Student Committee

2024-2025

Description of Student Committee and Positions Available
IPA's Student Committee is a committee OF students FOR students! This committee develops specific activities to promote the involvement of student affiliates in IPA and promotes involvement by IPA members in the training and professional development of psychology students in Indiana.

Examples of IPA Student Committee initiatives include contributing to IPA publications (e.g., PsychBytes),providing updates for the Student section of IPA’s website with relevant information about the Student Committee, contributing to IPA’s Fall Conference organization, and hosting virtual student learning events (e.g. How'd You Get Your Job?, and the 2025 Internship Applications 101 and 102 events), among many others! Student Committee Members are strongly encouraged to become members of other IPA committees and spearhead their own original projects.

Indiana Schools Represented
Ball State University (BSU)
Indiana University Bloomington (IU)
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
Purdue University
University of Indianapolis

The Student Committee strives to have at least one Student Committee Member from every eligible graduate psychology program in Indiana and welcomes multiple students per program on the Student Committee.

How to Apply
If you are interested in getting involved with the Indiana Psychological Association Student Committee, please contact IPA at info@indianapsychology.org. Please include a brief statement of your interest in the IPA Student Committee as well as your CV. Interested persons should review the IPA Student Committee Code of Conduct, developed by the IPA Student Committee.

Student Committee Member Info

	Alexis Briggins (she/her/hers) Alexis Briggins (she/her) is a Ronald E. McNair fellow, Holmes Scholar President, and a third-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology Program at Indiana University Bloomington, where she also minors in Human Sexuality. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a mental health concentration and a cultural competency certificate from Central Michigan University. Deeply committed to serving underserved communities, particularly the Black community, Alexis aims to make a positive impact through her clinical work and research. As a researcher, she employs critical racial, Black feminist, and sex-positive perspectives to examine how racism, sexism, and stigma affect the Black community's views on mental and sexual health. Currently, Alexis serves as the Assessment and Mental Health Initiatives Assistant for the GROUPS Scholars program.
	Liza Cohen, MA Liza graduated from Butler University with a degree in psychology and criminology. After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked at IU Center for Aging Research as a research coordinator on projects investigating aging and end-of -life. She went on to complete her master’s in clinical psychology at Ball State University. Currently, she is a second year counseling psychology doctoral student at Ball State University. Her research and clinical interests are in multicultural counseling and therapy with diverse clients. She plans to focus her dissertation on therapy with low-income clients. Currently, she is completing a practicum at the Muncie VA clinic. In her free time, she likes to bake, cook, spend time with her dogs, and ride her bike!
	Andrea Garcia Estrada Andrea Garcia Estrada (she/her) is a second year in the clinical psychology PsyD program at the University of Indianapolis. She is from Goshen, IN and graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington with a psychology BA with a human development and family studies concentration, clinical psychology certificate, and business and Spanish minors. Some of her other undergraduate achievements include the Kate Hevner Mueller Award, Gwendolyn Paulk Laying Foundations Leadership Award, and 2023 IU Latino Faculty and Staff Council Undergraduate Student Award. Her research interests and dissertation work include qualitative studies and those with the Latine community under Dr. Hui Zhang and Dr. Matthew Stapleton. Her clinical experience has taken place in community mental health centers with children and adolescents at Oaklawn Psychiatric Center and 4C Health. Her communities of interest to work with include the Spanish-speaking community as well as children and adolescents with significant history of work with the latter. Her greatest passion and goal is working towards developing a community of Latine and Spanish-speaking clinicians to better serve the existing Latine and Spanish-speaking population in Indiana. She is excited to be a part of the IPA student committee to move this dream forward and form great connections across our state!
	Dallan Johnson I’m a 2nd year student in Purdue University’s Counseling Psychology program. My research interests pertain to understanding iatrogenic racism as it affects people of color, particularly African Americans in behavioral healthcare and its contributors to best reduce these harms. I am currently completing a clinical practicum working primarily with undergraduate and graduate university students. Outside of academics I enjoy gaming and visual arts - photography, illustration, painting.
	Sydney Majka Sydney Majka is currently a second-year doctoral student in Ball State University's Counseling Psychology Ph.D program, and currently serves as the chair of the IPA Student Committee. Sydney completed a masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Ball State University in 2023, and her undergraduate degree in Psychology at DePauw University in 2021. Currently, Sydney 's research and clinical interests are focused on neurodiverse populations. She is completing an external practicum placement conducting autism assessments with children, and her dissertation will focus on the changes in the diagnostic criteria for ASD that occurred from DSM 4 to DSM 5. Outside of the classroom, Sydney enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading, baking, and watersports.
	LeShaé Philyaw My name is LeShaé Philyaw. I am a third-year doctoral student in the counseling psychology program at Ball State University. My research interests include barriers to intimate relationships for young women with Autism and racial biases in psychological testing and assessment more specifically for African American males with ADHD diagnosis. Clinically I work with children and adolescents preferably ages 4-11 yo but also up through emerging adulthood. Outside of academia I enjoy fashion shows, wardrobe styling, roller skating, hiking, and spending time with my fur babies (2 cats and 2 dogs) and traveling.