Education

M.A., Counseling and Rehabilitation, University of South Carolina School of Medicine 

B.A., Psychology, The Ohio State University 

Research Interests/Area of Expertise

Artificial intelligence and its potential to enhance life satisfaction, improve mental health outcomes, and advance the counseling profession as a whole. 

Biography

Hayden Petee is a Research Associate in the Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. She recently earned her Master’s degree in Counseling and Rehabilitation from the same institution. Hayden brings diverse clinical experience from both state-run facilities and private practice settings, which has shaped her passion for integrating technology into mental health care.

Her current research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence to support individuals with chronic and persistent mental illness, as well as those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Under the mentorship of Dr. Paul Toriello and Dr. Leonardo Bonilha, Hayden is contributing to innovative AI research aimed at enhancing clinical outcomes and advancing the field of counseling.

Selected Publications

Petee, H. & Petee B. (In Prep.). Utilizing Virtual Reality to Enhance Vocational Education for Persons with Disabilities. VECAP Journal 

Kaitlyn B. Cortez, Rachel M. Hantman, Erin A. Hunt, Hayden Petee, Sarfaraz Serang, Abigail L. Hogan, Holley P. Arnold, Xiaoxue Fu, & Jane E. Roberts (In Prep.) Distinct Pathways to Anxiety: Early Behavioral Inhibition and Social Anxiety in Syndromic and Idiopathic Autism

Farren Stackhouse, David Dawson, Michael Walsh, Hayden Petee (In Prep.) Perspectives of Esports Influence on Tragic Optimism towards Rehabilitative Developments of Esports Ecosystem and the E-Athlete. A Pilot Study 

Petee. H, Lovejoy M., Dawson R, Stackhouse F., Demery P., (In Prep). Utilizing Virtual Reality to Teach Empathy in Young Healthcare Professionals. A Systemic review 

Petee. H, Tussey D., Robinson H., (In Prep) Graduate Students’ Perceptions of Using ChatGPT in Counseling and Mental Health: The Benefits and Challenges 

Presentations: 

Petee. H, Tussey D., Dawson R., Demery P., (2025, April) Graduate Students’ Perceptions of Using ChatGPT in Counseling and Mental Health: The Benefits and Challenges. Poster presented at Discovery Day 2025 at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. 

Kaitlyn B. Cortez1, Erin A. Hunt1, Rachel M. Hantman1, Hayden Petee2, Sarfaraz Serang1, Abigail L. Hogan3, Holley P. Arnold, Xiaoxue Fu1, & Jane E. Roberts1 (In Prep.). Elevated Fear Responses Predict Later Social Anxiety Symptoms in Preschoolers with Fragile X Syndrome. Poster submission for 2025 Gatlinburg conference

Kaitlyn B. Cortez, Rachel M. Hantman, Erin A. Hunt, Hayden Petee, Sarfaraz Serang, Abigail L. Hogan, Holley P. Arnold, Xiaoxue Fu, & Jane E. Roberts (In Prep.) Distinct Pathways to Anxiety: Early Behavioral Inhibition and Social Anxiety in Syndromic and Idiopathic Autism. Poster Presented at INSAR 2025. 

Petee. H, Lovejoy M., Dawson R, Stackhouse F., Demery P., (2024, April). Utilizing Virtual Reality to Teach Empathy in Young Healthcare Professionals. Poster presented at Discovery Day 2024 at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.