Fulbright Scholar Clyniece Hodge

Fulbright Scholar and Ph.D. School Psychology student, Clyniece Hodge is preparing to make an impact in the lives of children and families in her home country of Trinidad and Tobago through her studies and fieldwork here at Ā鶹ֱ²„ as a Fulbright Scholar.

Through her work as a Fulbright Scholar and her studies in our Ph.D. School Psychology, she looks to expand on how underdeveloped and developing countries can implement a process for identifying or diagnosing disabilities in students and adopt evidence-based interventions that are culturally and socially responsive in their education system.

Clyniece currently holds an M.S.Ed. in Child Psychology from Ā鶹ֱ²„; a M.Sc. in Child and Adolescent Psychology with Merit from the University of Greenwich in London; and a B.Sc. in Psychology (Special) and a minor in Anthropology with honors from the University of the West Indies in  St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.

Learn about Clynieceā€™s work here in our School of Educationā€™s Ph.D. School Psychology program as a Fulbright Scholar. 

Q&A with Clyniece

Fulbright Scholars are part of an esteemed and select flagship international exchange program that is sponsored by the U.S. government and awarded by the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA) with over 160 participating countries. The Fulbright Scholarship program provides opportunities for academic and professional advancement and cross-cultural exchange.

Scholars have an immersive experience. They explore their studies and research in the host country, learning in the classroom and field alongside faculty scholars and integrate into the daily culture of the subjects and environment that they are studying with in pursuit of academic integrity and cross-cultural mutual understanding.

(2024, November 7). What is the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. .
I was inspired to attend Ā鶹ֱ²„ for two reasons. First, upon pursuing a Fulbright scholarship, my Fulbright placement advisor shared a list of universities with me from which to choose and Duquesne stood out to me the most, as my career goals aligned with the Ph.D. School Psychology program. The coursework offered a holistic approach to learning to provide me with the tools necessary to grow into a well-rounded psychologist. Also, I was attracted to the mission and spiritual values established at Ā鶹ֱ²„, ā€˜Serving God by Serving Othersā€™.
I am in a research group that focuses on the neuropsychological assessment and evidence-based intervention of learning problems, including those that arise from chronic illnesses, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussions. I am passionate about investigating brain-behavior relationships and have worked on projects exploring concussions in children and youths.

I am also highly interested in discovering how inequality impacts the educational support needed for children with neurodevelopmental disorders and chronic illnesses such as sickle cell disease.

This past year, I co-authored a research article on ā€œConfronting racial inequity in health and education: Supporting students with sickle cell diseaseā€ for the Psychology in the Schools journal.
The coursework, practicum and research experiences and learning about psychological assessment measures are the most valuable aspects of the Ph.D. program which have greatly influenced my work with children at these institutions and helped shape my career in psychology.

Working with the Pittsburgh Public Schools and UPMC Childrenā€™s Hospital of Pittsburgh has provided ample opportunities for me to expand professionally through collaborative efforts and engagement. I have had the opportunity to practice, apply and learn more about conducting psychological and neuropsychological assessments and evaluations, engage in psychotherapy and collaborate with others (teachers, families and healthcare professionals) through consultation. The integration of a school-based setting, and also a hospital setting as part of my practicum experience has offered me a multi-cultural and multidisciplinary experience from both worlds, which has been beneficial to my career development.

Researching and finding pertinent information that provides opportunities to inform the public and improve the well-being of children remain refreshing. Understanding how assessment can lead to theā€Æimplementation of effective strategies to broaden the educational experience for children has also been valuable and exciting to me.
Publishing research that informs society of effective practices to improve teaching and learning for the well-being of children and exploring brain-behavior relationship in children with neurodevelopmental disorders and chronic illnesses remain one of my goals. With this in mind, my dissertation examines the effectiveness of a math intervention (Taped Problems Intervention) on students with hearing loss. I aspire to make an impactful contribution to the academic career of students with hearing loss.
At each phase of my educational journey, theā€Æfaculty motivates me to achieve my goals and aspirations and is instrumental in ensuring that my practicum experiences are related to my current goals in school psychology and neuropsychological assessment. All my learning experiences have been enhanced due to the impactful connections with faculty and staff.
I am looking forward to expanding how underdeveloped and developing countries can implement a process for identifying or diagnosing disabilities in students and adopt evidence-based interventions that are culturally and socially responsive in their education system. Furthermore, publishing research that informs society of effective practices to improve teaching and learning for the well-being of children remains one of my goals. I aspire to make an impactful contribution to the academic career of students through psychological evaluation, psychotherapy and research.