Clinical Psychology Student Profile - Savannah Dieste

Savannah Dieste

Mentor: Sunita Stewart, PhD, ABPP
Undergraduate Degree: Psychology
Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas at Austin
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Awards: Jerry M. Lewis Mental Health Research Foundation Grant

Research Topic: Psychosocial Risk and Protective Factors for Trauma-Exposed and Suicidal Youth

How did you become interested in science and/or research specifically?

Science has always been my favorite subject for as long as I can remember, but it was not until early adulthood that my passion for research truly ignited. After earning my undergraduate degree, I started volunteering for an organization that advocates for abused and neglected youth in the child welfare system. This advocacy work sparked my interest in understanding risk and protective factors for psychopathology following adverse childhood experiences and led me to seek out opportunities to conduct research in child and adolescent psychology field. I first joined UT Southwestern as a research coordinator, where I worked primarily on a longitudinal study of mental health outcomes following traumatic events in childhood/adolescence, while also examining novel risk factors for adolescent suicide. I quickly grew fond of the research process – particularly writing – as well as working face-to-face with youth and families. Together, these experiences led me to pursue my doctoral training in clinical psychology.

Tell us about your research project and its relevance to human health.

My dissertation research uses a mixed-methods approach to understand how trauma- and family-related factors influence clinical outcomes for high-risk suicidal adolescents in intensive treatment for suicide prevention. Specifically, I am investigating the effects of trauma exposure and symptoms on treatment outcomes – namely, reductions in depression and suicidal ideation – and the potential moderating role of family functioning on the relationship between trauma and treatment response. To bolster quantitative findings, I am gathering qualitative data from adolescents and caregivers to explore real-world perceptions of how trauma impacts suicidal youth and their families, as well as to identify nuanced treatment needs. These findings may enhance our clinical understanding of suicidal youth with comorbid trauma and inform more tailored treatment recommendations for these patients and their families.

Why did you choose to come to UT Southwestern for graduate school?

As a Dallas native, I was already familiar with UT Southwestern because of its strong reputation in the local community, and even on national and global scales, renowned for its exceptional clinical care, pioneering research, and highly regarded medical and graduate schools. While the institution’s prestige and the advantages it offers – such as access to leading research centers, expert mentors, and diverse clinical training opportunities – were certainly appealing, what stood out most to me was the community and culture at UT Southwestern. During the interview process, I did not just hear faculty and students speak of a supportive and collaborative environment, but saw demonstrations of it in action: advocacy, teamwork, genuine relationships, and more smiling among students and faculty than I observed anywhere else. Since matriculating into the graduate school, this has held true. UT Southwestern uniquely fosters an authentic, warm, and connected environment without sacrificing professionalism and excellence.

In your opinion, what makes your specific program one of the top in the country?

The clinical psychology doctoral program at UT Southwestern differentiates itself in several key ways. First, the opportunity to train at an academic medical center is rare and comes with numerous advantages, including clinical rotations in interdisciplinary settings, psychiatric emergency department experience, mentorship from clinician-researchers, and exposure to diverse patient populations across the DFW metroplex. UT Southwestern maintains strong, longstanding partnerships with hospitals in the community, such as Children’s Health, enabling students to receive well-rounded training in their area of interest and beyond. Moreover, the program includes an embedded, APA-accredited doctoral internship, allowing students to graduate on an accelerated timeline while still receiving comprehensive clinical training. Finally, the program offers a flexible approach to research training, granting students the autonomy to engage in multiple labs and receive mentorship from a variety of faculty as they refine their areas of interest. The program’s excellence is reflected in the top-tier post-doctoral fellowships that graduates go on to pursue.

What do you love about your program or why should a prospective student decide to get their PhD here?

Beyond the balanced clinical and research training and the exceptional supervision and mentorship, what I love most about the program is its unique cohort model. Students enter the program alongside a group of peers who support one another through the rigorous training, transitions, and challenges of graduate school, and who also celebrate each other’s successes. The climate is collaborative rather than competitive, with students assisting one another and inspiring each other to elevate and achieve their goals while maintaining balance in life outside the program. Furthermore, faculty treat students with respect on a professional and personal level, provide support through challenging life circumstances that inevitably arise over the course of four years, and foster a culture of encouragement that helps shape outstanding future psychologists.

– Savannah Dieste