Alumni
About Our Alumni
Jacksonville University's psychology department has thriving alumni. Our degree prepares students for jobs in a variety of fields, such as mental health counseling, law, human resource management, education, and business. The alumni highlighted on this page are currently working in the areas of healthcare, social work, law, and technology.
Highlighted Alumni
Ian Ikeda
Ian Ikeda graduated from Jacksonville University in the fall of 2016 with his Bachelor
of Science in Psychology. As of 2019, he is currently a second year student at the
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. HIs degree in psychology provided
him with a lot of opportunities and continues to be an asset to him. He utilizes his
degree everyday in his ongoing research into neurocognitive decline in patients undergoing
cardiovascular procedures and surgeries.
"Psychology has also provided me with the tools to think objectively and how to understand human behavior on multiple axes, which is critical in a field that is investing and moving towards the social determinants of health."
Elizabeth Rossi, LMSW
Elizabeth Rossi graduated from Jacksonville University in 2015 with a Bachelor of
Science in Psychology and Sociology. She went on to receive her Master's in Social
Work from the University of South Carolina and graduated in 2017. As of 2019, she
is currently a Licensed Master Social Worker in the state of South Carolina. She works
for the only state run Inpatient Psychiatric Forensics Hospital in South Carolina
as a Forensic Social Worker. She works with males over the age of 18 who have severe
and persistent mental illnesses along with criminal charges in which they have either
been determined to be Incompetent Not Restorable to stand trial or Not Guilty By Reason
of Insanity. Her ultimate goal is to work toward getting patients into the least restrictive
environment possible and back into the community with the resources they need to be
successful.
"My degree in Psychology helped lay the framework for understanding the population I now work with and learning different theories. My Master's helped me further develop the skills needed to competently work with my population."
Nicole Saunders , Esq.
Nicole Saunders graduated from Jacksonville University in 2013 with a Bachelor of
Science in Psychology. After graduating in 2013, she attended and graduated from the
University of Florida Levin College of Law (UF Law). At UF Law, she obtained a Juris
Doctor (JD). Currently, she is a trial attorney. she worked as a corporate associate,
then as an Assistant State Attorney, and now she is moving into the civil world as
a commercial litigator. Her psychology degree has proved instrumental to her career
as an attorney.
"Being an effective attorney is all about the ability to communicate complicated ideas in a straightforward manner. Understanding human behavior and mental processes has helped me communicate effectively with victims, opposing counsel, law enforcement, and witnesses. I’m comfortable and confident in communicating with people throughout the legal field. That confidence comes from my study of Psychology at JU."
Olivia Talbot, MSW
Olivia Talbot graduated Jacksonville University in 2014 with her Bachelor of Science
in Psychology. After getting her Bachelor's, she went on to receive her Masters in
Social Work from Loyola University Chicago. Her first position out of graduate school
was working for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago, where she wrote
detailed assessments on volunteers. To Olivia, having degrees in psychology and social
work were instrumental in understanding participants on a deeper level and creating
meaningful relationships with the people she served. After a year working in social
services, she worked at Human Resources at Goodwill Industries as a Recruiting Consultant,
and moved into a Corporate Recruiter role with a company called Computer Aided Technology,
a value-added re-seller of 3D Printing, Scanning, and CAD solutions. As of 2019, she
currently works as a Corporate Recruiter.
"Having an educational background in investigative research, behavior analysis, and assessment is such a huge edge in the world of recruiting, and I'm very grateful for how much JU's Psychology Degree track emphasized building upon those competencies."