Amie Grills, a faculty member in the Counseling Psychology program and an associate dean for faculty affairs at BU Wheelock, was promoted to professor. A licensed clinical psychologist and researcher, Grills specializes in anxiety, trauma, and depression (particularly in children), as well as the development and evaluation of cognitive-behavioral assessments and interventions, including those conducted using web-based designs. Her work has examined the roles of peer, familial, and academic variables on the development of youth anxiety and depression.

Grills conducts research on risk and resiliency factors of individuals of all ages following traumatic events. Her current work includes an NIH/NICHD-funded project investigating the impact of socioemotional difficulties on young children’s academic achievement and the influence of these difficulties for children involved in a multi-tiered response to intervention program for reading disabilities. She is co-investigator on an NIH/NIMH-funded multi-site project that is examining a therapist-facilitated online intervention program for female college rape victims.

Grills frequently publishes and presents on topics related to her research. She is also the author of the book, Phobic and Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents. She has received awards from the American Psychological Society, Anxiety Disorders Association of America, and the Association for the Advancement of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, including selection as a 2011 American Psychological Society Rising Star.