Faculty Spotlights

EDUCATION:

• Ph.D., Counselor Education, Florida Atlantic University
• M.Ed., Counselor Education, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, Florida Atlantic University
• B.S., Counseling Psychology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

TITLES:

• Assistant Professor, Department of Counselor Education, specialization in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling

RESEARCH:

• Outcome research on clinical rehabilitation counseling interventions
• Motivational interviewing
• Community integration for veterans with disabilities
• Youth with disabilities transitioning to adulthood

RECENT PUBLICATIONS (PAST YEAR):

• Torres, A., Juhnke, G., Canfield, B., Gomez-Escudero, A., & Ramírez, A. (2021). Empowering Families to Address Suicide in Rural Colombia. The Family Journal, 29(2), 220–226. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480720986493
• *Downey A., Torres A., Kearney K., Brady M., *Katz J. (2021). Teaching Virtual Job Interview Skills to College Students with Intellectual Disability. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals. https://doi.org/10.1177/2165143421989408
• Torres, A., Kearney, K. B., Brady, M. P., *Wood, J., & *Katz, J. (2021). Using a literacy-based behavioral intervention to teach job interviewing skills to adults with intellectual disability. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.3233/JVR-201127
• Joseph, B., Kearney, K. B., Brady, M. P., *Downey, A., & Torres, A. (2020). Teaching Small Talk: Increasing On-Topic Conversational Exchanges in College Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Using Remote Audio Coaching. Behavior Modification. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445520975174

NOTABLE AWARDS (LAST FIVE YEARS):

2020-2021	Researcher of the Year, Assistant Professor	Florida Atlantic University, College of Education
2017-2018	Outstanding Dissertation Award	Florida Atlantic University, College of Education

RECENT PROJECTS:

• Torres, Ayse (Principal Investigator). Funding Award, Research. Operation Red-White-Blue: Building PCOR Competencies of Veterans and Mental Health Providers. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Awards.

THOUGHTS TO SHARE:

The underlying theme of my research encompasses life transition counseling among vulnerable populations. Throughout our lives, we experience many transitions; some are predictable, such as transitioning out of school, entering into adult life, and some are unpredictable, such as acquiring a physical or mental disability due to a traumatic accident. There are also major transitions that impact communities at large, but are not well-understood, such as military veterans’ reintegration into civilian life. Adaptation to changes can be challenging and may lead to less than optimal mental health, which is detrimental to the individuals’ wellbeing. Appropriate rehabilitation services to help prepare individuals for change or adaptation are critical, especially for individuals with disabilities and their families.

My research has evolved in the following areas: youth with disabilities entering into workforce, veterans reintegrating into civilian life, and community-based programs for suicide prevention.

Recently, I partnered with colleagues at FAU Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing to understand our military veterans’ mental health challenges. As a result of our collaborative efforts, we received a $250,000 funding award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). As a Principal Investigator in this project, I lead teams to develop a veteran-centered, community-engaged, mental health research agenda.

For more information about this award, please visit: https://www.pcori.org/research-results/2021/operation-red-white-blue-building-pcor-competencies-veterans-and-mental-health

I am delighted to be selected as a featured person for this episode of faculty spotlight, and I would like to express my gratitude to all of my colleagues and students at FAU.