A&M-Commerce is an ideal place for students to receive a world-class education while gaining close relationships with faculty.
Kendra Saunders, Ph.D. Assistant Professor/Program Coordinator
- Faculty
Kendra Saunders was born and raised in Florida. Following her graduation, she began teaching kindergarten. During this experience, she made the decision to pursue a doctoral degree in school psychology at the University of Florida. For the first year of her postdoctoral training, she worked in a K-12 setting providing various psychological services to students enrolled at the University of Florida's PK Yonge Developmental Research School in Gainesville, FL. The second year of her postdoctoral training as a pediatric psychology fellow took place at Nemours Children's Hospital in Jacksonville, FL. There, she completed inpatient mental health consultations working with medical doctors and served as a member of the pediatric pain management team as well as the oncology care team.
Saunders moved to Texas in August 2021 to accept her first teaching position as an assistant professor at A&M-Commerce. Her hope is that her research will provide better access to quality mental health services for all students, which often begins with addressing negative attitudes about mental health. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching vintage tv shows, listening to entertainment podcasts, and baking.
A Conversation with Dr. Saunders
What would you tell a student who is thinking about attending A&M-Commerce?
“A&M-Commerce is an ideal place for students to receive a world-class education while gaining close relationships with faculty. Despite its small size, A&M Commerce offers students opportunities to contribute to research projects as well spearhead projects of their own, with the support of faculty. These opportunities are key for graduate students interested in pursuing a doctoral degree. Additionally, the school psychology program, in particular, works to meet the needs of a combination of traditional and non-traditional students who want to become school psychologists (LSSPs) including current educational diagnosticians who would like to make that transition.”
What draws you to your discipline?
“School psychology is a field that combines my two passions—education and psychology. My interest in school psychology began when I worked as an kindergarten teacher. During that time, I witnessed first-hand the incredible influence certain coping strategies had on my students. This experience propelled me into my studies in school psychology. It also fueled my drive to continue assisting students in reaching their full potential by supporting the whole child — emotionally, behaviorally, and academically. This formed the basis for my research interests. That passion continues today.”
Educational Background
- Ph.D., School Psychology, University of Florida, 2019
- M.Ed., School Psychology, University of Florida, 2017
- B.A., Psychology, University of North Florida, 2011
Academic Positions
- Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2021-Present
- Pediatric Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow, Nemours Children's Hospital, 2020-2021
- School Psychology Postdoctoral Associate, PK Yonge Developmental Research School, 2019-2020
Research Interests
- Mental health attitudes of teachers, parents, and students
- Culturally responsive school-based mental health services
- Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) for school-based mental health services
- School and community-based supports for student mental health services
- The intersection of multimedia supports and dyslexia among college students
Professional Organizations
- National Association of School Psychologists
- Trainers of School Psychologists
- American Psychological Association, Division 16
Selected Publications