Lab Director
Dr. Faith O. Nomamiukor is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Philosophy at Sam Houston State University. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Houston, and her Master’s and PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Her internship in Clinical Psychology was completed at the Department of Veteran Affairs- Boston Healthcare System in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Dr. Nomamiukor completed her post-doctoral fellowship on a National Institute of Mental Health T32 grant, through Boston University School of Medicine and the US Department of Veteran Affair's National Center of PTSD. Dr. Nomamiukor is passionate about promoting evidenced based trauma recovery for marginalized survivors of traumatic stress. When not in the lab, she enjoys baking vegan desserts, testing out new cookbooks, and weight lifting.
Lab Members
Danielle E. Gary, MA
Graduate Student
Danielle E. Gary has provided direct services to survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual violence, and criminalization for over ten years. Her research and clinical work are rooted in values of equity and empowerment. Her research explores how social determinants of health and sociocultural factors influence mental health outcomes after trauma. She is particularly interested in the experiences of sexual violence survivors and the impact of stigma and victim-blaming on their recovery. Her work aims to inform trauma-informed practices in forensic settings.
Danielle is an alumna of Hostos Community College (CUNY), The City College of New York (CUNY) and John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY). She earned degrees in Liberal Arts and Science, Psychology, and Forensic Mental Health Counseling, respectively. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Sam Houston State University.
Jay Leveton
Graduate Student
Jay Leveton is a current Ph.D. student in the Clinical Psychology program at Sam Houston State University. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Philosophy in 2026. At UMBC, Jay served as an undergraduate research assistant in both the Gender-Based Violence Abuse and Prevention Lab and The Research for Empowering and Liberatory Action Lab, contributing to work on understanding abuse intervention program outcomes and a community-based research project developing a peer advocacy intervention for survivors of intimate partner violence. His broader research interests include intimate partner violence prevention and intervention, sexual violence, speciesism, masculinity, diet choice, trauma, and rape myth acceptance.
Tyler Barnes, MA
Research Assistant
Tyler Barnes graduated from the Clinical Psychology program at Sam Houston State University in 2026. They graduated Cum Laude with their Bachelor of Science in Psychology, minoring in Criminal Justice, from Sam Houston in 2022. Their research interest broadly falls within childhood trauma, with a particular interest in childhood sexual abuse, interfamilial trafficking, differing psychopathology in siblings or other close-in-age family members who grew up in unstable family environments, and dissociative disorders developed due to childhood mistreatment. They intend to pursue a Ph.D. in psychology following completion of their master’s degree
Rowan Perrotta
Research Assistant
Rowan Perrotta is an undergraduate student at Sam Houston State University, majoring in Psychology with a double minor in Criminal Justice and Victim Studies, and is set to graduate in Fall 2027. Their research interests broadly fall within sexual assault, victimization, and violence risk assessment. Specifically, they are interested in psychosocial predictors of violent and sexually harmful behavior, factors influencing victim reporting and engagement with the legal system, and the assessment of recidivism risk among justice-involved populations. They intend to pursue a master’s degree in clinical or forensic psychology following completion of their bachelor’s degree.
Alumni
Zachary Jones, BA
- Research Assistant September, 2025 - May, 2026