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Sierra M. Trudel
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Bio
Sierra M. Trudel, PhD, is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and Licensed Professional Counselor. She brings experience working with Pre-K through age 22 transition programs in urban and suburban comprehensive public schools and alternative and therapeutic educational settings. Primarily, she has worked with children and adolescents who have been historically underserved, who have experienced complex trauma, and those with social, emotional, and behavioral needs. She teaches classes in the graduate school psychology program and the undergraduate psychology program, including graduate courses in social, emotional, and behavioral assessment and intervention, consultation in the schools, and supporting students with diverse learning needs, and teaches undergraduate students in psychoeducational assessment. Dr. Trudel's research utilizes mixed-methods techniques, which include collaborative, participatory, and empowerment practices to amplify and honor participant voices. Her research interests include educator well-being, trauma-informed positive education, strengths-based assessment in schools, nature-based interventions, and the importance of play across the lifespan. Dr. Trudel enjoys working with and mentoring students to achieve their personal, academic, and professional goals. She warmly welcomes students to join in on her research endeavors.
Education
PhD, Educational Psychology, University of Connecticut, 2023
MS, School Psychology, University of Hartford, 2019
BA, Psychological Science, Central Connecticut State University, 2016
Research Interests/Areas of Focus
Educator Well-being, Trauma-Informed Positive Education, Strengths-based Assessment in Schools, Nature-based Interventions, Play Across the Lifespan
Selected Publications
Trudel, S. M., Charamut, N. R., Perry, S. D., Sanetti, L. M. H., & Cavallari, J. M. (2024). Amplifying our voice in educator well-being initiatives. NASP Communique.
Trudel, S. M., Winter, E. L., & Guerrera, M. P. (2024). Nature as medicine and classroom: Evaluating an Innovative, Outdoor Course for Medical and Dental Students. Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health, 13. https://doi.org/10.1177/27536130241246788
Winter, E., Cammerer, J., Trudel, S. M., deLeyer-Tiarks, J. M., Bray, M.A., Dale, B., & Kaufman, A. (2023). Does the Degree of Prematurity Relate to the Bayley-4 Scores Earned By Matched Samples of Infants and Toddlers Across the Cognitive, Language, and Motor Domains? Journal of Intelligence, 11, 213.
Minkos, M. L., Winter, E. L., & Trudel, S. M. (2023). Adaptation of Universal Behavioral Supports Within an Alternative Education Setting. The Journal of Special Education, 57(2), 118-128. https://doi.org/10.1177/002246692211405
Trudel, S. M., Winter, E. L., & Bray, M. A. (2022). Prevention strategies for classroom management. In E. Sabornie & D. Espelage (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and issues (3rd ed., pp. 31–53). Routledge.
Michna, G., Trudel, S. M., Bray, M. A., Theodore, L., Zhou, Z., Dirsmith, J., Reinhardt, J. S., Patel, I, & Gilbert, M. (2022). Best practices and emerging trends in assessment of trauma in students with autism spectrum disorder. Psychology in the Schools, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22769
Trudel, S. M., Winter, E. L., Fitzmaurice, B., Norman, G., & Bray, C. (2022). Integration of physical and sensory assessment for children with autism. Psychology in the Schools, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22704
Trudel. S. M. (January, 2020). Positive education down under: Melbourne schools create a culture of positive education. NASP Communique.
Grant Funding
Co-Investigator. Non-standard Work Arrangements in Higher Education: Impact on Contingent Faculty Psychological Well-being. Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace. Status: Funded. Total amount requested: $13,000.
Principal Investigator. Shifting from 'What's Wrong?' to 'What's Strong?' in Assessment at School: A Preliminary Validation Study of the Character Strength Usage Profile for Students. Funding Source: Society for the Study of School Psychology. Status: Funded. Duration of funding: February 2022 to January 31, 2023. Total amount requested: $5,000.
Grant Writer and Research Assistant. Grow2Give Using Nature to Support Undergraduate Students Well-Being. Funding Source: University of Connecticut School of Business. Status: Funded. Duration of funding: June 2021 to August 2021. Total amount requested: $5,000.
Selected Presentations
Trudel, S. M. (2024, July 24). The power of nature-based play: Enhancing early childhood development and creativity. [Keynote]. Knowledge, Innovation, & Enterprise Conference, 5th Annual Kaufman Family Research Symposium, Rome, Italy.
Trudel, S. M. (2024, March 5). Understanding educator wellbeing in Connecticut: Updates on the total teacher health project [Presentation]. Collaboratory on School and Child Health, Hartford, CT.
Trudel, S. M. & Winter, E. L. (2023, February 7-10). Measuring character strength usage: Development and implications of the CSUP-S [Conference session]. National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention, Denver, CO.
Winter, E. L., Trudel, S. M., & Bray, M. A. (2023, February 7-10). Consultation in classroom management: Utilizing prevention and mind-body health strategies [Conference session]. National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention, Denver, CO.
Trudel, S. M., Winter, E. L., Minkos, M. (2022, February 15-18). Cultivating community through universal behavior supports in an alternative setting [Conference session]. National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention, Boston, MA.
Trudel, S. M., Arteaga, A., Sanetti, L. M. H., Dineen, J., & Vollmer, M. (2022, February 15-18). Cognitive interviewing to increase comprehension of fidelity of self-report measures [Conference session]. National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention, Boston, MA.
Bray, M. A., Winter, E. L., Theordore, E., Maykel, C., Sassu, K., Tiarks, J., & Trudel, S. M. (2022, February 15-18). Growing your mind-body health toolkit: Exploration of eleven MBH interventions [Conference session]. National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention, Boston, MA.
Trudel, S. M. (2021, July 15-17). Learn it, live it: Developing the 5 layers of teacher flourishing [Conference session]. 7th World Congress on Positive Psychology, Virtual Conference.
Trudel, S. M. (2019, July 18-21). The positive adolescent: Applying a developmental perspective utilizing positive psychology to enhance adolescent wellbeing in culturally diverse student populations [Poster presentation]. 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology, Melbourne, Australia
Trudel, S. M. (2019, July 18-21) The resilience remedy: Defying trauma and adversity through education [Conference session]. 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology, Melbourne, Australia
Awards and Honors
University of Connecticut's Neag School of Education, Vernon and Elizabeth Brown Fund Award, 2022
University of Connecticut's Neag School of Education, Vivienne Dean Litt Fund Award, 2022
Society for the Study of School Psychology Dissertation Grant, 2021
The Hemera Foundation, Hemera Fellowship Award for Mindfulness Studies, 2020
Connecticut Association of School Psychology, School Psychology Intern of the Year, 2019
International Positive Psychology Association Student Scholarship, 2019 World Congress on Positive Psychology, 2019
University of Hartford, David D. Komisar Award for Greatest Contribution to the Psychology Department by a Master's Level Student, 2017
