DYSCover Our Members
Dr. Leanna Closson
Lab Director
Dr. Leanna Closson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Saint Mary’s University. She received her B.A. Honours in Psychology from the University of Saskatchewan, her M.A. in Psychology from Carleton University, and her Ph.D. in Human Development, Learning, and Culture from the University of British Columbia. Her research explores the development of social competence in youth, with a focus on peer relationships. Her past and current research is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). She is a member of national and international bullying research networks (PREVNet and BRNet), and is also a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Youth and Adolescence. Dr. Closson teaches courses in developmental psychology, including a 4th year undergraduate seminar on peer relationships. She enjoys mentoring her students, and was presented the 2019 Feminist Mentoring Award at the Canadian Psychological Association's 80th Annual Convention. Since childhood, Dr. Closson has had a love for travel and learning about other cultures. Having lived coast-to-coast across Canada, she now has fun exploring Canada’s Atlantic Provinces and traveling abroad.
Rita Jabbour
Honours Student
Rita is a fourth year psychology student at Saint Mary’s University, completing her Honours Thesis in the DYSC lab under the supervision of Dr. Leanna Closson. Her thesis focuses on the association between romantic relational aggression and victimisation in emerging adulthood and sense of agency. Rita is passionate about promoting healthy relationships and mental wellbeing in adolescents and emerging adults, and is eager to expand the literature on these causes. Outside of the lab, she can be found working as a teaching assistant in the Psychology Department, and running The SMU Journal. Rita enjoys reading, writing, hiking, and dancing. After graduating from Mary’s University in the Spring of 2024, she plans on continuing her education to become a clinical psychologist.
Lori Rodenhiser
Honours Student
Lori is a fourth-year psychology student at Saint Mary's University. She is completing her thesis on resource control in emerging adulthood as it relates to prestige and ambition, under the supervision of Dr. Leanna Closson. Aside from her thesis, she is currently contributing to research projects on literacy and lie detection. When she is not in class or working on research, she enjoys working at the SMU Global Learning and Intercultural Learning Office. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, baking, and spending time with friends and family. After graduating from Saint Mary's, she plans on working in a related field before continuing her education to complete a Master's degree in school psychology.
Sally McGhee
Honours Student
Sally is a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts psychology student graduating in 2024 at Saint Mary’s University. She is currently working on her Honours Thesis in the DYSC lab under Dr. Leanna Closson’s supervision. Her thesis explores bistrategic resource control in emerging adulthood and its association with well-being and self-efficacy. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering, going to the gym, being outdoors, and traveling. She volunteers as a friendly caller for individuals facing disabilities and mental health challenges, and at the QEII, she engages in one-on-one conversations with veterans and helps them play bingo. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in occupational therapy or speech-language pathology.
Michelle MacNeily
Honours Student
Michelle is a fourth-year psychology honours student completing her thesis in the DYSC Lab. Her current research explores prosocial behaviour as a potential protective factor against relational victimization in emerging adults living in Canada. She has a strong passion for improving the quality of life in victimized individuals and those living with mental illness and trauma. During her studies she has been a volunteer at the IWK Health Centre and had the privilege of joining the patient experience team at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences. Following graduation, she could see a career in Clinical Psychology or in the medical field. When Michelle is not in the lab, you can find her at the gym, watching The Bachelor(ette), walking her dog and spending time with friends and family.
