Kean Doctoral Student Simone Cooper Selected for U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Fellowship
Simone Cooper has worked with the men's and women's track and field teams at Texas Tech University, who took first place in a Big 12 championship meet.
Kean University doctoral student Simone Cooper, who will earn her Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) this summer, has been selected for a postdoctoral fellowship with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), where she will work with top American athletes beginning in September.
Cooper earned her undergraduate degree from New York University, where she competed in track and field. Now as she completes her five-year doctorate in combined school and clinical psychology at Kean, she said she is excited to support athletes as a psychological services fellow with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee in Colorado Springs.
“I’ve been part of collegiate athletics for many years in various capacities, and I am eager to apply my knowledge and skills to the highest level of sport,” Cooper said. “It is a privilege and honor to be afforded the opportunity to contribute to the mental health and performance of our most elite athletes, while proudly representing the United States.”
Cooper chose to pursue her Psy.D. at Kean in large part because of the combined school and clinical program, which she said offers comprehensive training and broad career opportunities. During her time at Kean, she has conducted research and successfully defended her dissertation on aggressive behavior in collegiate sports, titled Playing Dirty: Anger, Emotion Regulation and Gender as Predictors of Aggression Among Collegiate Athletes.
She is currently completing an internship in clinical and sport psychology at Texas Tech University. She will attend Kean’s graduation ceremony in May and receive her degree in August.
At the USOPC, she will provide treatment that spans psychological care for elite athletes, including mental performance, mental health concerns and mental illness.
“One issue that often comes up with athletes is performance anxiety and self-doubt. Imagine a track athlete who has been training hard but suddenly has a few bad races in a row,” she said. “I’d help them reframe their thoughts, focus on small wins, and use mental strategies like visualization and mindfulness to rebuild belief in their abilities.”
Cooper will also support athletes training for the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Italy.
Kean Associate Professor Donald R. Marks, Psy.D., Ph.D., director of Clinical Training, Advanced Studies in Psychology in the College of Health Professions and Human Services, called Cooper a “superb psychotherapist” and “gifted clinician,” who excels in both research and client care.
“I am sure that she will do wonderfully in the role,” Marks said. “Simone is a highly engaged student with tremendous interpersonal abilities. I am certain the athletes will find her help invaluable and she will quickly become a crucial resource for the Olympians and Paralympians she serves.”
Cooper's long-term goal is to open her own sports and performance psychology practice and create a nonprofit to empower underserved youth in places such as Jamaica, her family’s homeland.
“My vision is to create an organization that leverages sports as a platform to provide mental health and wellness services, educational guidance and opportunities, and mentorship,” she said.