Lyndsay Jenkins, the Michael and Jean Shahnasarian Endowed Professor at the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, has been distinguished as a fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA). This accolade is considered one of the highest accolades in the discipline.
The APA comprises over 133,000 members and generates leading-edge scientific inquiries while offering professional enhancement opportunities. Earning the fellow designation is designated for members who have influenced the domain of psychology in ways that reach beyond their community, state, or region.
“It is an incredible privilege to be recognized as a fellow of the APA,” Jenkins expressed. “As a first-generation college attendee from a rural area, I never would’ve dreamed that this kind of recognition could be attainable. This accomplishment symbolizes years of dedicated effort, as well as the profound assistance from my family, mentors, colleagues, and students who have influenced my professional journey.”
Jenkins’ scholarly work concentrates on exploring bullying and crafting interventions for children and adolescents who have fallen victim to bullying or harassment. Her principal initiative, Intervention for Victimized Youth (IVY), aims to supply resources for victims and supports children from elementary through secondary education.
As a researcher in school psychology, Jenkins strives to enhance the lives of young individuals impacted by bullying. Her primary interests encompass peer victimization, cyberbullying, and racial microaggressions within educational settings.
Jenkins and her team have created adaptations of IVY that include individual counseling strategies as well as interventions tailored for youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It is the inaugural program that specifically targets the requirements of bullied youth through a trauma-informed lens.
She aspires for mental health experts globally to utilize IVY to aid youth who experience bullying.
“This groundbreaking initiative positively influences youth and educational institutions by offering a complimentary, evidence-supported program for the millions of young individuals impacted by bullying annually,” Jenkins added.
Alongside her research efforts, Jenkins also directs the Seminoles ASPIRE and STRIDES programs, which facilitate access to effective mental health services for local schoolchildren. She oversees the M.S./Ed.S. School Psychology Program and is a faculty member in the Combined Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and School Psychology program.
Her dual role as an educator and researcher has garnered her a University Teaching Award in 2023 for Community Engaged Teaching and a Graduate Teaching Award from Anne’s College, along with a Graduate Mentor Award from FSU, both in 2025.
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