Joshua Felver
Extension AssociateOverview
Joshua C. Felver, PhD ABPP (he/him/his) is an Extension Associate of the ILR School’s Yang Tan Institute and a Visiting Scholar of the College of Human Ecology’s Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research at Cornell University. He is a licensed psychologist with specialist board certification from the American Board of Professional Psychology. He took his PhD in School Psychology from the University of Oregon, and completed his clinical training in pediatric psychology at Harvard Medical School (pre-doctoral internship) and in child clinical psychology at Alpert Medical School of Brown University (postdoctoral fellowship). He was previously faculty and Director of Clinical Training in the Psychology Department at Syracuse University. His programmatic research involves developing, implementing, and exploring biomechanisms of mindfulness-based programs in school and community settings to address health disparities in diverse and at-risk populations. He has written more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, is the co-author of the book Mindfulness in the Classroom (New Harbinger Publications)), and is an Associate Editor for the journal Mindfulness.
Teaching Statement
My approach to teaching and advising is a direct reflection of my identity as a scientist-practitioner. As a scientist-practitioner, I use empirical evidence and existing research to guide my applied clinical practice, and conversely, use insights gained during clinical practice to guide the development of future research questions. As a teacher, I strive to engender these same qualities by urging my students to apply the scientific knowledge they gain “in the classroom” to their experiences “in the real world,” and conversely, to let their life experiences guide their academic interests and future educational goals. As a former Director of Clinical Training for an APA-accredited graduate training program, I have taught introductory and advanced graduate courses in applied psychological practices (Child and Family Interventions, Child and Adolescent Therapy, School-Based Mental Health) and have directly supervised clinical experiences in outpatient mental health clinics and school settings. At the undergraduate level, I have taught large lecture courses (Child Psychology), advanced electives (Mindfulness: Science and Practice), and supervised applied research and service learning experiences. I have co-authored peer-reviewed publications and national conference presentations with all of my graduate advisees, as well as with several of my advanced undergraduate research assistants. My long-term teaching goal is to provide exceptional teaching and mentorship in-line with the scientist-practitioner model by encouraging student to connect and apply their knowledge to their lived experience and goals.
Research Statement
My programmatic research broadly involves developing, implementing, and exploring biomechanisms of mindfulness-based programs (MBP) in school and community settings to address health disparities in diverse and at-risk populations. One contribution of my scholarship has been to establish innovative and rigorous implementation standards for school-based MBP research, including proposing the conceptual integration of MBP into the field of school psychology (Felver et al., 2013), providing influential recommendations for conducting MBP research in school settings (Felver et al., 2016), and developing consensus of core program components of school-based MBP (Felver et al., accepted). Another contribution has been to evaluate MBP in diverse populations and settings, including serving as PI for clinical trials of MBP for children with disabilities (Felver et al., 2017), children in a residential psychiatric treatment facility (Felver et al., 2017), school-aged youth in high poverty racially diverse communities (Felver, et al., 2019), and public school administrators (Felver et al., 2020). My current research explores how MBP affects biomechanisms of stress reactivity (Morton et al., 2020) to promote health in diverse populations, including students with disabilities (Shah et al., 2022), sexual and gender minorities (Helminen et al., in press), and teachers serving racially diverse youth (Ash et al., accepted). My work has been supported by federal (NIH) and foundational (Mind and Life Institute) funding.
Service Statement
My professional service is centered on my expertise in school- and community-based program evaluation and translational research, and in mindfulness-based program research and clinical application. I have served on student dissertation/thesis committees, departmental and institutional committees, scientific journal editorial boards, and grant review panels. Currently, I serve as an Associate Editor for the journal Mindfulness, as a grant reviewer for the NIH (Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel: Psychopathology, Addictions, Alternative Medicine, and Community-based Interventions), and as an ad hoc manuscript and grant reviewer.
Outreach Statement
My current position in the ILR School’s Yang Tan Institute supports the Technical Assistance Partnership for Data, part of the New York State Education Department Educational Partnership. As an Extension Associate, I provide regular technical assistance and professional development for regional specialists across New York State. I also provide presentations to Cornell affiliated groups (e.g., Cornell Cooperative Extension, 4-H) related to how mindfulness-based programs may support school systems, including students with disabilities and teachers.
Publications
Journal Articles
Professional Activities
- Mindfulness-based programming for health promotion in school and community settings. Presented to Cornell Cooperative Extension. Bethel, NY. 2023.
- Practical Skills for Working with Data: Part 1: Introduction to Excel (Hangout). Presented to Office of Special Education Partnership. Virtual. 2023.
- Practical Skills for Working with Data: Part 1: Introduction to Excel. Presented to Office of Special Education Partnership. Virtual. 2023.
- Stress and Mindfulness. Presented to Cornell Cooperative Extension. Ithaca, NY. 2023.
- Mindfulness-based programming for stress reduction to support child and adolescent health. Presented to Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research/College of Human Ecology. Ithaca, NY. 2022.
- Stress, Health, and Mindfulness (In Context). Presented to Cornell Cooperative Extension. Ithaca, NY. 2022.
- Mindfulness-Based Programs for Stress and Health & the Soles of the Feet mindfulness program. Presented to Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research . Ithaca, NY. 2022.
- Stress, Health, and Contemplative Practices. Presented to Cornell Cooperative Extension. Ithaca, NY. 2022.
Honors and Awards
- Early Career Reviewer, National Institutes of Health. 2022
- Pediatric Loan Repayment Program, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. 2020
- Graduate Teaching Fellowship, University of Oregon. 2012
- Public Impact Fellowship, University of Oregon. 2012
- Pre-doctoral Fellowship – National Research Service Award, National Institute of Mental Health. 2011
- Early Intervention Leadership and Training Fellowship, Institute of Education Sciences (IES). 2009