Anjali Gowda (’10)

In her years as an undergraduate psychology student at Penn State, Anjali Gowda gained valuable experiences and solidified her enthusiasm for a career in child clinical psychology through her participation in a variety of projects conducted at the Child Study Center. When speaking of her work with maltreated children and children with various mental health disorders, she said, “It teaches me to be so patient...it’s an amazing experience. I love it!” As a second generation immigrant from India, Anjali was drawn to psychology from an early age while she experienced her family’s acculturation into a new society. She continued to pursue these interests as a psychology major at Penn State, becoming part of the first generation of college graduates in her family. As a research assistant for Dr. Elizabeth Skowron, Anjali learned skills for interviewing children and their mothers about sensitive issues such as child maltreatment, and she particularly enjoyed the opportunity to gain experience working with children. While working at the CSC, Anjali became involved in Dr. Janet Welsh’s Friendship Group mentoring training class and helped to facilitate child groups designed to foster peer relationship skills in young children. These experiences allowed her to test the waters of a career in child psychology and to build an impressive resume of skills helping her to pursue her goals, as well as to help her decide whether or not to pursue a Ph.D. in Child Clinical Psychology. In her own words, Anjali’s experiences at the Child Study Center “heightened my interest in the field” and she feels she “...couldn’t get these clinical experiences in many other labs [and] never imagined having them as an undergrad!”

Dr. Gowda earned her Master’s in Clinical Psychology from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is a practicing Clinical Psychologist who specializes in early childhood assessment and psychotherapy. She has a special interest and commitment to working with children and families who have experienced trauma. Additionally, Dr. Gowda's research and clinical interests include community engagement of diverse populations in efforts to demystify mental health.