Jessica D. Jones is a 4th year graduate student and McKnight Doctoral Fellow pursuing a doctoral degree in Psychology with a specialization in Counseling Psychology. She currently holds a Bachelors degree and Master of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Florida. She will complete the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program in the summer of 2010.
While at the University of Florida Ms. Jones’ many awards include being the recipient of the Shands Teaching Hospital Excellence in Service Award which recognized her work in creating an innovative diabetes support group for adolescents at a local Gainesville high school. Additionally, her programming in a school setting played an important role in her practicum’s bestowment of the Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida Sapphire Award. The Sapphire Award is designed to recognize and promote community health programs that have demonstrated a significant, positive impact on health-related outcomes for the state's at-risk citizens and communities. In November 2007 she was also selected as a Russell V. Ewald Award for Academic Excellence and Human Service recipient.
Jessica’s masters thesis examined different forms of stress and perceptions of cultural sensitivity in health care experienced as factors in self-reported nutrition behaviors among low-income African American women patients. Her study also examined the associations of age and level of education attainment with stress, patient-centered cultural sensitivity in health care experienced, and nutrition behaviors. It was found that stress was a negative predictor of nutrition behavior scores, while age and education attainment level were positive predictors of stress. The study’s findings imply that stress management training may enhance the effectiveness of health care regimens to increase health promoting behaviors among low-income African American women who are disproportionately diagnosed with or at risk for hypertension and other chronic health conditions. Ms. Jones was selected to present her masters work at the upcoming 2008 International Counseling Psychology Conference and was recently awarded an International Counseling Psychology Conference (ICPC) Student Scholarship to pay for her travel.
Ms. Jones’ academic plans include applying for a summer internship position in the UK to gain an international perspective on diversity issues and problems related to mental health care delivery in Great Britain. Her professional future plans also include applying to the Kellogg Health Scholars Program, which is a post-doctoral program that is committed to training researchers in political and social advocacy. Specifically, this program will give her the opportunity to conduct social disparities research and create interventions to reduce health and mental health disparities that plague our nation. Ms. Jones’s lifelong professional goal is to obtain a position that will allow her to improve state and national funding for disparities research and promote legislative actions that will enhance the well-being of all people. Her commitment to the mental and physical health of all people is admirable and her dedication to promoting social justice is honorable.