Aquinas Academy's Distinguished Speaker Series
presents
Raising Minds in a Digital World
Wednesday, May 20
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh
A light reception will follow the talk.
Open to the public.
A panel of experts will have a discussion and answer questions from parents about how to successfully approach technology use including social media, video games, and AI, among other related topics.
Please take a moment to submit anonymous questions. The panel will aim to answer as many questions as possible. You may submit the form as many times as you want.
Joseph Stujenske, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh
MD, PhD - Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Dr. Stujenske heads a Neuroscience laboratory as Assistant Professor in the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry. He completed his psychiatry residency at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, and works one day per week as a psychiatrist in the Psychiatric Emergency Service at Western Pennsylvania Hospital, where he evaluates and treats children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Stujenske sees on an ongoing basis the complex interaction of mental illness with rapid changes in technology. Dr. Stujenske's research is focused on understanding brain circuits regulating emotions and how brain stimulation can be combined with specific brain states to improve treatments for mood and anxiety disorders. He is the father of three children, and his oldest is in Kindergarten at Aquinas Academy.
Dr. Cecile Ladouceur
Dr. Ladouceur is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, a member of the training faculty in the Center for Neuroscience. She is a clinical child psychologist and Director of the Cognitive-Affective Neuroscience and Development (CAN-D) Laboratory. Her research program investigates how the brain circuitry supporting emotion and motivation develops during adolescence and how altered development of this circuitry increases risk for anxiety and mood disorders. Her recent work examines the role of puberty and sensitivity to peer social feedback to understand why girls are at greater risk than boys, with the goal of improving early intervention. Her work has been supported by the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Dr. Ladouceur is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and a member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and she mentors trainees in psychiatry, psychology, and developmental neuroscience.
Sonia Welch
As Pressley Ridge’s medical director, Sonia Welch is responsible for creating and maintaining a collaborative physician team to be an integral part of clinical initiatives across the organization. She also continues to provide direct psychiatric services in our outpatient program in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, where she began her career with Pressley Ridge in 2016.
Sonia completed training at Western Psychiatric Hospital in general psychiatry in 2009 and in child and adolescent psychiatry in 2011. Sonia holds a BS from University of California, San Diego, and an MD from Northwestern University. She is board-certified in General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and serves on the board of directors for the Pittsburgh Regional Organization of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists.
Prior to working with Pressley Ridge, she has helped to fine-tuned clinical programming to provide a high standard of care in several Pittsburgh communities as the medical director at two community mental health organizations. She has also worked collaboratively with local pediatricians, providing co-located services in those offices. Sonia is originally from Southern California and currently resides in Western Pennsylvania, where she works part time as she raises her three young children.
Ryan Klingensmith
Ryan Klingensmith, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), is the founder of Shape the Sky. Ryan began his career in 1994 working in an inpatient psychiatric hospital for teens diagnosed with mental health disorders. Over the years, he has served youth in residential treatment facilities, teen shelters, and group homes. In 2010, he began providing outpatient mental health therapy and working in Pennsylvania’s Student Assistance Programs (SAPs), where he regularly supported middle and high school students.
While working with youth, Ryan witnessed firsthand the growing impact of smartphones and social media—misuse, misunderstandings, and the emerging digital risks that adults often felt unprepared to address. Shape the Sky was created to fill that gap by providing comprehensive, ongoing education for parents, school personnel, law enforcement, and mental health professionals.
In addition to his work with Shape the Sky, Ryan currently serves as the Director of Counseling at a university, where he supports college students navigating mental health challenges, technology use, and the increasingly complex digital landscape.
As technology has continued to evolve—especially with the rise of artificial intelligence—the need to educate invested adults has never been greater. With Ryan’s background in mental health, higher education leadership, and deep knowledge of youth culture online, he developed a series of training programs that help adults understand how social media, smartphones, and artificial intelligence shape adolescent and young adult development. Once adults gain this awareness, they can use their wisdom, experience, and leadership to keep kids and young adults safe in a digital world that is changing faster than ever.