UNCW PSYCHOLOGY VOLUME 6, SPRING 2011 UNCW PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER W E L C O M E F RO M T H E C H A I R INSIDE THIS ISSUE: NEW FACULTY SPOTLIGHT 2 GRADUATE STUDENT SPOT 2 FACULTY PROFILE: OGLE 3 ALUMNI PROFILE: HART 4 GRADUATE STUDENT ACTIVITIES 4 PLANNED DOCTORAL PROGRAM 5 FACULTY HIGLIGHTS 7 EVENT PICTURES 10 Faculty editor: Robert Hakan Student editors: Alyssa Fritz & Amanda Rickard Dr. Mark Galizio I have never been so excited to see a pile of dirt! As a construction crew began work near the Nursing Building in March, this pile represented what will be a signal event for our program: the construction of the $33 million Teaching Laboratory Building which will be the future home of the psychology department. I have been watching the digging with anticipation as the crew continues working at the site because this new building will mean so much to us. Some of you alumni may remember when the entire department was housed in one corner of the Social and Behavior Sciences Building (some of you will remember even further back to King Hall). Today, our 33 fulltime faculty members have laboratories and offices spread across eight different academic buildings. The new building will permit us to get the entire program under one roof! Even more importantly, the new classrooms, laboratories and clinical training areas will enhance all of our programs with state-of-the-art facilities. You can see a short video narrated by College of Arts and Sciences Dean David Cordle showing some of at this link: http:// uncwtv.uncw.edu/video/ psychweb.mov. The building is expected to be completed in July 2012— and if all goes according to plan, we’ll move in just in time to support the implementation of the proposed doctoral program in psychological science. Last spring, the UNC Board of Governor’s approved UNCW’s request to plan the doctoral program, and this year the department completed the implementation plan which is the final piece in the UNC program development process. The implementation plan has been approved by the UNCW administration and now awaits final review by the UNC Board of Governors. Continued on page 3 ANNUAL ALUMNI RECEPTION By: Alyssa Fritz “The new classrooms, laboratories and clinical training areas will enhance all of our programs with state-of-theart facilities.” - Mark Galizio This year, UNCW’s annual homecoming took place from Feb. 17-20, and activities consisted of award presentations, reunions, a TEALgating to support the Seahawks, a homecoming parade as well as individual departmental alumni receptions. The psychology department’s alumni reception provided an opportunity for alumni, current students and current and former faculty members to reunite and to meet one another. It was an occasion to socialize, enjoy hors d’oeuvres and learn about current departmental accomplishments and undertakings. It was extremely successful and received an impressive turnout. At this year’s cele- bration all three chairs of the psychology department were in attendance; including the founder of the department, John Williams, Andy Jackson and Mark Galizio. Melissa Deal, the student recipient of the Williams-Jackson merit scholarship, also spoke at the reception. Continued on page 9 VOLUME 6, SPRING 2011 Page 2 N E W F A C U LT Y S P OT L I G H T Graciela Espinosa-Hernandez The UNCW psychology department is pleased to welcome our newest faculty member, Graciela EspinosaHernandez. She was born and raised in Puebla, Mexico. She started her career in psychology at the Universidad de las AméricasPuebla, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree. She went on to obtain her master’s degree and Ph.D. in human development and family studies from Pennsylvania State University. She completed her academic studies in 2009 and then went on to complete post-doctoral work, also at Pennsylvania State University. Her postdoctoral work assessed sexual and romantic relationships among adolescents of Mexican-origin living in Arizona. As part of this postdoctoral work, she was able to return to Puebla, Mexico, to continue her research with Latino adolescents, studying normative develop- By: Amanda Rickard ment and psychological adjustment in diverse cultural contexts. She evaluated factors of sexual development such as condom use, risky sexual behavior, romantic relationships and symptoms of depression. Having recently received the Cahill Award, which includes funding for her research, she will soon have the opportunity to return to Puebla to conduct follow -up assessments with the same population. Tracy Taylor Each year, UNCW honors six graduate level teaching assistants with a Graduate Teaching Award. In order to be considered, a teaching assistant must demonstrate exceptional competence in teaching and mentoring, show a clear mastery of their subject material and communicate it with enthusiasm and clarity to under- For all who know Taylor, this award is no surprise whatsoever. She is extremely motivated and dedicated as a student, a researcher, a teaching assistant and in everything else she does. She has been a teaching assistant to Ray Pitts, Chris Hughes, Wendy Donlin and Graciela Espinosa-Hernandez. Taylor earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of Charleston. She works in a behavioral The department is proud to welcome her as a fellow Seahawk, and students and faculty alike will undoubtedly benefit from her experience and expertise in the field of psychology. Espinosa-Hernandez will be able to take undergraduates with her, offering an excellent research opportunity and invaluable cultural ex- G R A D U AT E S T U D E N T S P O T L I G H T graduate students. This year, our own Tracy Taylor, student of Ray Pitts, earned this honor and was recognized as one of the six Graduate Teaching Award recipients! perience her students of psychology. She is teaching courses in Lifespan and Adolescent Development, as well as a specialized seminar in Latino Adolescent Sexuality. By: Amanda Rickard pharmacology lab under the direction of Ray Pitts. She will begin a Ph.D. program in biological and health psychology at the University of Pittsburgh in the fall. Broadly, her research interest is the experimental analysis of behavior. While here at UNCW, her thesis project involved studying microanalysis of choice behavior in animals. In May, Tracy will give an invited address presenting data from her master’s thesis, as part of a symposium at the Association for Behavior Analysis International’s annual conference. We would like to sincerely congratulate Taylor on her success at UNCW, as well as on her recent engagement! We are proud to call her a Seahawk as she is a true exemplar of the highest caliber of students. We wish her all the best as she continues her education and her career! DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY NEWSLETTER F A C U LT Y P R O F I L E : R I C H O G L E concentration and is serving as graduate coordinator for the psychology department. Rich Ogle In July 2011, UNCW’s psychology department will welcome a new chair, Richard Ogle. He is a clinical psychologist who graduated from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque in 2001 and specializes in addictions and posttraumatic stress disorder. He has been working at UNCW since August 2002 and is an associate professor. Ogle has also held the position of clinical training coordinator for the Substance Abuse Treatment (SATP) graduate His publications cover areas of substance abuse, interpersonal violence, deliberate self harm, alcohol use, perceived control, intoxication and aggression, as well as clinical assessment and clinical methodology. As the new chair he plans to seamlessly transition from where Galizio has left off shepherding in a new curriculum, moving into the new building and, upon approval, implement the Ph.D. program. Additionally, Ogle hopes to support UNCW’s historically strong culture of promoting faculty-based grant-funded research while continuing the departmental tradition of teaching excellence and clinical training. Ogle and Carrie Clements, another psychology faculty member at UNCW, are in the final stages of developing a major project for the U.S. Marine Corps. They are seeking funding to allow them to prospectively assess Page 3 By: Alyssa Fritz individual vulnerability differences for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to combat-related stress. Their program then provides them with PTSD inoculation training. Current rates of PTSD estimate that between 6-20 percent of military combatants will develop symptoms that will put these men and women at an increased risk for mental and/or physical health problems, marital problems as well as a significantly higher risk of suicide. They have developed an online program to evaluate individual resiliency prior to deployment. Then, they are able to create individualized risk profiles and will be able to provide 24/7 individualized training and access to a counselor. The grant proposal is for $1.5 million. Clements and Ogle have met with the UNCW Military Advisory Board, Camp Lejuene command staff and the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, who has committed assistance to secure funding W E L C O M E F RO M T H E C H A I R Continued from pg. 1 A fall 2012 semester start date is projected for the new Ph.D. program. Psychology department planning efforts have not been limited to graduate training. We completed the design of a new undergraduate curriculum this year that will roll out in fall 2011. The field of psychology is constantly changing, and the new curriculum will reflect these changes and ensure that UNCW students continue to have the opportunity to study in a cutting-edge undergraduate program. New courses offered will include Brain and Behavior, Forensic Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology, and Psychometrics, just to name a few. You can take a look at the new curriculum at: www.uncw.edu/ psy/undergrad-newcurriculum.html. Maybe it’s time for you to come back to UNCW and catch up with what’s happening in psychology? One additional note: this is my seventh year serving as department chair and will mark the completion of my final term as chair. It has truly been an honor to serve in this position, and I am grateful for the hard work and support of the many faculty members, for the program. “Dr. Ogle and Dr. Clements...are in the final stages of developing a major project for the US Marine Corps. They are seeking funding to allow them to prospectively assess...for PTSD...” Carrie Clements UNCW administrators, students and alumni who have contributed so much to the success of our program. The department is very fortunate in that Rich Ogle has agreed to become our next chair. You can learn more about Ogle in this issue’s Faculty Profile. I hope you enjoy this newsletter. Check out the department’s website, www.uncw.edu/psy for regular updates on our activities. VOLUME 6, SPRING 2011 Page 4 A L U M N I P RO F I L E : C A R L H A RT Dr. Carl Hart This year, the Department of Psychology held its first colloquium series. The series started out with an absolute bang, with the distinguished Carl Hart, associate professor of psychology at Columbia University. Hart was featured in Wired UK magazine for his wellknown and sometimes controversial drug abuse research at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. The article in the February issue, written by Russ Juskalian, may explain Hart’s research best: “Hart pays volunteers to take ecstasy, methamphetamine or marijuana. He then monitors everything they do, eat, drink and say. He draws blood on the hour, sometimes more frequently. He searches their kitchen waste to see if they didn't finish any of their food. And to top it off, Hart's recruits— who live in a windowless, fully surveilled apartment for up to three weeks— spend hours taking computer-based cognitive tests, clicking away in a druginduced euphoria or a drugwithdrawal dysphoria.” In addition to this, Hart has what he calls the MethLab, where his most controversial studies are conducted. His subjects receive high doses of methamphetamine and are monitored throughout the day. This type of research has been tradition- ally conducted in animals, but Hart believes that the best way to understand the effect of a drug, such as meth, on humans, is to simply study it in humans. When asked about what drives him to continue this research amid controversy he may face, Hart explains that because there is so much misinformation about drugs, it’s very important to determine what these drugs actually do by direct observation in order to separate myth from reality. Hart is truly dedicated to the scientific truths that drug research can provide. Wired UK magazine explains that “…Hart is rewriting the theory of addiction and pointing the way to better treatments,” which we recognize as a very exciting research endeavor. What’s even more exciting is that G R A D U AT E S T U D E N T A C T I V I T I E S Top: Adam Sukonick, Alyssa Fritz, Bryan Messina, Tiffany Shader, Carrie Branch, Jim Rossi, Andrew Hawkey, Matthew Barker and Daryn Goldhammer. Bottom: Davor Zink, Lucia Lazarowski, Christopher Beck, Rachel Eure and Matt Alcala By: Amanda Rickard Hart was once one of us! Hart attended UNCW and worked as a research assistant in Robert Hakan’s electrophysiology lab, studying the effects of drugs such as morphine and nicotine in rats. Hakan went on to introduce Hart to Charles Ksir, who would then become Hart’s advisor as he completed his doctoral work at the University of Wyoming. Hart’s research has provided the field with very real and beneficial information about drug abuse and will assuredly continue to open the eyes and minds of those who come across his work. When asked if he has any information for those of us who strive to be researchers, Hart said, that “Researchers must find the reason within themselves for pursuing their avenue of Continued on page 6 By: Alyssa Fritz Every year, UNCW offers its students a wide array of intramural sports. This past fall, a group of graduate students played intramural indoor soccer. Participation allows students to stay active as well as socialize outside of academic settings. Under the leadership of second-year graduate student Christopher Beck and first-year graduate student, Matt Alcala, the “Action Potentials” completed the season with an impressive record of 6-1 and the placed second out of 16 teams. DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY NEWSLETTER P L A N N E D D O C TO R A L P RO G R A M The Department of Psychology at UNCW has not gone without its share of excitement and growth over the past few years. Psychology is one of the largest majors at UNCW, with more than 600 majors and 300 minors. Our program is recognized for teaching excellence, for student research and student practicum involvement. Our faculty members have been recognized internationally for teaching, research and scholarship. Together 12 different investigators in our faculty have received $4 million over the past 10 years to assist with their research endeavors. Furthermore, in May 2010, the psychology department received approval for its request to plan a doctoral program. It will be an excellent addition to our already strong graduate program. Currently, our graduate program has three tracks, or concentrations, leading to a Master of Arts degree in psychology. Tracks are: general psychology, substance abuse treatment and prevention, and applied behavior analysis. Each concentration emphasizes the scientific methods and principles common to all fields of psychology. All master's students participate in supervised research and are required to complete an individual thesis. There are more than 70 active graduate students, and there have been 110 graduates from the program since 1994. The major goal of the doctoral program is to generate professionals who will develop and deliver empirically supported treatments for severe and persistent cognitive and behavioral disorders in underserved and diverse populations in North Carolina and the nation. In an effort to prepare our students to serve diverse populations, all students will receive extensive training in cultural diversity and must meet a Spanish language proficiency requirement. This will prepare graduates to meet the needs of an important growing demographic group in our region. The doctoral program will emphasize our strength in clinical psychology and will offer four clinical concentrations. Addictions/ psychopharmacology concentration would build on the success of the already established substance abuse treatment and prevention program. It is believed that this program will be of great benefit because alcoholism and addiction are among our nation’s most significant mental health problems; in fact, it has been reported that about 50 percent of all Page 5 By: Amanda Rickard mental health clients have substance abuse issues. Furthermore, studies suggest that there is more than a sevenfold return for every dollar invested in treatment, but there is a shortage of substance abuse treatment specialists in North Carolina and the nation. The second concentration, dementias/cognition and aging, will build off of the current success of one of our already established specialties. It will be an excellent addition to our clinical program because of the drastic need for relevant research. It is estimated that by 2030, the U.S. population age 65 and older will more than double, and the projected growth for our region is even higher. Current statistics also indicate a strong need for more research; Alzheimer’s Disease affects nearly five million Americans and approxi- Continued on page 6 “The major goal of the doctoral program is to generate professionals who will develop and deliver empirically supported treatments for severe and persistent cognitive and behavioral disorders in underserved and diverse populations in North Carolina and nationally.” Artist Rendering of New Psychological Science Building VOLUME 6, SPRING 2011 Page 6 P L A N N E D D O C TO R A L P RO G R A M Continued from pg. 5 mately 25 percent of all persons age 85 and older suffer from some form of dementia. This concentration will allow for doctoral students to assist our faculty members in their research pursuits and continue the development of knowledgeable researchers and educators in the field of cognition and aging. The third concentration, developmental disabilities and behavior analysis, will develop our current applied behavior analysis clinical concentration. Applied behavior analysis is an empirically supported treatment for autism, developmental disabilities and other behavioral disorders. Today, autism spectrum disorders and mental retardation are among the most persistent and severe behavioral disorders, affecting 3-4 percent of American children. There is a strong demand for research and graduates in the field of behavior analysis in our immediate area and on a broader, national level. Members of our behavior analytic faculty are national leaders in this field and will provide today’s master’s students and future doctoral students incomparable training in the field. The fourth concentration will be mental illness in corrections/forensic psychology. Students in this concentration will develop skills in forensic assessment and research and will be uniquely trained to develop and provide empirically supported treatments that promote illness management and successful community re-entry for this population. This will be a highly valued emphasis as individuals with persistent cognitive behavioral disorders represent an ever-increasing proportion of the population residing in prisons and other correctional facilities. All concentrations were designed to respond proactively to the shortfall of psychologists and the growing need in these areas. Our program will be one of a kind in North Carolina, as no universities in the state offer training with a focus in the psychology of persistent cognitive and behavioral disorders. The program will benefit future students, the research and educational infrastructure at our university, as well as the city and our surrounding areas. The true potential for such a program has yet to be realized. It is clear, however, that the future of our UNCW Psychology Department will be one of growth and opportunity. A L U M N I P RO F I L E : C A R L H A RT Continued from pg. 4 study. It’s a 24/7 type of career, and there has to be a reason that you know you do it.” This, Hart says is passion, and it’s something that psychology students at UNCW have a good deal of. We are thrilled Hart was able to bring it full circle, to come back and share with us his research and his passion for it. FA L L 2 010 COMMENCEMENT DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY NEWSLETTER Page 7 F A C U LT Y H I G H L I G H T S Kate Bruce continues to serve as director of the Honors Scholars program and CSURF. She published two articles and was editor-in-chief of Explorations, the North Carolina undergraduate research journal. Carrie Clements continues to serve as director of the Center for Teaching Excellence. She is co-investigator with Rich Ogle on a major grant proposal on PTSD submitted to the U.S. Marine Corps. Dale Cohen continues research on his five-year, $700,000 National Institute on Child Health and Human Development grant studying numerical reasoning and biases. He published two articles and gave a talk at a major national conference this year. Karen Daniels published an article and completed a web module on successful aging for the N.C. Gerontology Consortium. Alissa Dark-Freudeman was the sole author of a chapter in the book Aging in America. Mark Galizio received a $220,000 three-year grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to study the acute and chronic effects of drugs of abuse on memory processes. Cameron Gordon published a book review and was elected president of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy’s Special Interest Group on Couples Research and Therapy. Rob Hakan served as editor of the Departmental Newsletter. Christine Hughes was appointed associate editor of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, the leading journal in her field, and published a research article. Anne Hungerford published an article in the journal Violence and Victims. Andy Jackson received the McFarland Edgerton Award from the North Carolina Mental Health Association at its annual meeting. This award is given for long-term contributions to the cause of mental health and is stated to be the association’s highest recognition for a professional or volunteer who works in this area. James Johnson published three articles and completed his term as associate editor for the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Julian Keith served as an expert witness in three legal cases involving cognitive impairment related to brain injury. Hayden Kepley published two articles and was selected for a Discere Aude award for his effectiveness in mentoring student research. Joe Kishton’s documentary film on Salvador Dali and Henry Miller premiered at UNCW and was shown at several national venues. Len Lecci published two articles and two book chapters. He gave the keynote address at two regional meetings of the Eastern N.C. Alzheimer’s Association. Shanhong Luo published five articles and a monograph including a report of her research on the accuracy and biases in newlywed’s perceptions of each other which came out in Psychological Science. Sally MacKain published two articles and developed a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant in collaboration with the Coastal Horizons Center. Bryan Myers continued research funded by his nearly $400,000 National Science Foundation grant on forensic psychology. He also published two articles and three book chapters and chaired the departmental doctoral planning committee. Jennifer Myers continues to coordinate the department’s counseling practicum program and leads group advising for undergraduate majors. Simone Nguyen completed work on her project on children’s concepts of food and healthy eating which was funded for $144,000 by the National Institute of Child Health and Development. She also published an article reporting the results of some of her funded research. VOLUME 6, SPRING 2011 Page 8 F A C U LT Y H I G H L I G H T S Nora Noel published two articles and continues to serve as a member of the state licensing board. Rich Ogle is a co-investigator with Carrie Clements on a major grant proposal on PTSD submitted to the U.S. Marine Corps and also published an article this year. He continues to serve as the departmental graduate coordinator and is chair of the board of trustee for Coastal Horizons, a regional treatment center. Bill Overman completed work on his $79,000 National Institute on Drug Abuse grant to study decision making in adolescents. Carol Pilgrim continued to serve as associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Ray Pitts published two articles and served as program co-chair of the Association for Behavior Analysis International annual meeting. Tony Puente published a book, six book chapters and a research article. He served as a member of the Joint Committee for Standards for Educational and Psychological Tests and the American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Panel. Puente is the only non-physician and first-ever psychologist to serve on this panel which regulates many facets of how health care is done in the U.S. Kim Sawrey continues to serve as chair of the University Studies committee. Jeff Toth published an article and continues to serve as the departmental webmaster. Carole Van Camp was appointed to the board of editors for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, the key journal in her field. Wendy Donlin Washington published an article and a book chapter. She served as a member of the board of directors and program chair for the Southeastern Association for Behavior Analysis. Back row, left to right: Anne Hungerford, Jeff Toth, Hayden Kepley, Cameron Gordon, Len Lecci, Julian Keith, Joe Kishton, and Rob Hakan. Middle row: Shanhong Luo, Tony Puente, Simone Nguyen, Rich Ogle, Sally MacKain, Karen Daniels, Christine Hughes, Carole Van Camp, Graciela Espinosa-Hernandez, and Kim Sawrey. Front row: Mark Galizio, Wendy Washington, Nora Noel, Andy Jackson and Ray Pitts. DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY NEWSLETTER Page 9 ANNUAL ALUMNI RECEPTION Continued from pg. 1 This year’s event highlighted the architectural plans for the new psychology building through a virtual tour. Mark Galizio also had the honor to inform guests that UNCW is approved for a request to plan a Ph.D. program and is currently waiting to receive word on the final submission decision. The event was a great success, and we look forward to seeing you at the 2012 alumni reception at next year’s homecoming! UNCW psychology department chairs, past and present Pictured from left to right: Andy Jackson, John Williams and Mark Galizio 2011 HOMECOMING uncw.edu/psy VOLUME 6, SPRING 2011 Page 10 E V E N T P H OTO S G RO U N D B R E A K I N G F O R THE NEW BUILDING SPRING 2011 COMMENCEMENT DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY NEWSLETTER Page 11 CALLING ALL ALUMNI The Department of Psychology wants to hear from YOU! Please visit our website: www.uncw.edu/psy and take a minute to fill out the alumni survey. We are interested in what you have been doing since leaving UNCW, both in psychology and non-psychology fields. 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College Road Wilmington, North Carolina 28403-5612 New Psychological Sciences Building University of North Carolina Wilmington Artist Rendering