APEx Lab

Abby lives with Dr. Johnson and is the official lab of the Johnson lab. Her primary responsibility as the lab’s lab is to maintain high morale. She has little interest in studying psychopathy and prefers to spend her time chasing tennis balls or napping. As a native of Alabama, on Saturdays during football season you will find Abby wearing her Alabama bandana to show her support for the Crimson Tide.

Callie is a naughty cat that has lived with Molly since she was in elementary school and is currently waiting anxiously for Molly to return home for the summer. When she isn’t sleeping, she is running the house – meowing orders at her loyal subjects. Her owners and guests can only see her when she chooses. Callie is a sweetheart who likes cuddling (sometimes). She also likes playing with hair ties and trying to sneak drinks from places she shouldn’t. Like her owner, she prefers to spend time alone and enjoys the calm of quiet spaces.

Indy lives with Kimberly and is a brown tabby cat. He was adopted by Kimberly right after she moved to Indiana, hence his name. He loves playing with shoelaces, meowing at birds, and sitting on top of the refrigerator. If he is not begging for treats, you can find him snuggled up and sleeping underneath a pile of blankets.

Dr. Alexandria K. Johnson, Ph.D. (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Psychological Science at Ball State University. Dr. Johnson received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a concentration in Psychology & Law from the University of Alabama. She completed an APA-accredited predoctoral internship at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center and an APA-accredited postdoctoral clinical psychology fellowship at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. Further information on current publications may be found at: Google Scholar, LinkdIn, Research Gate.

Arash Assar is a first-year graduate student in the Clinical and Quantitative Psychology Master programs at Ball State University. Arash received his M.S. in Kinesiology & Health with a concentration in sport psychology. His research interests include self-compassion and mindfulness-based interventions’ therapeutic capacity in managing anxiety and stress reactivity, perfectionism, and sleep disturbance in both athlete and non-athlete populations. After he graduates, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with the long-term goal of becoming a Professor and Clinical Sport Psychologist. Link to CV

Deemah Alturkait is a first-year graduate student in the Clinical Psychology M.A. program. She received her B.S. in Psychological Sciences and minor in Human Development and Family Studies from Purdue University. Deemah is interested in studying childhood trauma, empathy, personality, and externalizing behavior. She is especially interested in how environmental and cultural influences shape externalizing behavior, and how personality and resiliency play a role in differentiating between those who do and do not engage in violence, despite sharing similar environments. Deemah plans on pursuing her PhD in Clinical Psychology, with the ultimate goal of working as a professor with a private practice on the side. Link to CV

Molly Armstrong will be a Senior at Ball State University who is majoring in Psychology with minors in Psychology of Human Development and International Studies. Her research interests lie primarily in the parenting styles, traumatic experiences, empathy levels, risk-taking and aggressive behaviors in children and adolescents. In the fall, she will be applying to both Master’s and PhD programs to continue to her education.

Kimberly Ingold (she/her) is a senior at Ball State University double majoring in Psychological Science and Criminal Justice & Criminology while also minoring in Women’s and Gender Studies. She is currently completing her Senior Honors Thesis studying public perception of solitary confinement under the supervision of Dr. Johnson. After she graduates in May, she plans to continue furthering her education in both psychology and criminology with the long-term goal of providing mental health treatment to inmates.