2015 Cohort

Jeremiah W. Burkhart [jburkhart@email.radford.edu] received his M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (2014) and a B.S. in Child/Family Studies (2011), both from Freed-Hardeman University. While pursuing his M.S. degree, and after completion, he worked in rural west Tennessee with a local community mental health agency as case manager, outpatient therapist, and crisis responder. He also has experience serving in a ministry setting. His clinical and research interests include building strong marriages and relationships, the impact of religion on mental health, and working with individuals with severe, persistent mental illnesses. He enjoys spending time with his wife and being outdoors.

Elizabeth M. Cottrell [ecottrell@radford.edu] received her M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Fayetteville State University in 2015. She completed her undergraduate education at The University of North Carolina at Asheville and afterwards served with AmeriCorps as a Patient Advocate in a clinic for young adults with chronic health conditions and special healthcare needs. Her research interests include sexual orientation and gender identity formation, minority stress, and resilience in LGBT individuals. 

Ian K. Evans [IanKEvans2@gmail.com] earned his B.S. in Psychology-Human Services from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2012. At UWSP he was an active member of the Psychology Club, Psychology Peer Mentor Program, and Psi Chi. After graduation, Ian went on to earn his M.S. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Central Arkansas in 2014. For his masters-level internship, he worked with a nonprofit counseling center serving at-risk youth and their families. Ian has been involved with multiple research projects focusing on the cognitive aspects in visual search. His present research interests include suicide prevention and the use of positive psychology in counseling with college students. In his spare time, Ian enjoys watching way too much Netflix, being repeatedly disappointed by his favorite sports teams, and running outdoors.

Jordan R. Joyner [jordan_joyner@yahoo.com] received her M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Tennessee State University (TSU) in 2014. Before attending TSU, she received her B.A. in Psychology from North Carolina State University. After receiving her M.S. she began working as a clinician in the addiction population. Her research interests include substance abuse, trauma, and military individuals as well as their families, stress, and coping skills. While in her Master’s program, Jordan completed her thesis on “Co-occurring mild traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder in the military.” This research is currently in the final stages of review for publication submission.  

Rachel Turk [turk3@radford.edu] received her BS in Psychology from Lynchburg College where she was a 4 year volleyball starter and active in Student Government and numerous honor societies. She recently received her M.S. from RU's Clinical-Counseling Psychology Program with a research focus on poly-victimization and distress and clinical experience at a short term-crisis stabilization inpatient hospital. She is a first year student in the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program and is completing her practicum with an underserved population at the Community Health Center of the New River Valley and is involved in a variety of research projects. In her free time she enjoys coaching and playing volleyball, spending time with family and friends, and doing anything outside.