In early October, the behavioral neuroscience club was recog-nized formally by the Student Affairs Committee. The purpose of the club, known as BRAIN (Behavior Research and Infor-mation Network), is to connect students who share an interest in behavioral neuroscience and to establish a cerebral environment that fosters open-mindedness and a willingness to learn. According to Cody Nickels, BRAIN president, “Behavioral neuroscience has an increasingly relevant relationship with a wide range of other fields, like com-puter science, philosophy, and ethics, and this sets the stage for a virtually endless number of interesting questions and discus-sion topics. Our group meetings will consist of student presenta-tions and open-floor discus-sions, and we will also hold field trips and participate in events that promote an interest in the field.”

The club’s 58 members include Josselyn Adams Baker, Karis Agnew, Alex Baker, Jared Bishop, Timothy Bohnsack, Emily Brooks, Mallory Broth-ers, Elio Challita, Chris Cook, Brianna Cooper, Tony Daly, Briana Davis, Jacob deRonde, Tyler Gentle, Josie Gilbert, Shelby Hatz, Jordan Henslee, Bryce Hood, Trey Hufham, Katherine Hundley, Soha Khan, Rachel Kibby, Joshua Kimrey, Jordan Klaus, Katarina Kostovic, Matthew Lytle, Sophie Mann, Ashley Marmouget, Jordan Marsh, Autumne Mathews, Kaylee Mathiason, Ashley Montasser, Stephanie Morrison, Cody Nickels, Samantha Nie-hoff, Kaitlyn Pearson, Rachel Ryan, Armando Sandoval, Jes-sica Schultze, Alaina Seel, Elisha Segrist, Mikaela Speakes, Anna Stark, Breanna Stirewalt, Elaine Southern, Rachel Swadley, Zachary Swearingen, Jessica Tay, Carson Teague, Cristina Todea,

Dr. Jennifer Silva Brown, As-sistant Professor of Psychology, was one of 60 faculty selected from 52 academic institutions across the nation to participate in the 2014 Summer Leader-ship Institute sponsored by Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL). The PKAL Institute for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) faculty

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES NEWS • FALL 2014 • NUMBER 12

DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, DEPARTMENT CHAIR PHONE: 417-873-7254/E-MAIL VLUTTREL@DRURY.EDU

Large Showing in Behavioral Neuroscience Club

Dr. Jennifer Silva Brown attends PKAL Summer

Leadership Institute

Kaleb Treacy, Sienna Trice, Katherine Uttley, Abigail Vera, Nathan Weiss, Kayla Whor-ton, Baily Wilson, and Dalton Young. Faculty sponsors include Drs. Phillip Stepp, Vickie Luttrell, Wesley Rowley III, Jennifer Silva Brown, and Rachel Her-rington.

Members of the behavioral neuroscience club, BRAIN, participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge to promote awareness of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and encourage donations to research.

was held in July at Pendle Hill outside of Philadelphia, Penn-sylvania. The Institute is designed to enhance the leadership capac-ity and ability for early career faculty to act as agents of change within their home institutions to reform STEM education. During the week-long Institute, attending faculty are assigned mentors who work with them both during the Institute to shape a personal agenda for leadership and following the Institute to implement an insti-tutional change action plan. The Institute experience utilizes a variety of approaches including case studies, role-playing, col-laborative problem-solving and experiential learning exercises. Silva Brown plans to utilize her time at the PKAL Institute in to strengthen Drury’s Behav-ioral Neuroscience program in order to help students prepare for the Medical College Admis-sions Test (MCAT), as well as for graduate study in health-related fields. Her experience at PKAL will also inform her work on the Joplin Impact Project, a research study she directs to examine the impact of the catastrophic EF-5 tornado on

residents’ psycho-logical, social, and physical well-being.

DEPARTMENT NEWS

Karen Mayfield-Jones (formerly Jones) graduated from Drury University in 2002 with majors in Criminology, Psychology, and Sociology and minors in Phi-losophy and, of course, Global Studies. In 2005, she graduated from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. Upon graduation, Karen joined the Saint Louis law firm of Am-elung, Wulff, Willenbrock, & Pankowski, PC, which merged with Evans & Dixon, LLC in 2008. Karen has been a partner with Evans & Dixon, LLC since January 2013. Evans & Dixon, LLC is a civil and worker’s compensation law firm with approximately eighty attorneys throughout the Mid-

Rarely are we given the oppor-tunity to become immersed in the work of a scholar who pro-foundly changed our scholarly and personal lives. In prepara-tion for her upcoming sabbati-cal, Dr. Jeanie Allen, Associate Professor of Psychology, took this opportunity by attend-ing the Intensive Workshop in Relational Cultural Theory (RCT), which gathers research-ers from around the world who are interested in furthering the findings of Jean Baker Miller, a psychiatrist devoted to study-ing the importance of relation-ships and human connections

Dr. Jeanie Allen Attends Intensive RCT Workshop at Wellesley College

west. Karen’s primary practice is defense of claims brought by credit card consumers against debt collectors under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Karen also handles some insurance defense matters, such as slip and fall, construction, automobile accident, employ-ment discrimination, products liability, and medical malprac-tice cases. Karen’s time at Drury helped foster her leadership abilities, love of learning, and the critical thinking skills that contribute to the lawyer she is today. The behavioral sciences program at Drury has helped Karen in understanding the social and economic situations, thought processes, and behaviors of the witnesses and parties she has encountered. It has aided her in examining witnesses, negotiat-ing, and trying cases and pre-dicting and adapting to different situations. Karen is licensed to practice law in Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas, and has argued cases before the Missouri Court of Appeals-Eastern District, as well as the Missouri Supreme Court.

ALUMNI PROFILE:Karen Mayfield-Jones ‘02

in our life experiences. Jean Baker Miller’s research placed special emphasis on women’s experiences, and she was founder of the Stone Center for Research on Women at Wellesley College. Her theories were significant in Dr. Allen’s doctoral research. The conference provided an opportunity for participants to immerse themselves in learning more about using RCT to help communities heal from the on-going effects of poverty, racism, and discrimination. In addition, attending psychiatrists discussed evidence concerning the efficacy of RCT that is emerging from the field of neuropsychology. Dr. Allen will create a series of modules that introduce RCT to her students, hoping to encour-age them to further the research on relationships, empathy, and the connections necessary for human well-being. “Given the global situation, I hope that an emphasis on the importance of relationships can extend into other facets, such as business and political practices. A world where human relationships take top priority would be a promis-ing paradigm shift,” said Allen.

Visit us on the web at:

www.drury.edu/behavioralsciences

Keep in touch with Behavioral Sciences at Drury. We’d love to hear from you!

Check out the Development & Alumni Relation’s New Webpage!

https://alumni.drury.edu/panthertracks

Now that you know what’s going on in the Department of Behavioral Sciences, check out the Development & Alumni

Relation’s new Panther Tracks webpage. You can view updated alumni class notes and photos and even submit an update and

photo of your own.

Did you ever wonder what it would be like to mentor home-less teens? Work with children who have autism? Or be a U.S. Marshal? Students in the De-partment of Behavioral Sciences are provided these opportunities as part of our undergraduate internship program. All students who major in psychology, criminology, or sociology or earn a minor in law and society are required to spend at least 135 hours during a semester working in an organization related to their field of study. Since 2008, 222 students have completed the de-partment’s internship program. Although most students choose organizations in the Springfield area, many have completed their internships in other states or overseas. Through internship opportu-nities, students not only learn about career options, but they also make important theory-practice connections and acquire job-related skills that will benefit them post-graduation. Writing assignments, such as journal entries, help students to reflect on their internship experiences. Behavioral science alumni have served as internship spon-sors for students at places like

From left to right: Ashley Marmouget, Dr. Brittany Allen (’02), Dr. Ryan Jones, Angelah Crumm (’11), and Carson Teague.

Department’s Internship Program Sets Students Apart

Karen Mayfield-Jones ‘02

Burrell Behavioral Health, Isabel’s House, and Aleshire Robb law firm. Most recently, Drury seniors Ashley Mar-mouget and Carson Teague are working with Dr. Brittany Allen (’02), and Dr. Ryan Jones, who are clinical neuropsychologists at CoxHealth. Also involved in a supervisory capacity is psychometrist, Angelah Crumm (’11). At CoxHealth, Marmouget and Teague have had the op-portunity to observe patient interviews and patient testing and are learning how to admin-ister tests, such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Teague was also given the opportunity to observe a brain cutting con-ducted by the Greene County forensic pathologist as part of an autopsy investigation. Clearly our students’ intern-ships are granting them the opportunity to have experiences they never could have had in a conventional classroom setting. This is just one of the ways that a Drury education sets our students apart. If you are inter-ested in serving as an internship sponsor, contact Dr. Valerie Eastman at veastman@drury.edu to discuss other program requirements.

Students and FacultyAttend MAS to

Present Research

On a sunny Friday afternoon, April 25, 2014, seven behav-ioral science students and three professors, Drs. Jennifer Silva Brown, Robin Miller, and Mary Utley, left campus to present their research at the 50th annual Missouri Academy of Science (MAS) conference held at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, MO. Poster presentations were made by Amanda Allen, Cody Conner, Markus Corley, Ashley Montasser, Hilary Ottaviano, Andrea Parker, and Shelby White. Poster topics included “You Have Personality, Does Your Facebook Show It?” “How Levels of Risk Affect Prosocial Behavior on a College Cam-pus,” and “The Influence of Neuroticism on Conditioned Responses to Cell Phone Alerts.” In addition, Dr. Miller presented the paper, “Exploita-tion by Payday Loans and Rent-

to-Owns: How Fieldwork Aids Student Understanding,” According to senior psychol-ogy major, Andrea Parker, “The MAS conference gave me the opportunity to share what I learned from my research and feel confident in presenting that information to the judges. MAS was a great way to interact with other students at Drury and learn more about their studies and results. Overall, I thought MAS was a positive experience and was happy to have been able to be a part of the conference.” In addition, Amanda Allen, a psychology major who gradu-ated in May reported that “the opportunity to get to present at a conference is so valuable. In our field, conferences are a large part of professional develop-ment so to get this experience early on during my undergradu-ate years is something I am re-ally thankful for.”

DEPARTMENT NEWS

OUTSTANDING GRADUATING SENIORS 2013-14

The following students were our outstanding graduating seniors for 2013-14. Students were selected on the basis of demonstrated academic excellence and service to the department. Our award winners were as follows:

Outstanding Student in Criminology:

Julianna (Biondo) VentimigliaJulianna is from St. Peters, Missouri and graduated from St. Charles West. At Drury, she majored in biology and criminology and minored in global studies. In 2012, Julianna was accepted

into the Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics at Washington University and at the program’s conclusion, she and her teammates received the Institute’s award for most outstanding clinical analysis and presentation. Julianna

is now attending graduate school in forensic science at the University of California-Davis and, upon arrival, was presented with the opportunity to be a member of the Advisory Board to the Chancellor of the University.

Outstanding Student in Criminology:

Brittany StockwellBrittany is from Liberty, Missouri and is now employed as a police services representative with the Springfield Police Department. She graduated from Drury

with degrees in both criminology and Spanish. Brittany also obtained two minors while attending Drury, with one minor in Law and Society and the other minor in Global Studies. She also

had time for sorority and other group activities. Presently, Brittany is enjoying learning more about police organiza-tional structure and remains excited about making Springfield her home.

Outstanding Student in Psychology:

Sara SchupbachSara is from Clever, Missouri and graduated from Clever High School. At Drury, she majored in psychology and minored in global studies. Sara took full advantage of the department’s supervised undergraduate teaching

opportunities and served as a teaching assistant in abnormal psychology, intro-ductory psychology, and statistics for the behavioral sciences. Sara also became well versed in research methodology and data analysis and made multiple research presentations. Sara is currently work-

ing at the Nova Center of the Ozarks helping individuals with developmental disabilities for a year before attending graduate school. Sara plans to earn a Ph.D. in developmental psychology.

Overall BehavioralSciences & Summa Awards:

Olivia ThompsonOlivia is from Moline, Illinois and graduated from Moline High School. At Drury, she majored in psychology and criminology. As an undergraduate, Olivia was active in an array of student organizations, holding leadership roles

in two honor societies, Psi Chi and Alpha Lambda Delta. Olivia was also a member of the national leadership society, Omicron Delta Kappa. Despite her busy schedule, Olivia maintained an overall GPA that exceeded 3.95 and was also awarded a departmental

Summa Award for outstanding academic achievement. Olivia is currently attend-ing the University of Northern Iowa, where she is pursuing a master’s degree in social psychology.

Criminology/Criminal Justice Graduate Student:

Steven WindischSteven is from Jefferson City, Missouri and attained an undergraduate degree in psychology and a minor in philosophy from the University of Missouri before attending Drury. Steven received a mas-ter’s of arts in criminology from Drury after completing a thesis examining ide-

ologies propagated through jokes posted on an international white supremacist website. Presently, Steven is attending the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO), where he plans to complete his doctorate in criminology. UNO is one of several universities that offered Steven a full assistantship, which covers his

tuition and living expenses. However, Steven elected to attend UNO because he was asked to conduct research with an international leader in the analysis of the white power movement at that institution.

Behavioral Sciences Summa Award:

Amanda AllenBecause Amanda’s overall GPA exceeded 3.95 upon graduation, she received a departmental Summa Award. Amanda is from Willard, Missouri and graduated from Willard High School. At Drury, she majored in psychology and minored

in entrepreneurship. She is currently attending the University of Missouri to get her Ed. S. in School Psychology. Amanda chose to pursue a degree in school psychology because it connects all of her interests. She is passionate about education and during her time at Drury

she became intrigued with psychological research. As a school psychologist, she will be supporting students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional health and connecting the education system to current research in the field.

Departmental Recognition in Scientific Analysis:

Igor KowalIgor is from Karlsruhe, Germany and graduated from Otto-Hahn-Gymnasi-um in Karlsruhe. At Drury, he majored in psychology and minored in exercise and sport science. The department’s recognition in scientific analysis requires

the completion of 25 credit hours of re-search-intensive coursework, and to earn this distinction, Igor completed courses in scientific writing, research meth-ods, introductory statistics, advanced statistics, behavioral science ethics, and psychological tests and measurements, as

well as a two-semester advanced research experience. Igor is currently attend-ing California State University-Fresno. He is working on a master’s degree in kinesiology-sport psychology and is a graduate assistant for the chair of the department.