its techniques (like mindfulness and relaxation techniques).

• Stella Ornelas (Psychology Major; Cum Laude; Spring 2017) is exploring counseling-related career paths. She hopes to pursue a master’s degree in counseling and is gaining relevant  experience in order to determine her specialty of interest.

• Chloe Patch (Psychology Major; Statistics Minor; Spring 2020) became a CAFE Lab member in Summer of 2018 and was a member of CSUMB’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC) Researchers Program. Her research interests include forensic psychology and psychological testing in forensic settings, as well as suicidality in relation to various working psychological theories. She presented her work at the 54th Annual MMPI Symposium along with her colleagues. In addition to her research, she served as a Community Service Officer at the University Police Department and as a Resident Advisor. (LinkedIn).

• Kylin (Ky) Peck (Psychology Major; Statistics Minor; Fall 2019) became a CAFE Lab member and UROC Scholar in January of 2018. Her research interests focused primarily on psychopathy, psychotic disorders, and language disorders. (LinkedIn).

.

• Kim Rebuelta-Marquez (Psychology Major; Spanish Language & Hispanic Cultures Minor; Spring 2019) was a CAFE Lab member in Spring 2018 and contributed to a research project on Spanish translations of psychological tests. She also has experience working as a Intensive Case Manager. (LinkedIn).

.

.

.

• Isabella Romero (Psychology Major; Statistics Minor; Magna Cum Laude; Fall 2016) received the 2016 Provost’s Award for Exemplary Academic Achievement. She is completing her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University, supported with a Diversity Fellowship Award as a result of her academic achievements. As an undergraduate, represented the university’s Undergraduate and Research Opportunities Center (UROC) as a research student and McNair Scholar. As a CAFE Lab member, she investigated the field of psychopathology through the lens of an assessment researcher, with a primary focus on validating the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). She has an interest in contemporary models of psychopathology, specifically those encompassing higher order factors underlying the structure and development of correlated diagnoses, such as internalizing, externalizing, and thought dysfunction (psychosis) factors, and the ability of the MMPI-2-RF to map onto newer models of psychopathology. Isabella is first author of the article, “Mapping the MMPI-2-RF Substantive Scales onto Internalizing, Externalizing, and Thought Dysfunction Dimensions in a Forensic Inpatient Setting,” which is published in the Journal of Personality Assessment. (LinkedIn).

Provost Award winner Isabella Romero delivers the student commencement speech at the 2017 CSUMB Commencement Ceremony. Commencement photo credit: Joan Iguban Galiguis

• Denise Sanchez (Psychology Major) earned her A. A. in Psychology from Hartnell College in 2018 and transferred to CSUMB in Spring 2019. She joined the CAFE Lab in Fall 2019 while expecting her first child. She has been employed by Center for Autism and Related Disorders since June 2018. This career sparked her interest in working with children. She plans to graduate by Spring 2021 and apply for doctoral programs in clinical/forensic psychology or the School Psychology program at CSUMB.

• Brittany Smith (Psychology Major; Fall 2016) transferred from El Camino Community College, where she received her A.S. in General Studies: Behavioral Sciences and AA-T in Psychology in 2014. Her research interests focus on forensic psychology as well as policy, particularly in the criminal justice system. Since graduation, she has worked as a Behavioral Therapist and Case Manager. (LinkedIn).

• Ashley Tedesco (Psychology Major; Human Development Minor; Spring 2017) received an AA–T in Psychology and AA–T in Sociology from Foothill College in Spring 2014. She transferred to CSUMB in Fall 2014. Upon graduation, she enrolled in the San José State University MA in Research and Experimental Psychology program. She is interested in the relationship between brain and behavior, specifically in the assessment and treatment of neurological disorders.

• Nasreen (Naz) Toorabally was a CAFE Lab member in Spring, 2015 during her year abroad at CSUMB when she visited from University of Essex, England. She graduated with a first class mark in Summer 2016 and accepted an offer to pursue an MSc in Health Psychology at University College London. She is interested in research focused on sexual health and pain management. She has presented research at the California Coalition on Sexual Offending conference with an emphasis on associations between paraphilic disorder and measures of psychopathology. Additionally, she was a co-author on other research presented at various conferences including a poster presented at the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Annual Symposium and a podium presentation at the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health conference. Moreover, along with CAFE Lab member Leah Lyons, mentor Kyle Stephenson, Ph.D., and collaborator Cindy Meston, Ph.D., Naz was a co-author on an article entitled “Further Validation of the Female Sexual Function Index: Specificity and Associations with Clinical Interview Data” (published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy) which aimed to provide further validation of the Female Sexual Function Index in the assessment of female sexual function as compared to a clinical interview. Further, Naz is second author of the article, “Mapping the MMPI-2-RF Substantive Scales onto Internalizing, Externalizing, and Thought Dysfunction Dimensions in a Forensic Inpatient Setting,” which is published in the Journal of Personality Assessment. (LinkedIn).

• Nicolasa Villalobos (Psychology Major; Fall 2017)  transferred from Hartnell  College, where she earned her A.A.-T in Psychology in Fall 2014. ​Most of her undergraduate research has been as a member of Dr. Yamashita‘s Memory Lab where she investigated the influences of encoding styles on the generation effect and developed her own experiment that examined if mood influences the generation effect. Nicolasa joined the CAFE Lab to gain further hands-on research experience. She is pursuing her PhD in Experimental Psychology at Texas Tech under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Serra, with the ultimate goal of becoming a professor. (LinkedIn).

• Kaitlin (Kait) Wilkerson (Psychology Major; Spring 2016) transferred to CSUMB from Gavilan College. Some of her research interests include the etiology of eating disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, self-mutilation, and perspectives on death and suicide. Her Senior Capstone Project focused on the role of stigmatization and complicated grief in the experiences of those who have lost a loved one to suicide. Along with this work, her participation in the CAFE Lab included contributions to a meta-analysis on the MMPI-2-RF Validity Scales.

• Kendall Whitney (Psychology Major; Fall 2018) graduated from CSUMB in Fall 2018 after completing coursework at Mount San Jacinto College in Southern California. In addition to working on several assessment-related projects in the CAFE Lab, she also worked under Dr. Christine Valdez and published a paper on prosocial advocacy among former gang members. She worked as an Assistant Program Director for Interim, Inc. and is now attending the University of Tulsa Clinical Psychology PhD program to study and treat trauma under the mentorship of Dr. Joanne Davis. (LinkedIn).

• Rosemary (Psychology Major; Fall 2019) was a CAFE Lab member from Spring 2018 to Fall 2019. She transferred from Mt. San Antonio college after obtaining her A.A. in Psychology in 2017. Since becoming a lab member she has presented posters at the 53rd MMPI Symposium and the National Academy of Neuropsychology’s 38th Annual conference. She has also presented an oral presentation at the 54th MMPI Symposium. Rosemary is interested in neuropsychology. She is particularly interested in traumatic brain injuries and neurological disorders, such as dementia. She will be pursuing an MA program with a neuroscience or biopsychology focus. 

Katrina Conen and Jayme Luna at the 2017 Student Research Competition, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Several Psychology students, including CAFE Lab members Katrina Conen, Jayme Luna, Taylor Chille, and Isabella Romero, were recognized at the 2017 UROC Year-End Celebration.

CAFE Lab logo created by Anthony Jimenez