The Psychology Department is pleased to present our fourth annual list of extraordinary alumni who have made noteworthy contributions to the field!
The 2025 Distinguished Alum
Robin B. Jarrett, PhD, ABPP
Professor of Psychiatry | Elizabeth H. Penn Professorship in Clinical Psychology University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dr. Robin B. Jarrett is a board-certified clinical psychologist and internationally recognized expert in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mood disorders. She serves as Professor of Psychiatry and holds the Elizabeth H. Penn Professorship in Clinical Psychology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry. Her research focuses on the role of psychosocial factors (including interventions and personality) in health, particularly mood and related disorders.
A North Carolina native, Dr. Jarrett earned her B.A. with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro under the mentorship of Dr. Rosemery O. Nelson-Gray, whom she credits with providing a firm foundation in science and professionalism. Dr. Jarrett’s research, continuously funded by the National Institute of Mental Health for nearly three decades includes the first positive, randomized clinical trial comparing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to pill placebo for adults with depression. Her research has shaped the field’s understanding of how CBT can prevent relapse in depression and improve long-term outcomes in adults and youth. These findings contributed significantly to the establishment of CBT as a first-line treatment for depression. Further, the findings have had a global impact, raising public and medical awareness of the connections between brain, behavior, thoughts, emotions, and overall health. Dr. Jarrett began exploring mechanisms of change during her dissertation research and has continued this line of inquiry throughout her career.
Dr. Jarrett’s work has advanced the science of psychotherapy, influencing clinical practice guidelines, and mentees alike. She is a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies, a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, and a graduate of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program.
Robin Jarrett is also a certified professional coach, helping individuals activate their strengths, professionally and personally. Her co-authored book, Mindful Self-Care for Clinicians and Caregivers: A Group Facilitator’s Guide, is forthcoming from Elsevier (Academic Press).
The NC Distinguished Alum
Stephanie Daniel
Dr. Daniel is a licensed clinical psychologist and Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine (WFUSM). Dr. Daniel also holds a joint faculty appointment in the Department of Social Science and Health Policy at WFUSM. Clinically, Dr. Daniel has extensive clinical expertise in the delivery of cognitive-behavior and behavioral interventions for children and adolescents.
As a mental health researcher, Dr. Daniel has 30+ years of continuous extramural research funding (including NIH and foundation funding) with expertise in recruiting and maintaining both clinical and community samples, and in the implementation of longitudinal and intervention development research methods. Prior treatment development work has included a career development award focused on cognitive-behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy for suicidal adolescents; an extension of the career development work through the development and preliminary evaluation of an integrated cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention and motivational interviewing intervention for suicidal adolescents with comorbid depression and alcohol or cannabis abuse/dependence; most recently, a care support manager and electronic health intervention for caregivers of adolescents with suicide attempts and a Brief Suicide Intervention for Youth in Juvenile Detention Settings; and multiple school-based interventions for at risk children and adolescents. Dr. Daniel’s work has advanced our understanding of risk factors, mental health, and suicidality among youth following hospital discharge, and has broadened our attention to the impact of adolescent suicidal behavior on parents’ well-being.
Dr. Daniel serves as Executive Director for the School Health Alliance (SHA) for Forsyth County. In this context, she oversees operations and development of clinical services and programs for school-based health clinics for the WS/FCS district, which provide a continuum of acute, preventive, nutrition, and mental health and psychiatry services for children and adolescents. She currently serves as Co-President for Board of Directors of the North Carolina School-Based Health Alliance, and has provided longstanding leadership at both state and national levels to advance access to care for underserved students and to develop and establish best practices for monitoring outcomes of school-based health center care and services for those served. Her contributions to school-based health further demonstrate her commitment to fostering health and wellness for all, including those with barriers to care.
Across her career, Dr. Daniel has served as mentor to many students (undergraduate, graduate), other learners (residents, fellows, community partners), and early career faculty members. Currently, Dr. Daniel is serving as primary mentor, co-mentor, or mentor team member for multiple early career faculty members or other learners and has implemented supports for early career faculty members that foster manuscript writing and submissions.
Under 10 Alumni Award
The Under 10 group all graduated since 2014 and each honoree has continued to learn, grow and use their degree to advance the field and their communities in significant ways. We look forward to learning about the remarkable things these talented young scholars will accomplish in the future.
Allison Campbell
Allison Campbell received her PhD in Clinical Psychology under the mentorship of Blair Wisco. She completed specialized health psychology and behavioral medicine training during her internship year at the Salisbury VAMC and post-doctoral fellowship at the Durham VAMC. She currently serves as Whole Health Pain Psychologist at the Kernersville Health Care Center, part of the Salisbury VA Healthcare System. Her clinical responsibilities include providing evidence-based psychotherapy to Veterans with chronic pain and other chronic health conditions. She strives to empower and equip Veterans with tools to take charge of their pain management and overall health and well-being.
Ali Cupito
Dr. Ali Cupito is a pediatric psychologist and UNC Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics with Cone Health. She specializes in the intersection of physical, behavioral and emotional health and health promotion and prevention. Her passion for health equity was cultivated by her graduate school mentor, Dr. Gabriela Livas Stein. She enjoys working with children and adolescents coping with chronic illnesses and complex medical needs. She is currently developing a mental health curriculum for pediatric primary care residents with community partners including the UNCG Psychology Clinic, mentoring a pediatric resident QI project focused on suicide prevention in primary care, and involved in mental health advocacy.
Jake King
Fueled by a training background in clinical psychology and neuropsychology, Dr. King integrates mental health and brain health in his work in a multidisciplinary memory clinic at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. He is actively involved in the training program, which involves supervising residents and pre-doctoral interns as well as delivering didactics. At the clinic, he continually works to improve patient care and efficiency. For example, a current project involves refining procedures to improve outcomes for those recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. He is currently co-PI on a grant-funded randomized clinical trial on burnout treatment in healthcare providers.
Jenna Mendelson
After completing her PhD in Clinical Psychology at UNCG, Jenna Mendelson completed her internship at Marcus Autism Center and postdoctoral fellowship at the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development. Since that time, Dr. Mendelson has focused on expanding access to evaluation for autism spectrum disorder in the Greensboro area. In partnership with her colleagues, she has co-founded the LeBauer Behavioral Medicine testing center, co-leading a team of highly skilled psychologists equipped to provide evaluation for autism spectrum disorder, as well as ADHD and learning disabilities. Dr. Mendelson is grateful to work with a wonderful team of colleagues and aims to continue to increase access to evaluation in the Greensboro area.
Diana Westerberg
Diana Westerberg, PhD, (she/her) is the Director of Behavioral Health Clinical Training at Lynn Community Health Center and a practicing licensed psychologist and supervisor. She splits her time providing direct clinical services to patients on the pediatrics team and overseeing staff and student training programs throughout the health center. Clinically, she works to implement culturally appropriate, evidence-based treatments with children, adolescents, and their families. As a therapist and consultant, she has worked to integrate BH services in inpatient and outpatient medical centers, education centers, and community programs. Consistent with her clinical work, she is also committed to developing high quality training opportunities for students and staff from historically excluded backgrounds. Additionally, she has led initiatives to increase access to behavioral health services through program and workforce development. Her past research examined family level stress and child development in the context of culturally diverse families from low-income backgrounds. Dr. Westerberg earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from University of North Carolina at Greensboro and her Bachelor’s degree in psychology and political science from Washington University in St. Louis. She completed her pre-doctoral clinical internship at Boston Children’s Hospital and her postdoctoral fellowship at Brown Medical School in the Early Childhood program.
