Daryl Cooley received the Clinical Scientist-Practitioner Award, given annually by the Penn State Clinical Psychology program, in spring 2020. In August 2020, Daryl proposed her dissertation, titled, “Discrepancies in Youth Self-Report and Case File Report of Maltreatment and Association with Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms.” She is on track to defend her dissertation in spring 2021 and hopes to begin an internship during summer 2021. Daryl received her Master’s Degree in 2018 and has one first-authored publication. Her primary mentor is Dr. Yo Jackson.
Daryl’s research interests encompass a multidisciplinary approach following several broad themes: children’s sleep, the development and amelioration of children’s behavior problems, and child maltreatment. She has worked with collaborators in both the Agriculture Department and the Engineering Department on projects exploring children’s sleep and behavior problems, as well as the development of a computer game that teaches at-risk parents about common household safety risks. As a clinic assistant at the Penn State Psychological Clinic, she sees clients in Spanish and English and she is a co-facilitator for skills groups in two local middle schools. Daryl received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development summa cum laude, high thesis honors, from Tufts University in 2014. After graduating, she gained clinical experience by working as a behavioral youth counselor in a long-term residential treatment facility for adolescent girls with emotional and behavioral issues and as a home-visitor for low-income families in Boston–providing services in Spanish and English.
The Strumpf Scholar Award offers Daryl the opportunity to achieve both her short-term and long-term goals through its support for greater research productivity, learning from others at conferences, and time to explore new research questions. Her intention is to continue into a research-focused career with the goal of improving systems that serve at-risk youth, including children who have experienced maltreatment and children with behavior problems.