Robyn Shepardson ’05, a clinical psychologist and researcher at the Department of Veterans Affairs, is this year’s psychology graduate-in-residence.

Robyn Shepardson wants more mental health care to be available for veterans.

“They’ve experienced horrors of war that civilians cannot imagine,” said Shepardson, who earned a degree in psychology from the University of Mary Washington in 2005. “As a society, we owe it to those who have served to take good care of them when they leave the military.”

She hoped to impart her message – that integrating mental health into primary care settings is key to increasing access to service for veterans affected by repeated deployments, combat or traumatic brain injuries – during a recent visit to UMW.

This year’s psychology graduate-in-residence, Shepardson delivered a lecture titled “Increasing Access to Mental Health Treatment: Clinical Research Evaluating a Brief Anxiety Intervention for Primary Care Behavioral Health Settings.” The free public presentation took place in the Hurley Convergence Center Digital Auditorium on Thursday, Sept. 15. Read more.

James Llewellyn, a 1987 Mary Washington alumnus, has been named the 2019 Psychology Graduate-in-Residence.

When James Llewellyn ’87 was a senior, the psychology suite in Chandler Hall – where the University Center now stands – was voted one of the top 10 favorite campus hangout spots by Mary Washington students.

“The professors were so engaging and fun; learning from them was truly a gift,” said Llewellyn, who credits psychology faculty like Debra Steckler; Steve Hampton, who recently retired; and the late Topher Bill as strong positive influences on his college experience.

The exceptional liberal arts education Llewellyn received from Mary Washington is why he continues to give back to his alma mater. Now a seasoned human resources professional who applies psychology in his work in the private sector, he has been named the Department of Psychological Science’s 2019 graduate-in-residence. Established in 1995, the program exposes psychology majors to alumni who are working in the field. Graduates-in-residence are selected through a faculty nomination process.

Llewellyn will give a lecture entitled, “Engaging and Retaining Employees in Today’s Workforce: Can Money Solve All Your Problems?” in the Hurley Convergence Center today at 4 p.m. He’ll also speak about his work to classes in social psychology, research methods and advanced statistics, and he’ll give advice over lunch with psychology majors who are considering graduate school or a career in the field of human resources. Read more.