← Home
Education
B.S., Psychology · Minors in Anthropology & Business Administration
GPA: 3.86 · Dean's List 2021–2025
Current Position
Affective Science Lab · The Ohio State University
Advisor: Dr. Kristen Lindquist
See active research projects on my Projects page →
Past Positions
Life Story Lab · University of Florida
Advisor: Dr. Susan Bluck
See related work on my Projects page →
Cognition and Decision Modeling Lab · University of Florida
Advisor: Dr. Peter Kvam
Crisis & Clinical Experience
Hotline Operator & Care Team Associate
Volunteered on 24-hour emergency crisis and suicide hotline, including crisis intervention, de-escalation, and safety planning.
As a Care Team Associate (100+ hours), provided on-site mental health support in collaboration with local law enforcement and inpatient facilities.
Education Committee Member · Trained in Talk Saves Lives presentation program
Publications & Book Chapters
Cogdill-Richardson, K., Whitacre, K., & Bluck, S. Looking Back at the Life Lived: Shaping the Final Story for Family. Applied Cognitive Psychology. [Accepted]
Lindquist, K. A., Whitacre, K., & Shablack, H. The Intersection of Language and Emotion Across Early Development. In V. LoBue, K. Perez-Edgar, & K. Buss (Eds.), Handbook of Emotion Development: Advances in Theory, Research, and Practice. Springer. [Under Review]
Posters & Presentations
*Whitacre, K., Feldman, M., Bonar, A., Ma, R., Lindquist, K. (2026). Examining Emotion Malleability Beliefs as a Moderator on Associations between Early Life Maltreatment and Poor Sleep. Society for Affective Science Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA.
*Cogdill-Richardson, K., Whitacre, K., Bluck, S (2026). Shaping a Final Life Story for Family. Institute for Learning in Retirement, Gainesville, FL
*Whitacre, K., Cogdill-Richardson, K., & Bluck, S. (2025). Dignity Therapy for Older Cancer Patients: The Role of Early Life Stressors. UF Cancer Center Research Showcase, Gainesville, FL.
*Whitacre, K., Cogdill-Richardson, K., & Bluck, S. (2025). Dignity Therapy for Older Adults: Revisiting Early Life Stressors. Institute for Learning in Retirement / UF Aging Science Awards, Gainesville, FL.
Outstanding Undergraduate Student Poster Award
*Whitacre, K., Cogdill-Richardson, K., & Bluck, S. (2025). Dignity Therapy for Older Adults: Revisiting Early Life Stressors. PGSO Undergraduate Poster Forum, Gainesville, FL.
Invited Talks
*Whitacre, K. (June 2026). Mechanisms of Dignity Therapy. Lunch and Learn invited speaker (CME Accredited), Palliative Care, UF Health.
*Whitacre, K. (June 2025). Dignity Therapy. Invited speaker, Medical/Health Psychology Seminar, University of Florida Clinical and Health Psychology Department.
* denotes presenting author
Software & Open Source
Primary Developer
An open-source framework designed to streamline the creation, deployment, and management of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) protocols. Currently in internal testing phase.
Research & Technical Skills
Narrative Research Methods
Content Analysis
Research Design
Qualitative Transcript Analysis
R
Python
SPSS
Data Visualization
Certifications
988 Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention
HIPAA Privacy & Research Training
IRB Training
FERPA Basics
Cultural Competency Training
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
Human Subjects Protection (HSP)
Honors & Awards
Institute for Learning in Retirement / UF Aging Science Awards