Melissa M. Sisco, MA
Melissa M. Sisco, MA
Curriculum Vitae
Contact Information
Homepage: www.u.arizona.edu/~sisco
Email:
Telephone:(520) 977-648
Chronology of Education
University of Arizona Ph.D Clinical Psychology /Policy and Law2011
University of Arizona MA/BS Psychology2005/2002
Pima Community College A.AMajor: Psychology1999
Clinical Experience
2006 – 08Mental Health Consultant with the Arizona Department of Corrections- State
Prison Sex Offense Unit (10-15 hrs/wk)
• Reforming existing treatment to fit the needs of female sex offenders
• Creating and implementing treatment for developmentally disabled and brain injured male inmates (6 week and 1 year)
• Assessing and reporting inmate history and risk (including STATIC-99, MCMI-III, and MSI-II interpretation); making treatment recommendations
2004 – 06Mentorship Supervisor with the University of Arizona’s Mentorship Program (5-7 hrs/wk)
2008 - 10• Supervising undergraduate students as they work with troubled youth
• Fundraising and creating/overseeing program materials (e.g., website, logo)
2005 - 06Mental Health Intern with the Southern Arizona Veteran’s Hospital (25-30 hrs/wk)
• Providing therapy (CBT, BSFT, MST, and DBT) and hypnosis to veterans
• Running anger management, DBT for borderline and antisocial men, social skills training, and grief and loss groups
2003 - 05 Practicum Position with the University of Arizona
• Brief Family Therapy Practicum
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Practicum
• Assessment Practicum (MMPI-2, WMS-III, WAIS-III, SCID-2, MSE, unstructured clinical interview- evaluation of memory, intelligence, and psychopathology of community members and psychiatric inpatients)
2001 - 04Behavioral Habilitation Therapist with Arizona’s Department of Developmental
Disabilities
• Structuring and implementing behavioral interventions to restore communal, familial, scholastic and social functionality of autistic children.
Research History
2006 - Forensic Consultation regarding the cycle of violence and the sequelae of trauma with
Present attorneys, legal personnel, agencies, forensic experts and treatment providers
2006 - 08Mental Health Consultant with the Arizona Department of Corrections
• Designing treatment manuals and implementing program evaluation strategies
2004Law Clerk with the Pima County Attorney’s office in Tucson, Arizona
• Reviewing, coding, and evaluating fact-patterns of interpersonal violence cases
2002 – 04Research Technician with Dr. Mary Koss at the RESTORE project, Tucson, AZ
• Working in conjunction with local court systems and victim services providers to assist in the provision of services for first time, non-violent cases of sexual assault
• Providing comprehensive risk assessment information
• Developing archival coding techniques/manual/training procedure to quantify and compare the outcome against traditionally court-processed cases
2001 - 06Research Assistant at the University of Arizona; Tucson, Arizona
• Dr. Judith Becker – Risk management, prediction, and treatment of sex offenders
• Dr. James King- Comparative study of human and non-human primates
• Dr. Aurelio Jose Figueredo- Evolutionary perspectives of intimate violence
2001Intern with Dr. Roger Levesque at the University of Arizona; Tucson, Arizona
• Evaluating the implementation of legal mandates in education for troubled youth
Teaching Experience
2005 - 08 Instructor at the University of Arizona
2010• Youth and Violence, Summer 2005-08 (n= 45), Fall 2008 (n=150)
• Ethics in Research, Fall 2010 (n=150)
2006 - Instructor Pima Community College
Present• Introductory Psychology, (n=50-72)
• Human Sexuality (AY 08/09), (n=37)
2007 - 08Lab Instructor- Methods of Psychology Research at the University of Arizona
• Fall 2007Dr. Suzanne Delaney (n=46)
• Spring 2008Dr. Jake Jacobs (n=38)
2005 - 09 Teaching Assistant at the University of Arizona
• Spring 2009Dr. Judith Becker in Child Abuse & Maltreatment (n=200)
• Fall 2008Dr. Judith Becker in Abnormal Psychology (n=300)
• Spring 2007Dr. John Allen in Introductory Psychology (n=500)
• Fall 2006 Dr. Suzanne Delaney in Introductory Psychology (n=500)
• Spring 2006Dr. Alan Sanfey in Statistical Methods (n=150)
• Fall 2005 Dr. Bruce Sales in the Law and Psychology (n=500)
2005, 2008Guest lecturer in the University of Arizona’s Graduate School Preparation Course
2004 - Research Assistantship and Preceptorship Supervisor
Present• Credited Work: Nozomi Nakajima, Mary Pringle, Melissa Silva, Chris Brazil, Shanica Dale-Bourne, Lori Dawson, Abbie Crow, Quy Troung, Michael Fraiz, Laura Hernandez, Michael Feinberg; Mentoring: Shannon Jenkins, Thien Dahn, Serena Shaw, Walida Murray, Rebecca Volk, Abby Ridge, Jessica Stewart, Nicole Wood, Desiree Zumbrunnen, Lori Dawson, Elizabeth Ralston, Shelby Larsen, Chris Melton, James Madril, Stephanie Levitt, Stephanie Carlson, Brandee Becker
Community Contributions
Board Communication Specialist for SAPA: 2007-Present
Member America Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: 2006 -Present
Ad Hoc Reviewer various journals (e.g., American Journal for Criminal Justice Review, Journal of Social Psychology, and Aggressive Behavior): 2004 - Present
Board member for the Commission on the Status of Women, University of Arizona: 2006
Elected Constituency Representative for the Graduate and Professional Student Council: 2006
Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity (summer): 2005
Volunteer with Dr. John Ferreira’s Relaxation Clinic: 2001
Elected Precinct Committee Representative for Arizona Democratic Party, Precinct 71: 2000 - 02
Volunteer with Casa de los Ninos Crisis Intervention; Tucson, Arizona (fundraising): 1995 - 02
Affiliations
American Society for Statistics and Methods member: March 2006 – Present
The Society for the Teaching of Psychology member: January 2006 - Present
American Psychological Association (APA) member: May 2001 – Present
American Psychological Law Society (APLS) member: June 2003 – 2007
Society of Science & Clinical Psychology (SSCP) member: September 2003- September 2006
Homicide Survivor’s board member: March 2004- December 2005
National Organization of Women (NOW) affiliate: August 2002 – December 2002
Catalina Church Youth Outreach (CORE) founder/president: May 2002- December 2003
Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA) member: May 2001 – December 2002
Publications
Tichy, Lauren, Becker, Judith V., & Sisco, Melissa M. (2009). The downside of patriarchal benevolence: Ambivalence in addressing domestic violence and socio-economic considerations for women of Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of Family Violence.
Sisco, Melissa M. & Figueredo, Aurelio Jose (2008). Similarities between men and women in non-traditional aggressive sexuality: Prevalence, novel approaches to assessment, and treatment applications. Journal of Sexual Aggression: An international, interdisciplinary forum for research, theory and practice
Sisco, Melissa M., Becker, Judith V., & Beck, Connie J.A. (2008). Looking forward and back: Sexual victimization prevention. Aggression and Violent Behavior: A Review Journal.
King, James E., Weiss, Alex, & Sisco, Melissa M. (2008). Aping humans: Age and sex effects in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and human (Homo sapiens) personality. Journal of Comparative Psychology.
Gladden, Paul, Sisco, Melissa M., & Figueredo, A.J. (2008). Sexual coercion and life history strategy. Evolution & Human Behavior.
Sisco, Melissa M., & Becker, Judith V (2007). Beyond predicting the risk of sexual victimization in prison- Considering inmate options and reporting avenues for an inherent problem. Criminology & Public Policy, 6(3), 901-913.
Sisco, Melissa M., Becker, Judith V., Harvey, David, & Sanders, Matthew (2006). Domestic violence, childhood physical abuse, and juvenile sex offenses. In R.E. Longo & D.S. Prescott (Eds.), Current Perspectives: Working With Sexually Aggressive Youth & Youth With Sexual Behavior Problems (pp.473-492). Holyoke, MA: NEARI Press.
Presentations
Tichy, Lauren, Becker, Judith V., & Sisco, Melissa M. (August, 2009). Addressing Domestic Violence and Socioeconomic Considerations for Women of Tamil Nadu, India. Toronto, Canada: American Psychological Convention.
Sisco, Melissa M. and colleague (June, 2009). Training Session- Capacity, Memory, PTSD, and War Crimes Victims. Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina: International Courts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sisco, Melissa M. (October, 2007). Beyond the Facts: Bringing Life into the Psychology Classroom. Atlanta, GA: The Society for the Teaching of Psychology, National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology, and Kennesaw State University Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning Conference.
Gladden, Paul R., Sisco, Melissa M., & Figueredo, Aurelio Jose (August, 2007). Life history strategy, competitive disadvantage, or by-product: A test of multiple evolutionary hypotheses of sexual coercion. Williamsburg, Virginia: Annual Meeting of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society.
Sisco, Melissa M. (July, 2007). Understanding and detecting female sex offenders. Tucson, AZ: Southern Arizona Veteran’s Affairs Health Care System Mental Health Continuing Education Forum.
Sisco, Melissa M., Becker, Judith V., Figueredo, Aurelio Jose, & Sales, Bruce D. (September, 2006). Gender and sexual experiences among male and female college students. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Student Showcase (award winner).
Sisco, Melissa M., Becker, Judith V., Figueredo, Aurelio Jose, & Sales, Bruce D. (September, 2006). Gender stereotypes, rape myths, and experiences of sexual victimization and perpetration among male and female college students. Chicago, Il: Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers Conference.
Sisco, Melissa M., & Koss, Mary P. (July, 2006). Assessing sexual violence perpetration: A preliminary report of the psychometric properties of a gender neutral assessment tool, the Sexual Experiences Survey Long Form Perpetration Version (SES-LFP). Minneapolis, MN: International Society of Research on Aggression.
Sisco, Melissa M., Becker, Judith V., Figueredo, Aurelio Jose, & Sales, Bruce D. (May, 2006). Sexual victimization on campus, personal risk factors and prevention implications. Tucson, AZ: Commission on the Status of Women Conference.
Sisco, Melissa M. (April, 2006). The rights, needs, and importance of recognizing sexual victimization: Prevalence, underreporting, and consequences of sexual violence. Tucson, AZ: National Crime Victim’s Rights Week Annual Candle Light Vigil.
Sisco, Melissa M. (January, 2006). Sexual violence: Issues of assessment. Tucson, AZ: Southern Arizona Veteran’s Affairs Health Care System Mental Health Continuing Education Forum.
Sniffen, Chad, Sisco, Melissa M., Koss, Mary P., & Hopkins, C. Quince (May, 2004). Restorative justice prevention program for sexual assault: Designing procedures that address advocate concerns, legal issues, and community feedback. Overview of community input on RESTORE. Los Angeles, CA: Center for Disease Control and Prevention 3rd National Sexual Violence Prevention Conference.
Sisco, Melissa M., Koss, Mary P., Bachar, Karen J., Hopkins, C. Quince & Carlson, Carolyn (March, 2004). RESTORE: Restorative justice for sexual violence. Scottsdale, AZ: American Psychology-Law Society Conference.
Assessment Instruments
• Male Rape Myth Acceptance Scale: A 10-item scale designed to assess common male rape myth belief
• Objection vs. Consent Scale (co-author: A.J. Figueredo): A 15 item likert scale to determine the level of knowledge individuals have regarding the cut off between these two concepts.
• Sexual Acts and Perceptions Inventory (SAPI): A 36-item gender neutral assessment of sexually aggressive behavior; submerged scales assess cognitive distortion and triggers of perpetrators and the degree of self-blame of the victim.
• Treatment Stage and Feedback Questionnaire: A 25-item scale that mirrors the Prochaska stages of change to determine the treatment readiness for institutional settings (un-published).
Honors and Awards
• Scholarship (USA Funds Silver Anniversary Competition, June 2006, 2007): Amount: $3,000.
• Voted ‘Favorite Professor’ by one or more former students (May 2007, 2008, 2009)
• Presentation award (Women’s Issues and Community Application, September 2006): Amount $150.
• Travel award (Mentorship program, May 2005): All expenses to a national conference.
• Research Grant (Commission on the Status of Women, May 2004): Amount: $912.53.
• Class one federal security clearance: May 2001 – May 2004
• Arizona state licensure: Habilitation therapy: May 2001 – May 2004