Fiona Ball
I am currently a third-year student in the Clinical Psychology program at NIU. I'm from Laurel, Maryland, and I received my B.S. with honors in psychology and a minor in religious studies from Fordham University in New York City. My research interests center around cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, particularly the structure of symptom subtypes and dimensions, and their relationships to cognitive processes. I also have specific interests in assessment, science-practice integration, measurement-based care, and LGBTQ+ mental health. Outside of psychology, I love watching baseball and hockey (Nats and Penguins!), listening to oldies and folk music, camping and hiking with friends, going to musicals, and collecting vinyl records and theatre playbills.
Anna Wurzer
I am a third-year student in the Clinical Psychology program at NIU. I was born and raised in Fargo, North Dakota, and I received my B.A. with honors in psychology with a double major in anthrozoology and a minor in English writing from Carroll College in Helena, Montana. My research interests are focused on the effect of insight on OCD, moral and religious presentations of OCD (i.e., scrupulosity), and effective treatments for OCD. Aside from studying psychology, I enjoy spending my free time hiking, reading, and spending time with family, friends, my husband, my two dogs, and my guinea pig.
Jonathan Teller
I am a second-year student in the Clinical Psychology program at NIU. I am from Long Island, New York, and received my B.A. with honors in psychology from the University of Richmond. My research interests are focused on the factors and mechanisms that impact the onset and maintenance of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. I am particularly interested in examining how cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure and response therapy (ERP) can be enhanced to improve clinical treatment outcomes for these disorders. I am also passionate about increasing access to mental health care, deconstructing the stigma around mental health, and mental health advocacy. Aside from studying psychology, I enjoy playing soccer, pickleball, tennis, traveling to different cities, and exploring new restaurants.
Ana Bogdanovich
I am currently a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology program at NIU. I'm from Seattle, WA, and received my B.S. in Psychology from Hillsdale College in MI. After graduation, I worked for two years as a Research Assistant through Butler Hospital and Brown University in Providence, RI, on studies investigating non-invasive neuromodulation. My personal research interests (broadly speaking) include OCD phenomenology and nosology, etiological and maintenance factors involved in OCD, and transdiagnostic constructs. Beyond psychology, I love musicals, stand-up comedy, window shopping, graphic design, and video editing. I also enjoy visiting friends, family, and especially my pets (two dogs and a cat!) back home in Seattle.
Emily Olson
I am a first-year student in the Clinical Psychology program at NIU. I'm from Mundelein, IL, and I received my B.A. in Psychology from the University of Mississippi. After graduation, I worked as a Research Coordinator at the San Francisco VA Medical Center on studies investigating sleep apnea, insomnia, PTSD, and chronic pain in Veterans. My research interests are focused on the etiology and treatment of anxiety disorders and body dysmorphic disorder. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, teaching dance classes, reading, and playing with my puppy, Franklin.