CV

EDUCATION

Postdoctoral Fellowship

The University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 2012-2014
Department of Psychology
Supervisors: Marianne Barton, PhD, Deborah Fein, PhD/ABPP-CN, James Green, PhD

Internship

Institute of Living Hartford, CT 2006-2007
Hartford Hospital
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
Supervisors: James DeGiovani, PhD, Barbara Rzepski, PhD, Allen Carter, PhD, Laura Saunders, PsyD

Ph.D.

The University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 2007
Clinical Psychology, Neuropsychology Concentration
Advisor: Deborah Fein, PhD/ABPP-CN
Practicum Supervisors: Marianne Barton, PhD, Sarah Hodgson, PhD, Gregory Javornisky, PhD, Gary Isenberg, PhD

M.A.

The University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 2005
Clinical Psychology
Advisor: Deborah Fein, PhD/ABPP-CN

B.A.

Davidson College Davidson, NC 1998
Psychology
Advisors: Ruth Ault, PhD, Paul Marciano, PhD

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Associate Professor in Residence

August 2020-Present
Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Avert Point, CT
• General Psychology I and II, Research Methods, Psychological Disorders (formerly Abnormal Psychology), Study of Personality, Developmental Psychology, Introduction to Clinical Psychology, UNIV 1820/3995 Tools for Emotional Wellbeing

Assistant Professor in Residence

August 2014-Present
Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Avert Point, CT
• General Psychology I and II, Research Methods, Abnormal Psychology, Study of Personality, Developmental Psychology, Introduction to Clinical Psychology, UNIV 1820 Myths, Media, and Mental Illness

Adjunct Professor

January 2011-July 2014
Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
• Assessment of Psychopathology (graduate level), Abnormal Psychology (undergraduate level W-course), Introduction to Clinical Psychology (undergraduate level)

Adjunct Professor

Spring 2014
Department of Psychology, Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic, CT
• Personality

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS 

  • Spring 2024 Common Curriculum Faculty Fellow, University Senate 
  • Spring 2023 Common Curriculum Faculty Fellow, University Senate 
  • Spring 2022 Assessment Faculty Fellow, Office of the Provost 
  • Spring 2022 FYE One UConn Teaching Award 
  • Spring 2021 Avery Point Excellence in Student Engagement and Support Award 
  • Spring 2019 Avery Point Teaching Innovation Award 
  • Spring 2018 AAUP Early Career Excellence Award 
  • Spring 2018 UConn Teaching Innovation Award 
  • Spring 2018 Avery Point Excellence in Student Engagement and Support Award 
  • Fall 2018 GEOC Provost Award, UConn Storrs 
  • Spring 2016 Excellence in Academic Advising, UConn Avery Point 
  • Spring 2015 Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, UConn Avery Point 

SERVICE AND COMMITEES 

  • Fall 2025-current UConn University Senate Common Curriculum Committee+ Chair 
  • Spring 2025-current UConn Accreditation NECHE Standard 8 Committee Member 
  • Fall 2024-current UConn FCCOB Oversight Board Member 
  • Fall 2023-2025 UConn University Senate Scholastic Standards Committee Co-Chair 
  • Fall 2023-current UConn University Senate Common Curriculum Committee+ Member 
  • Spring 2023 UConn Department of Psychological Science: Chair Search Committe for Storrs APiR 
  • Fall 2022-2025 UConn University Senate Scholastic Standards Committee Member 
  • Fall 2022 UConn OAPA Search Committee Member 
  • Fall 2022-2023 UConn USLAC Co-Chair 
  • Fall 2022-current Avery Point GSA Faculty Advisor 
  • Fall 2022-current UConn University Senator  
  • Fall 2022-current UConn Department of Psychological Science Courses and Curriculum Committee 
  • Spring 2022- 2024 UConn President’s Task Force on Combatting Sexual Violence and Supporting Students 
  • Fall 2020-2021 UConn BUILD Innovation Initiative Faculty Mentor 
  • Fall 2020-current Avery Point DEI Committee Member 
  • Fall 2020-2021 UConn Future of Learning Committee Member 
  • Fall 2019-2023 UConn Life Transformative Education Task Force Member 
  • Spring 2019-2024 UConn Avery Point Leadership Team Member 
  • Spring 2019 UConn Department of Psychological Science: Chair Search Committe for Avery Point APiR 
  • Fall 2018- 2024 UConn Avery Point Courses and Curriculum Committee Chair 
  • Fall 2019-2022 NECTOP Steering Committee Chair 
  • Fall 2018-current NECTOP Steering Committee Member  
  • Spring 2018 Avery Point Case Manager Search Committee Co-Chair 
  • Fall 2017-2020 Avery Point Faculty Assembly Elected Member 
  • Fall 2017-current Avery Point Life Sciences Club Faculty Advisor 
  • Fall 2015-current UConn Educational Technologies Steering Committee Member  
  • Fall 2015-current UConn CETL Faculty Affiliate 

GRANTS 

Fall 2025-28 UConn Advancing Structural Consistency through Educational Networks and Design (UASCEND)  

Schlesselman, L., Kleinman, J., Bedore, P., Valente, D., Birge-Liberman, P., & Fitzgerald, S.  

  • Davis Educational Found Grant for university-wide initiative to expand faculty and academic program development of student-centric learning objectives; alignment of assessment measures to objectives; design of common rubrics; and design of integrative, longitudinal, and standardized assessment measures. 

Fall 2022 UConn Avery Point Faculty Learning Community on Disability Accessibility  

Scanlon, E., Kleinman, J, Finiguerra, M. 

  • CLAS Funded weekly Faculty Learning Community (FLC) related to discussing pedagogical methods for supporting students with learning disabilities 

Spring 2021 UConn President’s Commitment to Community Initiative 

Nevers, J, & Kleinman, J. 

  • Funding to Co-chair a campus community program on White Accountability Spaces 

Fall 2017 Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Innovation Grant, UConn Storrs 

Fall 2015 Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Innovation Grant, UConn Storrs 

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Clinical Associate October 2008-June 2014
Psychological Services Clinic, The University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
• Conducted developmental and diagnostic evaluations of children at risk for developmental disorders including feedback to caregivers and supervising graduate student clinicians.

Clinical Internship August 2006 – August 2007
Institute of Living, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT
• Four month rotations in pediatric psychology, child/adolescent inpatient unit, child/adolescent projective assessments

Clinical Assessment Team August 2003 – May 2004
Psychological Services Clinic, The University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
• Two semesters of attendance to an assessment team meeting and conductance of primarily autism spectrum disorder evaluations

Social Skills Group August 2003 – May 2004
Psychological Services Clinic, The University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
• Two semesters of leading social skills groups for children with autism spectrum disorders, including pre and post-intervention assessments, feedback to parents, and session planning

Practicum in Neuropsychology May 2003 – May 2004
Connecticut Pediatric Neuropsychology Associates, West Hartford, CT
• Two semesters of practicum in administering neuropsychological test batteries to clinical populations including learning disorders, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, seizure disorders, head injury in private practice setting

Practicum in Adult Psychotherapy August 2003 – May 2004
Psychological Services Clinic, The University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
• Two semesters of practicum using individual psychotherapy sessions with adult clients from the community in a university clinic

Practicum in Child and Families Psychotherapy August 2002 – May 2003
Psychological Services Clinic, The University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
• Two semesters of practicum using individual psychotherapy sessions with child and family clients from the community in a university clinic

Assessment Practicum August 2001 – May 2002
Psychological Services Clinic, The University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
• Two semesters covering clinical interviewing, assessment of intellectual and academic functioning, personality assessment, and suicidality assessment

SUPERVISORY EXPERIENCE

2008-2014 Clinical Associate, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Dissertation Research January 2004 – August 2007
Deborah Fein, Ph.D., Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Connecticut
• The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers: A follow-up study investigating the early detection of autism spectrum disorders

Master’s Thesis Research October 2004 – October 2005
Deborah Fein, Ph.D., Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Connecticut
• Diagnostic stability and prediction of outcome in very young children with autism spectrum disorders

Research Assistant September 2001 – August 2006
Deborah Fein, Ph.D., Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Connecticut
• Created and managed database for multi-site NIMH, MCH funded research study investigating a screening measure for the detection of autism spectrum disorder in children ages 16-30 months
• Conducted developmental and diagnostic evaluations of children at risk for developmental disorder including feedback to caregivers and report writing

Research Assistant January 1999 – June 2001
Robert Schultz, Ph. D., Research Associate in Clinical Neuropsychology,Yale Child Study Center
• Coordinated research study on NICHD funded program project. Responsible for fMRI task design, MRI desensitization, database design and maintenance, data analysis, behavioral task creation, recruitment, testing, reports, as well general research assistant duties

Undergraduate Thesis September 1997 – May 1998
Ruth Ault, Ph.D., Chair of Department of Psychology, Davidson College
• Designed research protocol for auditory processing of emotions in high functioning adults with autism
• Piloted research stimuli and conducted all testing on controls and adults with autism
• Designed and maintained a spreadsheet for data collected from the test, analyzed all data