Amanda B. Nickerson

Amanda Nickerson, PhD, NCSP, is a Professor and Director of the Dr. Jean M. Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Dr. Nickerson’s research focuses on school crisis prevention and intervention, with a particular emphasis on violence and bullying. She has examined the role of schools, parents, and peers in preventing violence and enhancing the social-emotional strengths of children and adolescents. Dr. Nickerson is the lead author of Assessing, Identifying, and Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at School (2009, Springer), co-author of School Crisis Prevention and Intervention: The PREPaRE Model (2009, 2016, National Association of School Psychologists [NASP]), and co-editor of Handbook of School Violence and School Safety: International Research and Practice, 2nd Edition (2012, Routledge), and co-author of Lockdown Drills: Connecting Research and Best Practices (2022, MIT Press). She has published over 130 journal articles and book chapters. Her research has been funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, the National Institutes of Health, the American Educational Research Association, the NYS Office of Child and Family Services, The Committee for Children, and the NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.

Dr. Nickerson is a fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 16) and is Coordinator of Research for the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) School Safety and Crisis Prevention Committee. She has served as associate editor of the Journal of School Violence, on the executive board of the New York Association of School Psychologists, and as a member of Governor Cuomo’s Suicide Prevention Task Force. Dr. Nickerson is a member of several editorial boards (Journal of School Psychology, School Psychology Review, International Journal of Bullying Prevention). Dr. Nickerson has received numerous awards for her work, including the NASP Presidential Award, the UB Exceptional Scholar: Sustained Achievement Award, the UB President's Medal, the NASP Crisis Management Interest Group Award for Excellence, the STAR Research Award from the UB’s Graduate School of Education, and Reviewer of the Year from the Journal of School Psychology. She has conducted hundreds of media interviews with outlets including NBC News, ABC News, CNN, Huffington Post, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Public Radio, MSN News, Time, USA Today, and US News and World Report.

A licensed psychologist in New York state and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, Dr. Nickerson is committed to the scientist-practitioner model of training. She views research and science as foundational to good practice, and helps practitioners use this knowledge to guide practice. Dr. Nickerson has conducted hundreds of presentations for educators and mental health professionals in the United States and other countries. She has also worked in close collaboration with schools and other child-serving agencies to guide them in using data to inform practice, particularly related to improving social-emotional and behavioral functioning and preventing bullying and violence. Graduate students are frequently co-authors and have many opportunities to engage in activities to further their professional development. She is particularly enthusiastic to mentor students who wish to pursue careers in academia as faculty members.

• PhD, University of South Carolina (2002)
• MA, University of South Carolina (1999)
• BA, Bates College (1994)

• Member, Society for the Study of School Psychology; Society for the Study of School Psychology; 2023-08-03;
• Tom Oakland Mid-Career Scholarship Award; American Psychological Association Division 16; 2020-08-08;
• President's Medal; University at Buffalo; 2019-05-17;
• Exceptional Scholar: Sustained Achievement Award; University at Buffalo; 2018-11-01;
• Catalyst Scholar; School Psychology Research Collaboration Conference, Society for the Study of School Psychology; 2017-08-01;

• Schildkraut, J., & Nickerson, A. B. (2022). Lockdown drills: Connecting research and best practices for school administrators, teachers, and parents. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

• Fredrick, S., Nickerson, A. B., & Livingston, J. (2022). Adolescent social media use: Pitfalls and promises in relation to cybervictimization, friend support, and depression. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 51, 361-376. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01561-6
• Nickerson, A. B., Jenkins, L. N., Bellavia, G. M., Manges, M. E., Livingston, J. A., & Feeley, T. H. (2022). The role of personal and perceived peer norms in bullying and sexual harassment perpetration. School Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000498
• Schildkraut, J., & Nickerson, A. B. (2022). Effects of lockdown drills on students’ fear, perceived risk, and use of avoidance behaviors: A quasi-experimental study. Criminal Justice Policy Review. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.22030
• Nickerson, A. B., Randa, R., Jimerson, S., & Guerra, N. (2021). Safe places to learn: Advances in school safety research and practice. School Psychology Review, 50, 158-171. doi: 10.1080/2372966X.2021.1871948

• Nickerson, A. B. (2022, August). Bystander intervention training. Presented to Buffalo Jewish Federation youth leaders, Park School, Amherst, NY.;
• Nickerson, A. B. (2022, November). Violence toward self and others: Best practices for assessing risk and promoting safety for youth [webinar]. Suicide Prevention Coalition of Long Island.;

• Casella, J. N., & Nickerson, A. B. (2023, February).?Bullying and social norms’ relationship with perceptions of school climate. Poster presented at the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention, Denver, CO.;
• Marcus, R., Ivanova, M. Y., Godleski, S., Nickerson, A., Ostrov, J., Schuetze, P., & Eiden, R. D. (2022, June). Role of caregiver pre- to postnatal substance use and early adolescent peer processes on late adolescent substance use. Poster presented at the Society for Prevention Research Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA;
• Sun, L., Casella, J. N., Harrison, D. S., Nickerson, A. B., & Manges, M. E. (2023, February).?Sexual harassment experiences based on gender and ethnicity in adolescents. Poster presented at the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention, Denver, CO.;

• Creating Upstanders: The Development of Norms And Bystander Intervention Training (NAB IT!) to Reduce Bullying and Sexual Harassment; Federal; Institute for Education Sciences; Awarded; (07/01/2019-12/31/2023)
• Multi-media peer-to-peer abuse prevention; State; New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council; Awarded; (04/01/2018-09/30/2019)
• Randomized controlled trial of Second Step Child Protection Unit.; Foundation and Research Organization; Committee for Children; Awarded; (05/01/2017-12/31/2020)
• TeachLivE™: Enhancing Pedagogical Practice within a Simulated Environment; Local; University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education; Awarded; (09/01/2016-05/30/2017)
• Evaluation of Second Step family videos to promote child personal safety; Foundation and Research Organization; Committee for Children; Awarded; (10/01/2015-12/31/2016)

• National Institutes of Health, Risk, Prevention, and Health Behavior Special Emphasis Panel/Scientific Review Group, Small Business Grant
  04/15/2021-07/14/2021

• Co-Chair, National Association of School Psychologists’ Position Statement on School Violence Revision Workgroup
  04/30/2022-05/31/2023
• Grant reviewer, National Institutes of Health, Risk, Prevention, and Health Behavior Special Emphasis Panel/Scientific Review Group, Small Business Grant
  03/03/2020-04/02/2020
• Member, Mental Health Association of New York State Bullying Prevention Committee
  02/01/2020-09/01/2020
• Expert panelist, Mental Health First Aid USA (National Council for Behavioral Health) and the Born this Way Foundation School Violence Prevention: What Adolescents Need to Know to Help a Friend
  03/01/2019-05/24/2019

• Contributing Editor; NASP Communiqué
  09/01/2022-12/31/2023
• Guest Editor, Special Issue on COVID-19 Impact; School Psychology
  05/15/2020-09/15/2021
• Guest Editor, Special Issue on School Violence and School Safety; School Psychology Review
  05/01/2020-08/30/2021