Two junior Psychology majors were recently awarded the Dr. James Ciccarelli Memorial Undergraduate Fund for their research on internal, cognitive factors that contribute to the risk of suicide in marginalized populations with lived experience of suicidal ideation. Elizabeth (Elly) Beavers ‘26 and Charles John Connolly III ‘26 will be working together with Dr. Abby Mandel on this project. Here’s a little more about Elly and Charles:
Elly, who is also minoring in social work, is involved in many areas on campus such as the Cornerstone Program, the Psychology Club, and the Depression and Suicide Cognitions Lab. She is also a member of Phi Eta Sigma and Psi Chi, a tutor in the Writing Center, and a mentor to incoming students. After graduation from CUA, Elly plans to continue her education in a masters program. Her ultimate goal is to become a licensed clinical social worker to provide care for children/adolescents who are facing mental health challenges.
Charles, who is also Pre-Law and double majoring in Philosophy, is a two-sport athlete for the Cardinals. He is on both the diving team and the track and field team. Charles is also a member of the Psychology Club, SAAC, and likes to attend Mass with his friends. After receiving his undergraduate degree, Charles plans to stay at Catholic U to pursue his master’s in Psychology. He would like to get his doctorate in clinical psychology and work for the FBI.
According to Charles, their research will involve “using a questionnaire to assess risks of suicidal ideation and interviewing participants who have had suicidal ideations to test this questionaires applicability across diverse populations. The goal of this questionaire is to help identify when intervention methods would be most useful and necessary to help prevent suicide. This is a continuation of Dr. Mandel's research and I am glad I could be a part of her lab and have this opportunity.“
When asked why they chose Catholic University for their education, here’s what Elly and Charles had to say:
“I chose CUA because of the wide-range of opportunities it had to offer, the welcoming community of faculty and students, and the beautiful campus located in DC.” -Elly
“I chose CUA because my cousin recommended it to me and when I came to visit the campus I had a feeling that this is where I belonged for college. Since then I have found Catholic to be dedicated to supporting their students in any endeavor they try to take on. Especially in the psychology department, I have found nothing but professors and department heads who go above and beyond to help all of their students succeed not only in the classroom but in life. Attending CUA has also helped me form a deeper personal connection to God and my faith.” -Charles
We are so excited to see what the future holds for these two hardworking Cardinals!