VIP Graduate Students
University of North Dakota
Hadley McCartin, M.A. – Lab Manager
Hadley (she/her) is a third-year doctoral student completing her first year in the University of North Dakota clinical psychology program. She received her Clinical Psychology M.A. at Sam Houston State University and her Psychology B.S. and Sociology B.A. at Mercer University. Her research interests are sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and maladaptive personality—specifically with LGBTQIA+ people. Outside of school, Hadley enjoys reading, crafting, doing puzzles, and playing Clue. She can be contacted at hadley.mccartin@und.edu. (CV)
Mary Copps, M.S.
Mary is a fourth-year doctoral student in her second year of the clinical psychology program at the University of North Dakota. She received her M.S. in Forensic Psychology at the University of North Dakota in 2022. Her research interests are jury decision-making, juror perceptions of mental health, malingering, and forensic assessment. In her free time, she likes to play tennis, bake, and watch TV shows. She can be contacted at mary.cops@und.edu. (CV)
Sam Houston State University
Hannah Benemann, B.S.
Hannah is a third-year doctoral student in the Sam Houston State University clinical psychology program. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Anthropology from Central Michigan University. Hannah’s research interests include the perpetration of violent crime with a particular focus on sexual aggression. In her free time, she enjoys kayaking, reading, traveling, and kidnapping stray cats (for trap-neuter-release). She can be contacted at heb043@shsu.edu. (CV)
Alexa Callahan, B.A.
Alexa is a second-year doctoral student in the Sam Houston State University clinical psychology program. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with minors in Spanish and Criminology/Criminal Justice and a concentration in Forensic Psychology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Alexa’s research interests include targeted violence, forensic assessment, and violence against under-represented populations. In her free time, Alexa enjoys baking, reading, and watching shows on Netflix. She can be contacted at acc114@shsu.edu. (CV)
Taylor Johnson, B.A.
Taylor is a second-year doctoral student in the Sam Houston State University clinical psychology program. She received her Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Cognitive Science at Case Western Reserve University. She is interested in researching predictors of sexual violence, as well as gaslighting and its personality and behavioral correlates. As a self-proclaimed extroverted introvert, Taylor splits her spare time curling up with a good book and attending concerts and music festivals. She can be contacted at tnj021@shsu.edu. (CV)
VIP Director
Tiffany D. Russell, PhD (CV)
Dr. Russell joined the faculty of Sam Houston State in August 2020 and moved to the University of North Dakota in August 2023. She graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2013 with a BA in psychology and forensic science. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of North Dakota in 2019. Her mentor in graduate school was Dr. Alan King. Dr. Russell completed her predoctoral clinical internship training at Harvard Medical School & McLean Hospital’s Behavioral Health Partial Program. The Behavioral Health Partial Program treats people with serious mental illnesses utilizing individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, and psychopharmacological interventions. Dr. Russell completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School & McLean Hospital’s Fernside Signature Recovery Program, which is a residential dual diagnosis treatment facility. At Fernside, she worked with patients suffering from substance use, personality, mood, anxiety, and affective disorders. Dr. Russell is a licensed clinical psychologist in Texas and North Dakota. Her clinical specialties include empirically-supported individual psychotherapy for serious mental illness, assessment and treatment of LGBTQIA+ adolescents and adults, and forensic assessment.
Dr. Russell is a first-generation college graduate, and she comes from a long line of proud blue-collar workers. Before returning to college, she worked in the trucking and construction industry with her family.