Panelists
Darla Bonagura
Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant
Social Perception and Cognition Lab
University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Darla is a fourth-year doctoral student who earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Critical Sexualities Studies from Rutgers University. She received her M.A. at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville assessing how lingusitic framing of sexual assault survivors contributed to beliefs about their culpability. She is interested in how stereotypes and cognitive biases influence prejudice and discrimination towards individuals based on their gender and sexual orientation.
Eliza Stanley
Graduate Teaching Associate, COUN 480
Editorial Assistant — Career Development Quarterly (CDQ)
Counselor Intern – Counselor Training Clinic (CTC)
PhD Student – Counselor Education
University of Tennessee – Knoxville
Eliza Stanley, M.Ed., NCC, is a Counselor Education Ph.D. student at the University of Tennessee. She holds a Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Auburn University, and she is a nationally certified counselor. Throughout her career, she has provided counseling services in diverse settings, including correctional facilities, college counseling centers, and school-based environments. Currently, Eliza serves as the editorial assistant for Career Development Quarterly, and she is a research assistant in the Counseling for Access, Resilience, and Equity (CARE) Lab. In addition to her research role, she teaches Counseling 480: Skills in Counseling. She serves as the Public Relations and Marketing Chair for Upsilon Theta, a counseling honor society, and as a social media chair member for the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision.
Vardaan Dua
Graduate Assistant Therapist, UT Psychological Clinic
Doctoral Student, Counseling Psychology
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Vardaan Dua is a 4th year Counseling Psychology Ph.D. student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Prior to starting his graduate training, Vardaan earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park. At UTK, Vardaan works under the supervision of Dr. Dawn Szymanski. Vardaan's research focuses on individual, interpersonal, and institutional factors that shape identity development and psychological well-being for multiple minority individuals. Most of Vardaan's research work has been centered around the experiences of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and/or immigrants/international students. Vardaan hopes to utilize his research to inform systemic change and structural support for minority individuals. Outside of research, Vardaan finds deep meaning in the therapeutic work he gets to do with his clients. Through Vardaan's practicum experiences at UTK, he has been able to provide individual therapy, group therapy, facilitate identity-based support groups, case management, crisis services, and participate in outreach and community interventions. In the therapy room, Vardaan enjoys working with social identity-related concerns, relationship issues, family-of-origin dynamics, cultural adjustment, trauma, depression, anxiety, and grief. In Vardaan's free time, you can catch him spending time with his two cats (Gossip and Mischief), trying TikTok recipes, exploring local coffee shops/restaurants, streaming Taylor Swift, and planning regular trips to Target/Trader Joe’s.
Ryn Turner
Graduate Student, College of Social Work
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Ryn (They/Them) is a former alumni and current graduate student in UTK's MSSW program. They are working towards an LCSW so that they can serve LGBTQ+ community members of all ages.
