Carrie Jackson

Dr. Carrie Jackson serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences & Counseling at Youngstown State University (YSU), where she has been faculty since 2015. After joining as full-time term faculty, she transitioned to a tenure-track position in 2021 while maintaining active clinical practice in school psychology across multiple Western Pennsylvania districts. Her 20+ year career combines academic leadership with direct service to students with autism spectrum disorder and low-incidence disabilities.

Her educational credentials include:

• EdD in School Psychology (2013) from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with neuropsychology concentration, dissertation: "Examination of the Training of School Psychologists in Post-Secondary Transition Practices"
• Applied Behavior Analysis certification (2005) from Penn State University
• MS (2001) and BS (2000) in School Psychology/Psychology from California University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Jackson's research aggressively confronts systemic inequities through post-secondary transition frameworks for disabled students, autism spectrum disorder interventions, and social justice praxis in educational settings. Her work interrogates how training of school psychologists can dismantle barriers through behavior analysis and neuropsychology, demanding equity and inclusion at institutional levels while developing concrete assessment tools for marginalized populations.

Analysis of her 11 publications (2018-2024) reveals three dominant trajectories: 1) Critical examinations of poverty perceptions and social justice implementation in urban universities; 2) Rigorous reviews of assessment instruments like the Kohlman Evaluation of Living Skills; 3) Action-oriented scholarship on diversity committee operations and leadership theories in multilingual education. Her output consistently bridges clinical practice with structural advocacy.

Her professional recognition includes:

• 2022 National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Faculty Sponsor Champion for transformative program leadership

Dr. Jackson mentors through YSU's school psychology program while establishing the Rich Center for Autism Child Study Clinic. She actively shapes national discourse as an NSF grant reviewer and through committee leadership in NASP, Pennsylvania's Gifted Advisory Committee, and the Behavior Analyst Certification Board – turning theoretical frameworks into actionable equity protocols.

Her current initiative developing the Child Study Clinic with the Rich Center for Autism creates a dual-purpose hub: training graduate candidates in evidence-based autism assessment while delivering desperately needed community evaluations and professional development across Northeast Ohio.