The AK ARDENT Lab Team
Vivian M. Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Professor and Program Director
Ph.D. Program in Clinical-Community Psychology
University of Alaska Anchorage
Dr. Gonzalez earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a dual specialty in ethnic minority clinical psychology from the University of Hawaii Manoa. She completed a 3-year National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse funded postdoctoral training program in alcohol use disorder etiology and treatment research at the University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions before joining the faculty at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Amber Frasure
Amber (she/her) is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in Clinical-Community Psychology. She earned her M.S. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Alaska Anchorage and her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Maryland Europe Campus. She is interested in the intersection of addiction and mental health, addiction medicine, and the perpetuation of stigma by systems that oppress rather than heal. Amber’s dissertation is focused on developing a measure of protective behavioral strategies for opioid misuse.
Kelley Jansen
Kelley (she/her) is Alaska Native (Unangax̂ and Sugpiaq) and an enrolled member of Ninilchik Tribe. She is a doctoral student in clinical-community psychology interested in substance use disorders, suicide prevention interventions, cultural adaptations of evidence-based treatments, and Tribally-led community-engaged research. She is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the state of Alaska and a nationally credentialed substance use counselor with a MS in clinical mental health.
Lauren Kiker
Lauren (she/her) is a third-year doctoral student in the UAA Ph.D. Program Clinical-Community Psychology. Lauren completed her B.A. in psychology and history at the George Washington University. She is interested in understanding the factors that influence substance use and suicide in perinatal populations and in sexual and gender minority adults. Lauren in currently working on a research project that is adapt an existing measure of Intimate partner violence to include gender neutral language and a newly developed mutual partner violence subscale.
Jamie Kirkpatrick
Jamie (she/her) is a sixth-year doctoral student in Clinical-Community Psychology. She earned her M.A. in Clinical Psychology and her B.S. in Psychology from Appalachian State University. She is interested in transdiagnostic mechanisms and prevention for risky behaviors, substance use, and suicide, particularly among youth and young adults. Jamie’s dissertation is focused on developing a brief intervention to target impulsivity, alcohol use, and risky behavior in college students.
Amber Schmidt
Amber (she/her) is Alaska Native (Iñupaiq) and a fifth doctoral student in the UAA Ph.D. Program Clinical-Community Psychology. She earned her M.S. in Clinical Psychology at UAA and B.S in Psychology from Nebraska Wesleyan University. Her research interests are focused on addiction and suicide experienced by adolescents and young adults through individual, family, community, and system level change. Amber’s dissertation is focused on examining contextual social norms for cannabis and alcohol.
Shalom Smolik
Shalom is a graduate student at Harvard University, working toward a Master’s in Psychology. Her research interests focus on culturally relevant treatments, substance abuse interventions, rural community integrated care, and public health. She is currently working on a research project that explores integrated care and education for substance abuse in Indigenous youth, as well as a project exploring resilience factors and how they impact indigenous physical and mental health.