AART Doctoral Alumni
| John Tawa | Vali D. Kahn | Stephanie C. Day | Nancy J. Lin | Phuong T. Nguyen | Julie M. AhnAllen | Grace S. Kim |
Dr. John Tawa is an assistant professor in the Psychology Department at Salve Regina University. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2013. He completed his internship at South Shore Mental Health in 2012. Dr. Tawa's research focuses on race-relations between Black/African
Americans and Asian/Asian Americans. This specific focus falls under a broader commitment to challenging
21st century racism through greater collaboration between oppressed groups. Dr. Tawa is a past fellow of the American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program and recipient of the Asian American Psychological Association Division of Students 2008 Student Researcher Award. He is the proud father of two daughters,
Amaya Christine and Kalia Rain.
Dr. Vali Dagmar Kahn is an adjunct professor at Lesley University, and Associate in Psychology at the Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School and is currently setting up a private practice in Cambridge, MA. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2012. Dr. Kahn completed her internship at Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Division of Public Psychiatry of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Department of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School where she worked with adults in the outpatient department and young adults and their families in the program for prevention and recovery of early psychosis. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School where she provided outpatient and inpatient psychological testing, individual therapy and helped to develop and facilitate research in the Psychodynamic Research Clinic. Dr. Kahn’s dissertation research explored the influence of contextual social negotiations of personal and ascribed identities on identity processes in multiracial and bisexual people. Her clinical interests include identity and developmental transitions in diverse populations, and working with individuals, couples and families.
Stephanie C. Day is a Staff Psychologist at the University of Houston-Clear Lake in Career and Counseling Services. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from UMass Boston in 2012. She completed her predoctoral internship at the Suffolk University Counseling Center and her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas Medical Branch - Shriners Hospitals for Children, Galveston. Stephanie has clinical experience working with adults, children, and families from diverse backgrounds in a variety of settings. She completed a testing practicum placement in the Neuropsychological and Psychological Assessment service at Cambridge Hospital and clinical practicum placements at the UMass Boston Counseling Center and Cambridge Health Alliance. Stephanie approaches clinical work, research, and teaching with a strong social justice agenda and aims to increase understandings and empowerment of minority and marginalized populations. As an international, transracial Korean adoptee, Stephanie is particularly invested in developing an understanding of the racial and ethnic identities of Asian adoptees throughout the lifespan. Her doctoral dissertation explored the interactive processes of racial identities, ethnic identities, cultural affiliations and becoming first-time biological mothers among Korean adopted women. Stephanie's Master's thesis research examined the racial and ethnic identity development and social justice meanings and actions among Asian American youth participating in an empowerment program. In addition, she has advocated for minority youth on probation and their families and worked as a caseworker for adolescents dealing with mental illness. Stephanie also brought her interest in issues of diversity to teaching Introduction to Psychology and Adolescence for the Psychology program at UMass Boston.
Dr. Nancy J Lin is a clinical psychologist at the Naval Medical Center San Diego's OASIS Residential Program for the treatment of combat-related PTSD in active duty service members. Dr. Lin completed her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Massachusetts in 2010. Her Master's thesis focused on communication and transmission of trauma in Cambodian refugee families and her doctoral dissertation focused on normative developmental processes of identity devlopment in Sudanese and Cambodian refugees. She received her postdoctoral and internship training at the VA San Diego focusing on the treatment of military PTSD in pre-GWOT veterans and couples therapy. Dr. Lin later served as acting director of the OEF/OIF/OND (Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn) clinic at VA San Diego Healthcare System in 2011, with a concurrent faculty appointment in the University of California San Diego's School of Medicine as a researcher, clinician, and trainee supervisor in the areas of evidence based treatment of PTSD, insomnia and nightmares. During this time, she also served as a clinician in the military sexual trauma clinic. Her area of interest is in the psychological consequences of trauma, especially contextualized normative responses and strength-based approaches to understanding chronic exposure to war in diverse cultures. In addition to completing her doctoral degree at UMass Boston, she also holds a Master's degree in medical anthropology from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Dr. Lin is a past fellow of the American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program. In her spare time, Dr. Lin enjoys teaching and has had the pleasure of doing so at the University of Southern California's School of Social Work.
Dr. Phuong T. Nguyen is an Assistant Professor at Menninger Department of
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, and staff
psychologist at Ben Taub General Hospital. Prior to coming to Baylor
College of Medicine, Dr. Nguyen was the Director of Clinical Services at
Asian American Family Services, a mental health and social service agency
dedicated to enhancing the mental health and social well-being of
Houston-area Asians/Asian Americans. Dr. Nguyen received his Ph.D. in
Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2009,
and completed a predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at
Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. During his time at
UMASS-Boston he trained at South Cove Community Health Center in Boston's
Chinatown and the Asian Clinic at Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical
School where he conducted individual/family therapy and psychological
assessments with clients from diverse backgrounds, including Vietnamese
clients. Dr. Nguyen’s research interests stem from his desire to better
understand the psychological experiences of Asian Americans, including
identity development, acculturation processes, mental heath and illness,
and refugee trauma. Given Dr. Nguyen’s Vietnamese refugee background, he
has a particular interest in examining the psychological experiences of
Vietnamese people in the U.S. His doctoral dissertation examined the
impact that social interactions with different racial and ethnic peer
groups have on the development of racial identity and ethnic identity in
second generation Vietnamese Americans youth. Dr. Nguyen has been an
instructor in the Asian American Studies Program, as well as the Psychology
Department at UMASS-Boston and was a recipient of the American
Psychological Association Minority Fellowship.
Dr. Julie M. AhnAllen is a staff psychologist at Boston College, University Counseling
Services. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Boston
in December 2006. Dr. AhnAllen's clinical interests and expertise are in culturally competent
training and practice, racial and ethnic identity development, immigration experiences,
Asian American psychology, women's issues, eating disorders, and treatment of anxiety and
depression. Her clinical experiences range from community mental health center, university
counseling center, and inpatient and outpatient hospital settings. She completed her internship and
postdoctoral fellowship at Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School.
Dr. AhnAllen's research focused on racial and ethnic identity
development processes of marginalized Asian Americans. Her Master's thesis explored the
relationships between physical appearance, sense of belonging, feelings of exclusion, and
racial/ethnic self identity among multiracial Japanese-European Americans. Her dissertation
examined the development of racial and/or ethnic identities of Asian American women and White
European American men experiencing interracial dating.
Dr. Grace S. Kim is an assistant professor of psychology at Wheelock College. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from University of Massachusetts Boston in 2006, and completed an internship and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School, where she worked with children, adolescents, and adults from diverse backgrounds. Dr. Kim's research has two foci: Asian American Psychology and Social Justice Education. With regards to Asian American psychology, she researches experiences of belonging and exclusion, negotiation of racial and ethnic identities, and mental health in Asian Americans. She explores lived experiences of diverse Asian American families, such as transracial adoptees, immigrants, and transnational families. With regards to social justice education, she is interested in exploring how to teach diversity and social justice and ways to help students gain empathy toward others different from themselves.
Dr. Kim is a past fellow of the American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program, the Institute for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and the Asian American Psychological Association Leadership Fellowship Program. She currently serves as a board member of the Asian American Psychological Association.
