Who We Are

Benefactor

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Faculty & Staff

Amanda Nickerson, Ph.D. | Director

Amanda Nickerson is the inaugural director of the Alberti Center and an associate professor in the Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology Department. Her research focuses on preventing and intervening with school crises, violence, and bullying. She has also researched the critical role of schools, parents, and peers in promoting social-emotional strengths of children and adolescents. Amanda has written 4 books, 50 book chapters and journal articles, and has conducted over 200 presentations. As a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist, she is committed to translating research into effective prevention and intervention practices that promote youth strengths.
View Amanda Nickerson's faculty bio and publications page >

Rebecca Ligman, M.S.Ed. | Program and Operations Manager

Rebecca has over seven years of professional experience in higher education, having served as the program manager for the Beard Center for Leadership in Ethics at Duquesne University and an undergraduate student academic advisor for the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business at Duquesne University before joining the Alberti Center. Rebecca's primary responsibilities for the Alberti Center include marketing and communications, financial and operations management, and event planning, including coordinating the Colloquium Series and Alberti Center Annual Conference.

Karen Karmazin | Community Liaison

Dr. Karen S. Karmazin presently serves as the School and Community Liaison for the Graduate School of Education. She also teaches graduate classes in literacy. For the past twelve years, she was the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in the Grand Island Central School District. She also has experience as an Elementary Principal in Amherst, NY. Her teaching career spans the education of normally achieving and special needs students from birth to adolescence in the Clarence Central School District, the Catholic Diocese in Western New York, and in New York City. She holds NYS Certification in School District Administration, Special Education, Elementary Education, and Fine Arts. Her professional interests include the translation of research practices into clinical settings and the integration of technology with instructional practices.

Heather Cosgrove | Graduate Assistant

Heather Cosgrove is a current second year doctoral student in the Combined Counseling and School Psychology program at SUNY at Buffalo. Her responsibilities include aiding in the research of the center, developing and delivering presentations, assisting in data collection and analysis, and developing resources for educators and parents. Heather’s research interests include outcome assessment of peer victimization in college student populations, degree of attachment in interpersonal relationships of victims of bullying, and needs assessment.

Michelle Serwacki | Graduate Assistant

Michelle Serwacki is a second year doctoral student in the Combined Counseling and School Psychology program at SUNY at Buffalo. Her primary responsibilities involve program evaluation for the PREPaRE School Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training Curriculum developed by NASP. Michelle’s research interests include the prevention and intervention of psychosocial and health-related disorders, positive psychology in the schools, bullying prevention and intervention, and psychological assessment.

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Faculty Affiliates

Laura M. Anderson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor in Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology | University at Buffalo

Catherine P. Cook-Cottone, Ph.D.
Associate Professor in Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology | University at Buffalo

Jennifer Livingston, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist | University at Buffalo Research Institute on Addictions

Jamie M. Ostrov, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology | University at Buffalo

Amy L. Reynolds, Ph.D.
Associate Professor in Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology | University at Buffalo

Janice DeLucia-Waack, Ph.D.
Associate Professor in Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology and Program Director, School Counseling | University at Buffalo

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Advisory Council

Helen R. Aronoff, M.D.
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences | University at Buffalo

Lana D. Benatovich
President | National Federation for Just Communities of WNY

Vito Borrello
President | Every Person Influences Children (EPIC)

Anna R. Cieri, Ph.D.
Assistant Superintendent for Exceptional Education and Student Services | Williamsville Central School District

Dewey G. Cornell, Ph.D.
Professor of Education and Endowed Chair | University of Virginia

Janice L. DeLucia-Waack, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology | University at Buffalo

Dorothy L. Espelage, Ph.D.
Professor, Child Development Division, Education Psychology | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Bruce A. Goldstein
Senior Partner | Goldstein, Ackerhalt & Pletcher, LLP

Mary H. Gresham, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Educational Collaboration and Engagement | University at Buffalo

Brenda W. McDuffie
President and CEO | Buffalo Urban League

Jane Ogilvie
Division Director | Community Youth Development, Erie 1 BOCES

Jamie M. Ostrov, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology | University at Buffalo

Debra Pepler, Ph.D.
Distinguished Research Professor | York University

Amy L. Reynolds, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology | University at Buffalo

Reed C. Stewart

Susan M. Swearer, Ph.D.
Professor of School Psychology, Department of Educational Psychology | University of Nebraska-Lincoln