Category: UCSB

Jean Pauline Serrano

University of California, Santa Barbara (Advisor: Jill Sharkey). “When Support Breaks Down: Youth Perspectives on Misalignment in School Mental Health Systems.” $1,000.00

Pauline Serrano is a doctoral candidate in School Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and is advised by Dr. Jill Sharkey. Her research examines how youth navigating adversity experience school mental health systems, with particular attention to relational trust, service coordination, and the role of assessment practices in shaping access to care. She serves as the manager of UCSB’s Mind and Behavior Assessment Clinic and as a clinician in the Parent–Child Interaction Therapy clinic. Her work centers youth perspectives to improve the coherence, equity, and effectiveness of school-based mental health supports.

Erin Dowdy, PhD
Dr. Dowdy is a Professor in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology at the University of California Santa Barbara. She is a licensed psychologist and a nationally certified school psychologist. Her research career and scholarly publications have focused on universal assessment for social and emotional health and risk. She is focused on equitable screening practices. Dr. Dowdy has a record of past success at disseminating research in peer-reviewed journals and at professional conferences, and her research and collaborative work with schools, state, and community agencies has been funded by various agencies.