Matt received his bachelor’s degree in Biobehavioral Health from The Pennsylvania State University in May 2023. He is currently a teaching aide at Merakey.

Senior Honors Thesis (Chair: Turrisi). The influence of parental marital status on teen drinking outcomes (2022-2023).

McHugh Honors Thesis

Awards/Honors: 

• Wagman Family Student Volunteer Award
• Spring 2023 – 1st place in Social & Behavioral Sciences at the Penn State Undergraduate Research Exhibition
• Fall 2019 – Spring 2023 – 8 semesters on Dean’s List

Selected Presentations: 

Kornack, E., Nolte, N., McHugh, M., Waldron, K. A., Glenn, S. D., Turrisi, R. J., & Mallett, K. A. (2022, April). Longitudinal associations between self-efficacy and drinking outcomes among college students. Poster presented at the Undergraduate Exhibition for Research, University Park, PA. https://youtu.be/fa0uoFyJXXg

Waldron, K. A., Glenn, S. D., Ko, S., Lenker, L., Stull, P., Kornack, E., Nolte, N., McHugh, M., & Turrisi, R. J. (2022, April). Comparing single vs. dual parent households on a brief parent-based drinking intervention for underage teens. Poster presented at the 5th Annual Founder’s Endowment for Excellence and Innovation Research Day, University Park, PA.

Glenn, S. D., Waldron, K. A., Kornack, E. C., Nolte, N., McHugh, M., Ko, S., Stull, P., Lenker, L., Turrisi, R., & Mallett, K. A. (2022, April). Alcohol-induced blackout consequences predict alcohol dependency symptoms among college student drinkers. Poster presented at the 5th Annual Founder’s Endowment for Excellence and Innovation Research Day, University Park, PA.

Emily received her bachelor’s degree in Biobehavioral Health and a minor in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University in May 2022. She is currently a human subjects research coordinator at the University of Rochester. She is currently a Clinical Research Coordinator at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Awards:

• Spring 2019 – Spring 2022, 7 semesters on Dean’s List

Selected Presentations:

Kornack, E., Nolte, N., McHugh, M., Waldron, K. A., Glenn, S. D., Turrisi, R. J., & Mallett, K. A. (2022, April). Longitudinal associations between self-efficacy and drinking outcomes among college students. Poster presented at the Undergraduate Exhibition for Research, University Park, PA. https://youtu.be/fa0uoFyJXXg

Waldron, K. A., Glenn, S. D., Ko, S., Kornack, E., Nolte, N., Turrisi, R. J., & Mallett, K. A. (2022, June). Comparing single vs. dual parent households on a brief parent-based drinking intervention for adolescents. Poster to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, Orlando, FL.

Waldron, K. A., Glenn, S. D., Ko, S., Lenker, L., Stull, P., Kornack, E., Nolte, N., McHugh, M., & Turrisi, R. J. (2022, April). Comparing single vs. dual parent households on a brief parent-based drinking intervention for underage teens. Poster presented at the 5th Annual Founder’s Endowment for Excellence and Innovation Research Day, University Park, PA.

Glenn, S. D., Waldron, K. A., Reavy, R. R., Russell, M., Turrisi, R. J., Mallett, K. A., & Kornack, E. C. (2021, June). Does parenting have a lasting effect throughout college? A prospective analysis of parental approval of students experiencing consequences and drinking outcomes. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, San Antonio, TX.

Roopesh received his Bachelor Degree of Science from Penn State in Immunology and Infectious Disease with honors in Biobehavioral Health from the Schreyer Honors College in May of 2021. He also received minors in Global Health, Biology, and Microbiology. He is currently a Patient Healthcare Navigator with National Health Corps at UPMC Lawrenceville Family Health Center.

Senior Honors Thesis (Chair: Turrisi). Examining family structure as a moderator of the relationship between parental permissiveness and drinking in college students (2020-2021).

Kumar Honors Thesis

Awards: 

• Fall 2017 – Spring 2021, 8 semesters on Dean’s List
• Spring 2019 – Spring 2021, Alpha Epsilon Delta Honor Society

Selected Presentations:

Kumar, R., Reavy, R., & Turrisi, R. (2021, March). Examining family structure as a moderator of the relationship between parental permissiveness and college student drinking. Virtual presentation at the Penn State Biobehavioral Health Research Forum, University Park, PA.

Field, M., Kumar, R., Wolfe, E., Sell, N., Trager, B., Waldron, K., & Turrisi, R. (2019, April). Maternal drinking behavior and perception towards college student drinking predicts future permissiveness. Poster presented at the Penn State Undergraduate Exhibition, University Park, PA.

Nikolette received her bachelor’s degree with honors in biobehavioral health from the Pennsylvania State University in May 2023. She was a member of the Women’s Swimming & Diving Team. She is currently an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) at Cetronia Ambulance Corps and will be attending DeSales University to become a Physician Assistant.

Selected Presentations:

Kornack, E., Nolte, N., McHugh, M., Waldron, K. A., Glenn, S. D., Turrisi, R. J., & Mallett, K. A. (2022, April). Longitudinal associations between self-efficacy and drinking outcomes among college students. Poster presented at the Undergraduate Exhibition for Research, University Park, PA. https://youtu.be/fa0uoFyJXXg

Waldron, K. A., Glenn, S. D., Ko, S., Kornack, E., Nolte, N., Turrisi, R. J., & Mallett, K. A. (2022, June). Comparing single vs. dual parent households on a brief parent-based drinking intervention for adolescents. Poster to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, Orlando, FL.

Glenn, S. D., Waldron, K. A., Kornack, E. C., Nolte, N., McHugh, M., Ko, S., Stull, P., Lenker, L., Turrisi, R., & Mallett, K. A. (2022, April). Alcohol-induced blackout consequences predict alcohol dependency symptoms among college student drinkers. Poster presented at the 5th Annual Founder’s Endowment for Excellence and Innovation Research Day, University Park, PA.

Waldron, K. A., Glenn, S. D., Ko, S., Lenker, L., Stull, P., Kornack, E., Nolte, N., McHugh, M., & Turrisi, R. J. (2022, April). Comparing single vs. dual parent households on a brief parent-based drinking intervention for underage teens. Poster presented at the 5th Annual Founder’s Endowment for Excellence and Innovation Research Day, University Park, PA.

Alexa received her Bachelor Degree of Science from Penn State in Biology with honors in Biobehavioral Health from the Schreyer Honors College in May of 2021. She also received her Smeal College of Business Fundamentals Certificate. She is currently a clinical research project manager for the Administrative Core, Kidney Precision Medicine Project at the University of Washington.

Senior Honors Thesis (Chair: Turrisi). Alcohol-Related Consequences Among Racial and Ethnic Minority First-Year College Students (2020-2021).

Plisiewicz Honors Thesis

Awards:

• Fall 2017 – Fall 2018 & Fall 2019 – Spring 2021, 7 semesters on Dean’s List
• August 2020 – May 2021, Mortar Board National Honor Society
• Spring 2021, Mortar Board Charolette E. Ray Scholarship
• Spring 2021, 1st place at Biobehavioral Health Research Forum

Selected Presentations: 

Plisiewicz, A. R., Waldron, K., Mallett, K., & Turrisi, R. (2021, March). Alcohol-related consequences among racial and ethnic minority first-year college students. Virtual presentation at the Penn State Biobehavioral Health Research Forum, University Park, PA.

Plisiewicz, A. R., Waldron, K., Gall-Myrick, J., & Turrisi, R. (2020, April). Sorority membership moderates the association between tanning norms and efficacy. Virtual presentation at the Penn State Undergraduate Research Exhibition, University Park, PA.

Waldron, K. A., Plisiewicz, A. R., Glenn, S., Wolfe, E., Reavy, R. R., Turrisi, R. J., & Mallett, K. A. (2021, June). Alcohol-related consequences among racial and ethnic minority college students: A validation of the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire. To be presented at the 44th Annual Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, San Antonio, TX.

Publications: 

Waldron, K. A., Mallett, K. A., Turrisi, R. J., Reavy, R., Wolfe, E., & Plisiewicz, A. (2021). Motivations to combine alcohol and nicotine in college students: A validation of the Alcohol and Nicotine Motives Scale. Addictive Behaviors, 112, 106645.

Erin received her bachelor’s degree with honors in Biobehavioral Health and a minor in Rehabilitation and Human Services in May of 2021. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy at Tufts University.

Senior Honors Thesis (Chair: Turrisi). Examining Longitudinal Associations Between Discrimination, Acculturation, Enculturation, Biological Sex, and Drinking Outcomes Among Latinx College Students (2020-2021).

Wolfe Honors Thesis

Selected Presentations:

Waldron, K. A., Plisiewicz, A. R., Glenn, S., Wolfe, E., Reavy, R. R., Turrisi, R., & Mallett, K. A. (2021, June). Alcohol-related consequences among racial and ethnic minority college students: A validation of the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire. To be presented at the 44th Annual Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, San Antonio, TX.

Sell, N., Turrisi, R., Mallett, K., Waldron, K., & Wolfe, E. (2019, June). Development of the Protective Behavioral Strategies Implementation Quality Scale. Poster presented at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, Minneapolis, MN.

Waldron, K. A., Trager, B. M., Turrisi, R., Sell, N. M., Wolfe, E., & Romano, E. (2019, June). Ethnicity as a moderator of the relationship between permissive parenting and college student drinking and consequences. Poster presented at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, Minneapolis, MN.

Publications:

Waldron, K. A., Mallett, K. A., Turrisi, R., Reavy, R., Wolfe, E., & Plisiewicz, A. (2021). Motivations to combine alcohol and nicotine in college students: A validation of the Alcohol and Nicotine Motives Scale. Addictive Behaviors, 112, 1106645.

Meghan received her bachelor’s degree from Penn State in Biobehavioral Health with a minor in biology in Fall 2019. She received her Master of Physician Assistant Medicine in 2022 and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Medical Science at the University of Lynchburg. She is currently a physician assistant with Pennsylvania Gastroenterology Consultants.

Selected Presentations:

Field, M., Kumar, R., Wolfe, E., Sell, N., Trager, B., Waldron, K., & Turrisi, R. (2019, April). Maternal drinking behavior and perception towards college student drinking predicts future permissiveness. Poster presented at the Penn State Undergraduate Exhibition, University Park, PA.