MEET THE

PSYCHOLOGY

DEPARTMENT

The Psychology Department at

UCCS began offering courses in 1967. At that

time, David Nichols was the only instructor. Professor Nichols became the first

Professor Emeritus in 1986. In 1977, the Psychology

Department began offering an MA in Psychology. In

the early 1980’s, the Psychology Department

began planning for a doctoral program (PhD) in

with an emphasis on aging.

In 2004, the Psychology Department added a PhD

program in Clinical Psychology with Curricular

Emphasis in Geropsychology. The first doctoral class of students

were accepted in 2004 and the first PhD was awarded

in 2007. A Trauma Psychology track was

added to the PhD program in Clinical Psychology in

2014.

Michael A. Kisley Department Chair, Professor PhD Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania This is Mike’s 14th year at UCCS. He enjoys the unique challenges and rewards of serving as the Psychology Department chairperson. Mike’s research is focused on how emotional events and cues capture our attention, and conversely how we control our attention to impact our emotions. Mike loves teaching and offers both undergraduate and graduate courses in neuroscience and biopsychol-ogy. Something you may not know about Mike is that he travels to follow his favorite musical artists. In the last 2 years he heard The Mountain Goats and Neutral Milk Hotel 4 times each. Thomas A. Pyszczynski Distinguished Professor PhD Social Psychology, University of Kansas Tom Pyszczynski is interested in why people need self-esteem and meaning in life – what psychologi-cal functions do these things serve? These questions led him and his colleagues to develop Terror Management Theory, which suggests that our beliefs, values, and self-concept are part of a system that protects us from deeply rooted fears regarding our vulnerability and mortality. Over the years these ideas have been used to shed light on questions about religion, politics, prejudice, war, terrorism, trauma, love, and sex, all of which are discussed in his recent book, The Worm at the Core: The Role of Death in Life. Tom's other career aspirations included Catholic priest (didn't happen) and Reggae band member (did happen but didn't pay the bills). Charles C. Benight Professor, Director of Clinical Training and Trauma Clinical Ph.D. Program PhD Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Health Psychology/Behavioral Medicine, Stanford University Chip Benight has taught at UCCS for the past 23 years. His work focuses on how people cope when tragedy strikes. Chip started the Trauma, Health, and Hazards Center in 1999 and most recently opened a clinic for Veterans and other trauma survivors at the Lane Center. Chip also has been collaborating with a colleague in Warsaw (Poland) for the past 8 years and spent time there as a visiting scholar in 2014. One thing you might not know about Chip is that he played in a country music band where the lead guitarist was wanted by the law. He was 13 years old and was known as the Yankee Drummer.

Frederick L. Coolidge Professor PhD Psychology, University of Florida Fred Coolidge has taught at UCCS for the past 36 years. For the past 15 years, he has been interested in the evolution of brains and minds. His co-authored book (with Thomas Wynn), How to Think like a Neandertal, published by Oxford University Press, was recently featured in a display in London’s Natural History Museum. Fred is co-director of the UCCS Center for Cognitive Archaeology. Something you may not know about Fred is that he has bicycled from Key West to Seattle and the length of the United Kingdom, all since his 60th birthday. Hasker P. Davis Professor PhD Biopsychology, University of California Berkeley Hasker Davis received his A.B. from the University of California at San Diego and his M.A. and Ph.D. (1980) from the University of California at Berkeley. From 1980 to 1983 he held a postdoctoral fellowship in cerebral metabolism at the Neurology Department of Cornell University Medical College. Hasker received the UCCS College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Teaching Award in 1990, and was the Senior Fulbright Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia in 1999-2000. He teaches Introduction to Psychology and Introduc-tion to Biopsychology in the undergraduate curriculum and a seminar in memory and aging in the graduate curriculum. Edie L. Greene Professor, Director of MA Program- Psycho-logical Science Track PhD Psychology and Law, University of Washington Edie Greene is interested in how people think about and make decisions relevant to the law. She is co-author of the leading textbook in her field, Psychology and the Legal System, as well as Determining Damages: The Psychology of Jury Awards and The Jury under Fire: Myth, Controver-sy and Reform. Thinking that psychology should be useful to people, she testifies as an expert witness on jury decisions and eyewitness memory, and works with judges and lawyers to make trial procedures more user-friendly. She is also a whiz-bang pie maker, winning both the Manitou Springs Pie Bake-Off and the county fair pie baking competition.

Lori E. James Professor, Director of Undergraduate Training PhD Cognitive Psychology, Claremont Graduate School Lori James is a cognitive psychologist who has been at UCCS since 2001. Her research tests how various factors affect memory processes and language production. For example, she is interested in how aging impacts our ability to learn the names of new people we meet, and in how being stressed affects the fluency of our speech. Lori is also interested in tip-of-the tongue states, those instances when we know information but are temporarily unable to produce it. She serves as the Psychology Department’s Director of Undergradu-ate Training. Lori really enjoys exploring the various hot springs around Colorado. Sara H. Qualls Professor, Kraemer Family Professor of Aging PhD Clinical Psychology with Minors in Adult Development and Aging; Brain Organization and Function, Pennsylvania State University Sara Honn Qualls wears several hats, as Psychology faculty, Faculty Director of the Lane Center, and Gerontology Center Director. In her 30+ years at UCCS, she led the development of the Geropsychology doctoral program and its training clinic, the Aging Center. In the past decade, she has focused on improving health by collaborating with nursing and health sciences in senior housing and primary care. She is passionate about helping individuals and families age well. Her books include Caregiver Family Therapy and Aging and Mental Health. She’s also a proud mom of 3 children and a puppy. Daniel L. Segal Professor PhD Clinical Psychology, University of Miami Dan Segal has taught in the UCCS Psychology Department since 1995. His research interests include the study of mental health problems experienced by older adults, including personality disorders (or “difficult” individuals), resilience to suicide, and assessment strategies suited for later-life. He developed a screening measure for anxiety in older adults, the Geriatric Anxiety Scale, which he affectionately calls the GAS. There is a 10-item short version that is called the Baby GAS. When not being a professor, he enjoys listening to music (especially artists from New Orleans) and playing tennis and golf. He has a lovely wife and 4 children, 3 of whom are cats.

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Sandy K. Wurtele Professor, Associate Dean, LAS PhD Clinical Psychology, University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa Sandy Wurtele joined the UCCS faculty in 1988. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1983, with a specialty in child clinical psychology, from the University of Alabama. She completed an APA-Approved internship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and is a Licensed Psychologist in Colorado. She teaches undergrad-uate courses in developmental psychology and an internship course. Dr. Wurtele is currently the LAS Associate Dean of Community Partnership and Programs. Sandy is an avid cowgirl, and with her husband (Medical Psychologist, Glenn Kaplan) they breed and show their paint horses in reining, cutting, and working cowhorse events. Robert L. Durham Associate Professor PhD Experimental Psychology, Vanderbilt University Bob Durham has been a professor of psychology at UCCS for 40 years. At UCCS, he has taught a variety of topics, many centering on methodological issues (e.g., program evaluation, research design, multivariate statistics, and psychometric theory). He has been a principal investigator (or co-PI) on numerous grants and contracts. He has authored/co-authored over 60 publications and presenta-tions. He has recently become involved in research concerning the assessment of attitudes towards child sexual abuse and the etiology of sexual offending. He brings a strong psychometric and methodological background to this content area. Leilani Feliciano Associate Professor PhD Clinical Psychology, Western Michigan University Leilani Feliciano joined the faculty at UCCS in 2007. Her research focuses on mental health and aging with particular interest in the intersection of mental/physical health. As an example, she is concerned with how depression impacts the ability to manage a chronic illness. Leilani also enjoys her role as a mentor/teacher; recently winning the MOSAIC Outstanding Faculty Diversity Award, a student-driven award that speaks to her commit-ment in this area. She is Past President of the Psychological Society of the Pikes Peak Region. In her off-time, she enjoys music, karate with her 7-year old daughter, and relaxing with her husband. Elizabeth Daniels Assistant Professor PhD Developmental Psychology, University of California Santa Cruz Beth Daniels is a developmental psychologist. This is her second year at UCCS. Broadly-speaking, Beth is interested in girls’ and women’s develop-ment; more specifically, she studies how media and sexualization impact girls and women. Something you may not know about Beth is that she attended the oldest high school in the United States – Boston Latin School – and studied Latin and ancient Greek there. She’s really good at the game – Free Rice.

Brandon E. Gavett Assistant Professor PhD Clinical Psychology, University of Albany, State University of New York Brandon Gavett is board certified in Clinical Neuropsychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). Prior to joining the UCCS Psychology Department, Dr. Gavett was an Instructor of Neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine and the Director of Neuropsy-chology at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy in Boston, MA. At UCCS, Dr. Gavett provides clinical supervision in neuropsy-chology to graduate students at the UCCS Aging Center and teaches a graduate course in Clinical Neuropsychology. Andrew Lac Assistant Professor PhD Psychology, Claremont Graduate University Andrew Lac is a newbie to UCCS. Notably, his research interests are aligned with many people’s personal interests. His research focuses on substance use and addictive behaviors. Andrew’s most cited journal article involves alcohol use among sorority sisters (the folks who live in buildings with large Greek characters). Further-more, he enjoys developing and validating measurement scales, and hopes to be the first to publish a scale on “clown phobia.” Although Andrew has traveled to over 25 countries, he has only lived in one State (California) before moving to Colorado. Molly Maxfield Assistant Professor, Director of the Clinical MA and Geropsychology Clinical PhD Programs PhD Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Geropsychology, University of Colorado Colorado Springs Molly Maxfield is in her seventh year as a faculty member at UCCS. Molly is the Director of the Geropsychology Track of the doctoral program and the Clinical MA program. She researches a variety of topics in social cognition and aging. Currently, her research is focused on the anxiety people have about developing dementia in later life. One thing you may not know about Molly is that before she decided to become a psychologist, she wanted to be a professional musician and was awarded a music scholarship for college; she played percussion. Kristin Samuelson Assistant Professor PhD Clinical Psychology, University of Virginia Kristi Samuelson is new to the UCCS psychology department, leaving behind the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area where she resided for the past 18 years for the even more beautiful Colorado. She is a clinical psychologist who specializes in trauma and teaches and conducts research within the Trauma Psychology track of the Clinical Psychology PhD program. Passionate about working with veterans and families who have experienced trauma, her research focuses on biopsychosocial markers, particularly neuropsycho-logical functioning, and treatment of PTSD. Something you may not know about Kristi is that she is an avid poker player who has won many small-stakes Las Vegas Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments.

Jennifer Clarke Senior Instructor PhD Social Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Jennifer Clarke is a social psychologist who has taught at the college level since 1999. Her rather eclectic research interests include romantic relationships (specifically commitment and risk-taking behaviors), leadership, self-interest in volunteerism, and stereotype threat. Dr. Clarke taught at UCCS from 2003-2004 and returned in 2008. Dr. Clarke is a dedicated community volunteer, an avid sports fan, and a bit of a gourmand; she enjoys hiking, gardening, and being with family and friends. She is married to Craig Foster, a Professor at the Air Force Academy, and is mom to Langley and Gibson. Tamra Cater Instructor PhD Developmental Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi Tamra Cater has taught at the University of Southern Mississippi, University of Southern Indiana, and the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Her research interests include attachment, romantic relationships, and cognitive development (language and analogical reasoning). She also loves movies, reading, football, cooking, and classic cars. Dr. Cater is married to Tom Cater, a college football coach, and is a parent to 2 cats, Crush and Jacko. Andrea Williams Program Assistant I Andrea Williams began working in the Psychology Department in 1993 after several years in the Budget and Planning Office. She helps the department chairs, directors and PI’s with operational and financial management. She has a BS degree in Biology and Environmental Science. Interests outside of work include cooking and nutrition, hiking, reading, running, and spending time with family. David DuBois Program Assistant II David DuBois has been with the Psychology Department since early 2000. He is a UCCS alum who earned his BA in English in 2008. As a Program Assistant, David manages the application and graduation processes for graduate students as well as purchasing, accounts payable, travel, petty cash advances for study subject payments, and temporary lecturer appointments for the depart-ment. Outside of work he devotes time to his family, reading fiction, reality TV, cooking (and eating), and attending concerts. Some might say that David also has an obsession with Pugs! Laura Chandler Administrative Assistant II Laura Chandler has been the Psychology Department’s Administrative Assistant since 2009. She was a software trainer and worked for a healthcare foundation prior to UCCS. She earned her BA degree in Economics from UCCS and her MS degree in Information Technology Management from Regis University. Laura has been an active member of the UCCS Alumni Association for over 3 years and has given the alumni charge at the 2014 and 2015 UCCS commencement ceremonies. She has a husband, a son, a daughter (who attends UCCS) and a cat.

UCCS Aging Center

The Aging Center is a community-based non-profit mental health services facility administered by the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), and is the primary practicum training site for the APA accredited clinical psychology Ph.D. program. It is currently one of the few geropsychology training clinics in the nation linking the academic standards of excellence and innovative clinical training with the practical needs of the community. The Aging Center provides comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological assessment and treatment services to individuals 55+ as well as their families, trains graduate students in clinical geropsychology and supports the study of psychological aging processes.

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D e g re e P l a n s

We have a large undergraduate program

in which students can earn BA degrees while learning about

the science underlying the field of psychology.

College of Letters, Arts & Sciences | Psychology Department

Location: Columbine Hall 4035 | psych@uccs.edu Department Chair Dr. Mike Kisley | Phone: (719) 255-4177 | mkisley@uccs.edu

Administrative & Undergraduate Program Contact: Ms. Laura Chandler | Phone: (719) 255-4661 | lchandl2@uccs.edu

Graduate Program Contact: Mr. David DuBois | Phone: (719) 255-4500 | ddubois@uccs.edu

http://www.uccs.edu/psych

The Psychological Science track of the MA program gives students a solid foundation in psychological research via coursework on topics such as development, cognition, social behavior, and neuropsychology, and includes a research-based thesis.

MA Psychology - Psychological Science Track

The Clinical track of our MA program provides foundational research skills

and clinical training to prepare students for training at the

doctoral level.

MA Psychology - Clinical Track

The Geropsychology PhD track promotes clinical work and research concerning psychology and aging, including mental health diagnosis, assessment, and intervention for adults and older adults. The Trauma PhD track is designed to train students who have a particular interest in conducting research and working clinically with traumatized individuals.

PhD Geropsychology

& PhD Trauma Psychology

A l u m n i

BA Psychology

KrisAnn McBroom graduated from the MA in Clinical Psychology in 2012. She is the Assistant Dean of the Graduate School at UCCS. She ensures that UCCS graduate programs are upholding the quality and standards of the graduate school. Her educational background allows her to bring empirical data driven decisions to her job. She uses her clinical and research skills every day to bring high quality support to faculty, staff, and graduate students at UCCS.

Matt Motyl is a political psychologist at the University of Illinois, studying how people’s moral and political ideologies steer them into “Red” and “Blue communities, and how this enhances cooperation with like-minded people and causes conflict with others. He writes a blog that uses research to understand the psychology of politics, and created a non-profit organization to improve intergroup civility. He earned his MA degree, in the Psychological Science track from UCCS in 2009.

Renee Pepin recently began her position as a research scientist at Dartmouth Centers for Health and Aging. Renee is highly committed to improving mental health for older adults through community-based services research. She focuses on the delivery of evidence-based treatments to older adults through community-based aging service providers and technology. Renee earned her PhD degree in Geropsychology from UCCS in 2012.

Ethan McMahan earned his BA degree from UCCS in 2005. He went on to complete his PhD in Experimental Psychology (with a focus on Developmental Psychology) at the University of Wyoming. In 2010, Ethan started his current position as a psychology faculty member at the Western Oregon University, where his research explores aspects of well-being.