UB Alberti Center Newsletter

Image of three young children wearing superhero costumes and capes standing on top of a hill with their arms stretched high

News & Updates

Summer 2026 | Volume 15: Issue 2

Upcoming Events

Check out all upcoming events hosted by both the UB Alberti Center and Graduate School of Education!

Out and About in the Community & Beyond

The Alberti Center team offers in-person, virtual, and hybrid events upon request. These are just some of the events we have participated in or provided over the past few months:

April

From bystanders to defenders: Effectiveness of bystander intervention training on reducing bullying aggression. Presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Adolescence. Toronto, Canada.

Cyberbullying and implications for Artificial Intelligence (AI). Faculty spotlight presentation for University at Buffalo Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (IAD) Days.

May

Bullying prevention and intervention. Workshop presented at the Great Lakes Homeland Security Training Conference and Expo. Grand Rapids, MI.

Norms and bystander intervention training (NAB IT!): Development and evaluation. Presentation at The Society for Prevention Research (SPR) Annual Meeting. Washington, DC.

June

Bullying intervention. Workshop presented at Sonoma County of Education. Sonoma County, CA.

Promoting digital citizenship: Clarence Middle School/Alberti Center Partnership. Presentation for Clarence Central School District's Family Support Center. Clarence, NY.

NYSED Dignity for All Students Act Training

Updated session dates for the New York State Education Department Dignity for All Students Act (NYSED DASA) training workshop for teacher certification are currently available through September, 2026, on our website here.

The cost of the training is $75.00, and is available at a discounted rate of $50.00 for University at Buffalo faculty and students.

The course is offered fully online in two parts. Part One is self-paced and asynchronous, while Part Two is "live" with interactive instruction via Zoom.

Link to DASA training workshop information.

Save the Date - Alberti Center Annual Conference

Room view of attendees at 2025 Annual Conference

Photo from 2025 Alberti Center Conference

Mark your calendars now! The 2026 Annual Conference, will take place on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Classics V Banquet Center in Amherst, NY.

This year’s conference, Shared Voices: Youth and Community Participatory Approaches to Preventing Violence and Promoting Wellness, will highlight the importance of engaging youth and community partners in prevention research and initiatives.

Our morning keynote will be presented by Dr. Stephen Leff, psychologist in the Departments of Pediatrics and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and co-director of the Center for Violence Prevention at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The morning will also feature a panel of youth participants from BAND Against Bullying, who will share their perspectives and experiences.

Following lunch, attendees will have the opportunity to choose from breakout sessions including representatives from the National Federation for Just Communities of WNY, Prevention Council of Erie County, Supporting Mental Health and Resources Together (SMART) Collaborative, Youth MOVE National, and Dr. Katherine Leigh-Osroosh.

We anticipate opening registration in the coming weeks, so stay tuned and keep an eye on our conference page for additional announcements. We are also currently seeking sponsors to help support this important event. If you or your organization is interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact Brie Kishel for more information.

Headshots of Drs. Amy Hequembourg and Jennifer Livingston

2026-27 Virtual

Colloquium Series

We are pleased to announce the return of our Virtual Colloquium Series for the 2026–27 academic year. The series brings together researchers and practitioners to share and discuss important topics related to bullying prevention, youth well-being, and the development of safe and supportive environments for young people.

The first presentation of the new series will take place on Thursday, September 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. ET. Drs. Amy Hequembourg and Jennifer Livingston from the University at Buffalo School of Nursing will present their research on Beyond risk: Protective factors for LGBTQ+ youth following peer victimization.

Registration is now open through our events page. We encourage educators, school professionals, researchers, students, and community members to join us for this timely and important conversation.

Drs. Amanda Nickerson, Kay Huang, Lucia Sun, Jay'ana King and

Stephanie Fredrick

Congratulations to our 2026 Graduates

The Alberti Center proudly congratulates three members of our student team who earned their doctoral degrees this year!

Kay Huang, PhD, will begin a postdoctoral fellowship at Nowlogy in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jay’ana King, PhD, will begin her new role as a Psychology Resident/Assistant Professor (non-teaching) at West Chester University Counseling Center, in West Chester, Pennsylvania. And Lucia Sun, PhD, will begin a postdoctoral fellowship with Family Service of the Chautauqua Region, in Jamestown, NY.

We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and grateful for the contributions they have made to the Alberti Center through their research, scholarship, and commitment to supporting young people. We have loved watching each of them grow as scholars and professionals, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact they will continue to make in their new roles. Congratulations, Drs. Huang, King, and Sun! We wish you all the best in these exciting next chapters!

Drs. Lucia Sun and Stephanie Fredrick

Awards and Achievements

We are proud to celebrate several recent accomplishments from our team!

Dr. Stephanie Fredrick, associate professor and associate director, received the 2026 UB Graduate School of Education (UB GSE) PhD Mentorship Award, recognizing her outstanding commitment to mentoring doctoral students. Stephanie was nominated by her former student, Dr. Lucia Sun.

Brie Kishel, program and operations manager, received $1,000 in funding from the UB GSE Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology to support her proposal, Creating Space to Be Seen, a partnership with Free2Luv's Express It! arts empowerment program that she will be facilitating within the disability community this fall.

Dr. Hannah Rapp, Postdoctoral Associate with the Alberti Center, has accepted a faculty position at the University of Memphis in Tennessee. We are sorry to see Hannah leave, but excited to celebrate this next chapter of her academic career!

Natalie Spadafora, PhD, Assistant Professor of Child & Youth Studies, Brock University

2026 Early Career Award Recipient

Congratulations to Natalie Spadafora, PhD, on being selected as our 2026 Early Career Award recipient! The Alberti Center Distinguished Scholarly Contributions to Bullying Abuse Prevention Award, presented annually, recognizes an individual who has made exemplary scholarly contributions to the field of bullying abuse prevention and conducted research that has the potential to influence practice and policy. Dr. Spadafora will receive a plaque and $1,000 in recognition of her achievements. Learn more about her research on our award page

Video Resource Spotlight

As we prepare to kick off a new school year, we’re highlighting a video resource for anyone who may have missed Dr. Toni Torchia’s April 2026 colloquium, The school-home connection: Communicating with parents about bullying. Building strong partnerships between schools and families is essential to creating a safe and supportive school climate for all students. Dr. Torchia did an excellent job presenting this important topic in an engaging and relatable way, making this a valuable resource for educators, school professionals, and anyone interested in effective school-home communication around bullying.

You can view other video resources on the UB Alberti Center YouTube channel.

2025-26 Annual Report

It has been another busy and impactful year for the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention! Our 2025–26 Annual Report, covering activities from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, highlights the team’s continued commitment to advancing research, education, and outreach.

With over 5,000 subscribers and followers on our mailing list and social media channels, we have the ability to connect and share resources and research with communities near and far. We invite you to explore the full Annual Report and accompanying infographic on our website to learn more about the work and accomplishments of the Alberti Center team over the past year.

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