cdrew123@live.unc.

edu
CHRISTIAN D. WHEAT (336) 442-7160
EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA at Chapel Hill May 2021
Human Development and Family Studies (B.A.Ed. with Honors), Psychology (B.A.), GPA 3.83
• Dean’s List Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019

EXPERIENCE
CRISIS TEXT LINE – Chapel Hill, NC May 2020 – Present
Crisis Counselor
• Support individuals in crisis through text by using active listening, collaborative problem solving, and safety planning
• Empower texters to explore and describe their situation while working with them to develop coping skills unique to them
• Collaboratively develop and implement unique safety plans for texters who were are at imminent risk of suicide
• De-escalate individuals who were in high states of emotional distress and experiencing panic attacks by conducting grounding
exercises over text
• Cultivated a new understating of best practices for assisting individuals with depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicidal thoughts,
panic attacks, and other crises and mental health issues

CLASSROOM MEMORY STUDY – Chapel Hill, NC August 2019 – May 2020

Research Assistant
• Assisted an ongoing research project that examines the socialization of children’s memory and cognition in the context of the
elementary school classroom
• Scored, analyzed, and coded data from video recordings of children’s memory assessments
• Administered varying memory and intelligence tests to local elementary school children and recorded their responses
• Collaborated with undergraduates and distinguished professors in weekly discussions surrounding the relationship between a
child’s cognitive skills, academic achievement, and their social context
• Acquired a new understanding of how to effectively manage and contribute to a human-studies research lab

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY COMMUNITY CLINIC – Chapel Hill, NC September 2018 – May 2019
Research Assistant
• Directly contributed to Dr. Deborah Jones’ study on treatment outcomes for children with behavioral problems in low-
income and at-risk families
• Cooperated with a team of undergraduates to analyze and code data from recordings of family therapy sessions
• Engaged in weekly discussions regarding experimental techniques to reduce problem behavior in children
• Demonstrated time management skills and self-discipline by completing individual data analysis work outside of the lab
• Closely analyzed recordings of therapy sessions in order to code parent’s effectiveness in implementing new strategies
• Attained first-hand experience with experimental child therapy and the ethics behind family experimenting

PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Broadening the Perceptions of the Home Literacy Environment through a Digital Intervention Fall 2020 – Present
Honors Thesis, UNC School of Education, Defense in Spring 2021
• Partnered with Dr. Kathryn Leech to complete an Honors Thesis on the effectiveness of broadening parental perceptions of
the home literacy environment in low-income households
• Designed a unique coding scheme to label and organize qualitative parental responses for activities in their home literacy
environment

The Effect of a Resilience Intervention on the Memory of Children Experiencing Adversity Fall 2019 – Spring 2020
Independent Research
• Completed a thorough literature review surrounding the lasting effects of early childhood adversity on memory, cognition,
executive functioning, and school performance
• Applied research from the literature review to propose the implementation of a resilience building intervention for children
living with domestic violence to assuage the effects of early adversity on memory

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• Proficient in Qualtrics, SPSS, Excel, and TypeScript/Java • Psychological First Aid Certified
• Microsoft Word and PowerPoint Certified • Co-occurring Disorders: IDD and Mental Illness Certified
• Intermediate knowledge of Spanish • Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Certified