Southern Miss School of Psychology Earns 100 Percent Placement for Ph.D. Match Day

Wed, 05/20/2026 - 01:36pm

Three cohorts of doctoral students within The University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Psychology applied, interviewed and were matched with pre-doctoral psychology internships readying them for life beyond the classroom. These nationally coveted internship placements, facilitated by the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) online match program, serve as the final stage of the Ph.D. psychology program.

The pre-doctoral internship provides clinical, counseling and school psychology students with specialized on-site training at partner institutions across the country. The highly competitive nature of the program meant that this year, there were only 3,978 residency positions available for the 4,480 psychology students applying from universities nationwide.

One hundred percent of Southern Miss students who applied were successfully matched. Students learn if they were selected for a placement on Match Day, which takes place annually each spring with the start dates for most internships beginning in July.

“The School of Psychology’s consistently high pre-doctoral internship match rate is a clear indicator of the exceptional quality of training provided in our applied psychology doctoral programs,” said Dr. Melanie Leuty, director of the School of Psychology. “Faculty provide outstanding mentorship in research and scholarship, ensuring that students develop strong analytical and scientific skills alongside the development of their clinical competencies. As a result, our graduates get selected for highly competitive pre-doctoral internships and enter these internships and our profession well-prepared to deliver evidence-based care."

Southern Miss provides rigorous and immersive clinical preparation and hands-on practice through the Center for Behavioral Health (CBH), an on-campus training clinic, and offers quality practicum placements with local agency partners across the state.

Lily Hammer, a clinical psychology student, matched with the Minneapolis VA. She said one of her main reasons for attending Southern Miss was the exceptional training provided by the CBH and professionally licensed faculty.

“I have felt very supported by faculty in my independent research and professional development,” said Hammer. “This training allowed me to develop research and clinical skills that made me a competitive applicant for pre-doctoral internship programs, resulting in a successful match.”

Southern Miss students have regularly matched with Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, university medical centers, counseling centers, public school districts, community mental health centers and private practices.

“Receiving that email was the culmination and validation of years of hard work in academic study, clinical training and research,” said Nikkie Bailey, a counseling psychology doctoral student who matched with Eastern Oklahoma VA. “Match Day was one of the most rewarding and exciting high-stakes moments of my life. My training and experiences at Southern Miss have played a defining role in shaping who I am as an emerging psychologist, which gave me exactly what I came here looking for, exactly what I needed and more.”

“I was able to develop promising application materials that provided insight into my journey as a doctoral student at USM,” said Kaylee McKinney, a school psychology doctoral student who matched with the University of Arizona Psych Internship Consortium. “I am immensely grateful to be continuing my journey ‘To The Top’ within the beautiful state of Arizona and hope to continue making a positive difference.”

The 2026 student residencies include:

Clinical Psychology:

• Kendall Beals, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, General Mental Health-Serious Mental Illness Track
• Kylee Behringer, Case Western Reserve University/Counseling Services, Psychology Internship
• Emily Cordova, Monterey County Behavioral Health, Psychology Internship
• Akila Gopalkrishnan, Indiana University School of Medicine, Child/Pediatric Track
• Lily Hammer, Minneapolis VA Healthcare System, Standard Track
• Cassi Springfield, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Serious Mental Illness Track

Counseling Psychology:

• Nikkie Bailey, Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System
• Mallory Lastrapes, James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, General Internship Track
• Lindsey Ostermiller, VA Western New York Healthcare System, Health Psychology Track
• Summer Steely, Center for Behavioral Medicine, Forensic Assessment and Treatment

School Psychology:

• Mikaela Anderson, High Plains Psychology Internship Consortium, Greeley-Evans District 6
• Jordan Etherington, Autism Assessment & Outpatient Services
• Brittany Garza, Franciscan Children's Behavioral Health Services, Neurodevelopmental Track
• Kaylee McKinney, University of Arizona Psych Internship Consortium, Tucson Unified School District
• Lourdes Rodriguez, High Plains Psychology Internship Consortium, Educational Service Unit #13
• Amarah Sweaks, Nebraska Internship Consortium, Boys Town Omaha Child/Adolescent Outpatient Track

Learn more about the Southern Miss School of Psychology and its programs.