Psychology News

USU Professors Michael Twohig and Michael Levin are collaborating with researchers at Kent State University to adapt Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for students of veterinary medicine to reduce mental health challenges and improve well-being and ...

In the Quantified Cognition Lab, students explore the relationship between perception, memory, and decision-making to understand how these processes shape human knowledge and guide actions.

Are you a psychology student with a passion for research? The upcoming 95th Annual Rocky Mountain Psychological Association (RMPA) Conference is the perfect stage for you to showcase your work and contribute to advancing psychology as a science and profes...

The USU Behavior Analysis program is hosting a virtual open house for applicants interested in furthering their education in the field of psychology. This event is an excellent opportunity to connect directly with faculty members and learn how to make you...

We are thrilled to introduce three exceptional additions to our faculty at Utah State University. Each brings a wealth of experience and passion to our community, and we’re excited to see the impact they’ll make in the psychology department.

Dr. Andrew Craig, a distinguished professor at SUNY Upstate Medical University, has been appointed as the next President of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Division 25: Behavior Analysis. His term, starting in 2025, will mark a new chapter ...

The Psychology Department celebrates one of its largest graduating classes in department history, with 302 students receiving degrees. This year’s valedictorian, Kylen Aycock, is a statewide student and shares some of his experiences from his time at USU....

a combined total of nine doctoral students from the Combined Clinical/Counseling and School Psychology specializations matched with internships locations this spring marking another year of 100% match rate for internship placement in these programs!

Rachel Hollingsworth discovered a passion for helping students while earning her undergraduate degree, which lead to her finding a home and community within our M.Ed. school counseling program.

Six graduate students, along with two faculty members from the Utah State University (USU) psychology department’s school psychology program attended and presented at the 2024 National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) annual convention.

Undergraduate students from Utah State University and University of Utah descended on the Utah State Capitol on Jan. 18 to present their research projects to legislators during the 2024 Legislative Session. A limited number of students were selected to pa...

It’s no secret that the Psychology Department, housed in the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, has been a trailblazer when it comes to producing a top-notch online bachelor’s degree program.

Amy Odum, a professor of Psychology in the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services at Utah State University, has been selected as the 2024 recipient of a lifetime achievement award by the American Psychological Association (APA) in Divis...

Dr. Tae-Won Kim is the newest faculty member in the School Counseling M.Ed. Program. Dr. Kim is committed to integrating various psychological and counseling theories into school counseling programs to gain a deeper understanding of student behaviors in K...

Dr. Emily Weichart is the newest faculty member of USU's Brain and Cognition Specialization. Her research investigates the connection between perception, memory, and decision making...

José Manuel Gonzalez Vera, a doctoral student in the Combined Clinical/Counseling program, recently achieved a significant milestone by receiving the 7 for 17 Award from the Utah Global Diplomacy.

The USU Psychology Department is hosting multiple program open houses for applicants interested in furthering their education in the field of psychology.

John Barr is a current graduate student in the USU Combined Clinical/Counseling PhD specialization. During his time at USU, John has worked with mentors who have greatly impacted his academic journey and helped him deepen his love of psychology.

This summer, several of our faculty members and students had the opportunity to attend and present their research at the American Psychological Association’s (APA) annual conference.

Interview with Dr. Maggie Chan, one of the newest faculty members of the Psychology department.

With the use of electronic cigarettes on the rise among adolescents in the U.S., Psychology professor Amy Odum and her research team are studying the factors that impact nicotine addiction by creating a system that allows rats to vape.

After a lifetime of work as a therapy and cardiac alert dog, 13-year-old Sugar the service dog was honored at the 2023 graduate commencement ceremony along with her owner, Psychology doctoral candidate Jill Ferrell.

The work that we do in the psychology department is focused on having a long-term impact. Mentoring graduate students is no exception. The time spent within the psychology department is intended to prepare our students for their future careers and give th...

Dr. Melanie Domenech Rodríguez, a professor within the Utah State University Department of Psychology, has been appointed to serve as the next editor for the academic journal Family Process. “I feel a tremendous sense of awe and responsibility as a person...

This month, faculty members and students from the Psychology department attended the 2023 Rocky Mountain Psychological Association (RMPA) conference. Several Psychology students received awards and recognition for their work in the field of psychology.

At this year's D. Wynne Thorne Lecture, 2022 D. Wynne Thorne Career Research Award recipient Dr. Melanie Domenech Rodríguez spoke of her lifetime of research and mentorship in addressing health disparities among culturally diverse people.

In collaboration with clinical researchers at Rutgers University, psychology professor Dr. Timothy Shahan is researching how basic behavioral interventions can help treat of severe problem behavior in children with intellectual development disorders.

Seven doctoral students from the Utah State University Psychology Department’s Combined Clinical/Counseling and School Psychology specializations matched with internship locations this month through the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral Internship Ce...

Dr. Jessie Koltz, director of the School Counselor Education master’s program, recently participated in the Utah School Counselor Association Educator Day on the Hill along with several students.

Laura Rupper is a current student in the Professional School Counselor Education MEd program here at USU. After earning an undergraduate degree in Human Biology, Laura worked in a variety of positions in school K-12 school settings where she discovered a ...

Dr. Tyler Lefevor will continue his research on the relationship between religion and sexual and gender identity as a member of the 2022-2023 cohort of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) Public Fellows Program.

Dr. Mona Buhusi has spent much of her research career studying how cognitive decline happens and how it can be reduced, and she does this with the help of some unlikely research partners: swimming mice.

A child’s early ability to count, recognize symbols, and read numerals all predict later mathematics achievement. Dr. Kerry Jordan is researching how to help young children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds enter school ready for math achievement.

Heidi Pitkin is a third year student in the USU School Counseling Education Program. Heidi got her undergraduate degree in social work, and always wanted to further her education. In 2019, she realized she wanted to become a school counselor and enrolled ...

Jennifer Madsen is a second year student in the USU School Counseling Education Program. After getting her undergraduate degree in 2019, Jennifer found her passion for helping students overcome obstacles. Jennifer decided to pursue a master's degree to he...

The USU Psychology Department is hosting multiple program open houses. Each open house will provide potential applicants with information about our unique programs, review application requirements, and discuss supports available to our students.

Dr. Michael Levin, Professor and Director of Clinical training for the Utah State University Department of Psychology’s Combined Clinical/Counseling Ph.D. Specialization was appointed to serve in the position of Editor-in-Chief for the “Journal of Context...

Interview with Dr. Gonca Soyer, the newest faculty member of the Psychology department.

The psychology department's labs are designed to help each of our students discover what areas of focus they are passionate about by conducting research alongside their peers and mentors. One of the labs for the School Psychology Ph.D. program is The Scho...

Dr. Mona Buhusi, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and an active researcher in neuroscience at USU, is the inaugural recipient of the Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Researcher Center faculty fellowship.

Psychology undergraduates Marisa Davis and Emma Greenwood will be among only 60 students across the nation to present their research at the Council on Undergraduate Research’s Posters on the Hill 2022.

Together with Dr. Clarissa Ong, Psychology professor Dr. Mike Twohig has released a new self-help book titled "The Anxious Perfectionist," which aims to help individuals recognize how perfectionism may be creating stress and anxiety in their lives.

To help address a growing need for youth mental health services, Psychology PhD candidate Julie Petersen is studying the effectiveness of online acceptance and commitment therapy for adolescents experiencing health anxiety.

Despite the inherent challenges of inferring thought processes in species that cannot communicate using human language, researchers have made considerable strides in testing increasingly diverse species to gain insight into their cognitive states.

The Utah State Psychology Department and Dr. Christopher Warren present The Role of Neuromodulation in Reactive Balance. When balance is perturbed, generating a rapid balance reaction is critical to avoid a fall.

Camille Odell has been the director of the Professional School Counselor Education Program at Utah State University since 2001 and retired at the end of 2021.

Despite the inherent challenges of inferring thought processes in species that cannot communicate using human language, researchers have made considerable strides in testing increasingly diverse species to gain insight into their cognitive states.

Dr. Amy Odum, a professor within the Utah State University Department of Psychology, has been appointed to serve as the next president of the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

The APA citation for the Society of Indian Psychologists (SIP) recognizes department alumni Kee Straits, department faculty Melissa Tehee, and emeritus faculty Carolyn Barcus, praising SIP for visionary leadership and collaborative inclusiveness.

Justin Bassett is a senior student in the USU Professional School Counselor Education program. Justin has completed two years of program coursework and is now finishing the required internship hours.

The Utah State University ACT Research Group has launched ACT Guide for Adolescents, an online mental health program centered on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) that is designed specifically for teenage users.

The Utah State University ACT Research Group has launched ACT Guide for Adolescents, an online mental health program centered on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) that is designed specifically for teenage users.

Emily Mendoza is a senior in the Utah State University Professional School Counseling Program. Emily will receive a master’s degree in education in psychology upon her graduation in December 2021.

Dr. Tyler Lefevor has been awarded a fellowship from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). The PRRI Public Fellowship promotes and supports interdisciplinary public scholarship through a cohort of emerging scholar-leaders in social science and hu...

The Utah State Psychology Department and Dr. Kaston Anderson-Carpenter present Doing unto the Least of These: Applied Behavioral Science and Public Health Integration at the Margins of Society.

Graduate students, faculty, and partners of the USU Psychology Department meet with refugee children every Saturday to play soccer. Clinical assistant professor Sara Boghosian and graduate student José Manuel Gonzalez Vera started this soccer club in part...

Mary Phan, a second-year student in the Utah State University Department of Psychology’s School Psychology PhD specialization, has been selected as a Health Policy Research Scholar.

The Utah State Psychology Department and Dr. Tyler Renshaw present Measuring Mindfulness with Youth: Current Issues and Construct Validity. Having valid measures of mindfulness is necessary for advancing a science-based approach to mindfulness-based inte...

The Utah State Psychology Department and Dr. Shawn Whiteman present Hidden in Plain Sight: Sibling Influences on Adolescents’ Health and Adjustment. Broadly, Dr. Shawn Whiteman conducts research on the connections between family socialization processes an...

The Utah State University Psychology department’s School Psychology doctoral specialization has been granted initial accreditation as a Health Service Psychology training program by the American Psychological Association (APA).

The Utah State University Psychology Department welcomes three new faculty members to campus as the 2021-22 academic year begins. All three faculty will support different areas within the department and bring unique perspectives as researchers and mentors...

Dr. Jordan Singleton is a graduate of Utah State University’s undergraduate psychology program with a dual degree in philosophy. Following graduation, Jordan earned his MD from Medical College of Wisconsin.

Despite the many challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Gregory Madden found success in his online Psychology 1410 course. PSY 1410 is a lab course taken concurrently with PSY 1400, an introductory behavior analysis course.

Utah State University student Janice Snow has been invited to present her research at the Council on Undergraduate Research’s (CUR) Posters on the Hill 2021, which will take place as a virtual event April 27-28, 2021.

Join the Utah State University Department of Psychology for this year's virtual Day of Action for Suicide Prevention.

Dr. Jesse Crosby is a graduate of the Utah State University Combined Clinical/Counseling and School Psychology specializations. At the time of his enrollment, Jesse was interested in a career as a psychotherapist.

The Psychology Department at Utah State University stands with the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities as they face dramatic and significant escalations of harassment, discrimination, hate crimes, and racially motivated violence.

The Utah State Psychology Department and Dr. Tom Power present Promoting Family and School Success for Children with ADHD. This presentation will describe the theoretical and empirical foundation for Family-School Success (FSS)...

Dr. Jennifer Grewe, assistant professor in the Utah State University Psychology Department, has been elected to the Psi Chi Board of Directors as the Rocky Mountain Regional Vice President.

Six doctoral students from the USU Psychology Department’s Combined Clinical/Counseling and School Psychology specializations matched with internship locations on February 19, 2021 through the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral Internship Center (APPI...

Dr. Amy Odum is a professor of psychology at Utah State University. Her areas of scholarship include basic behavioral phenomena, such as response persistence, sensitivity to delayed outcomes, conditional discriminations, and environmental influences on dr...

Three students from the Utah State University Department of Psychology were selected for annual awards from the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services (CEHS). Each awardee is also nominated for the university award in their respective c...

Dr. Melanie Domenech Rodríguez, professor of psychology in the Combined Clinical/Counseling specialization at Utah State University, was appointed to the Psychologist Licensing Board for the State of Utah on January 13, 2021.

The Utah State Psychology Department and Dr. Regan Gurung present Wearing Your Heart on Your Sleeve - Impressive Formation, Prejudice, and the Power of Clothing.

This year, despite the challenges in conducting and presenting research during a global pandemic, three undergraduate students from the Department of Psychology will be presenting at the USU Fall Student Research Symposium, an all-virtual event.

USU Alumni are Honored with APA Division Awards. Two alumni of the USU Psychology behavior analysis specialization received significant awards this year from the American Psychological Association (APA).

My research primarily examines self-regulated learning (SRL), which includes a variety of sub-processes such as setting goals, planning, and holding adaptive motivational beliefs before a task,...

The Utah State Psi Chi chapter has been awarded a Model Chapter Award by Psi Chi International. Psi Chi is an international honor society in psychology. Their purpose is to encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in scholarship and advance the scien...

Join the Utah State Department of Psychology for an open house and information session about our doctoral program with a specialization in behavior analysis.

José Manuel González Vera, a second-year student in the Utah State University Department of Psychology’s Combined Clinical Psychology/Counseling Psychology PhD program, has been selected as a new member of Health Policy Research Scholars (HPRS).

Join the Utah State Department of Psychology for an open house and information session about our doctoral program in School Psychology. We will be reviewing a broad range of topics including what we are seeking in applicants, how all of our students recei...

The Utah State Psychology Department and Dr. Sarfaraz Serang present Mplus Trees and Applications to COVID-19. Dr. Sarfaraz Serang is an assistant professor of psychology at Utah State University.

The Utah State Psychology Department and Dr. Tyler Lefevor present Religiousness and Health Among Sexual Minorities: Lessons from LGBTQ Mormons. Tyler Lefevor is an assistant professor of psychology at Utah State University.

The Utah State University Department of Psychology will be recognizing its 2020 doctoral graduates. Join Department Head, Scott Bates, faculty, students, and their families as we celebrate this momentous occasion.

The Utah State University Department of Psychology is welcoming three new faculty members to campus as the 2020-2021 academic year begins. Each new faculty member brings a different viewpoint and a fresh perspective on education and psychology.

This review publication is the culmination of over 20 years of work. In 1999, I published my first article on delay discounting, which is how temporally remote outcomes have less value to us than things that will happen sooner.

Shari Linares is anything but an average first-year undergraduate student. As she transitions from high school to college, Linares has already begun to build a strong foundation in psychology research that can be used to improve the lives of those around ...

The Utah State University Department of Psychology recently celebrated an important milestone in its doctoral program as it awarded its 150th PhD. Kaitlyn Browning completed her dissertation, “Translational examination of alternative-response discriminati...

Levin, M.E., Krafft, J.*, Hicks, E.T.*, Pierce, B.* & Twohig, M.P. (2020). A randomized dismantling trial of the open and engaged components of acceptance and commitment therapy in an online self-help program for distressed college students. Behaviour Res...

Makinzie Clark is a graduate of the Utah State University Professional School Counselor Program with a master’s degree in education in psychology. Makinzie received her bachelor’s degree from USU in communication studies in 2017.

James (Jens) Nielson is a graduate of the Utah State University Department of Psychology’s Professional School Counselor Program. Nielson completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Utah Valley University in 2009.

Brooke Roden is a graduate from the USU Psychology Department’s Professional School Counseling Program with a master’s degree in education in psychology.

Erica Ficklin has been awarded a Predoctoral Fellowship in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (MHSAS) from the American Psychological Association’s Minority Fellowship Program (MFP).

Dr. Jennifer Grewe has been announced as the new director of the University Connections program. Connections is an academic course designed to help students transition to higher education and life as a college student.

In light of the current crisis surrounding novel coronavirus COVID-19, the USU Psychology Department has found new methods to promote connection, student success, and kindness.

Jay Hinnenkamp is a doctoral student in the USU Department of Psychology’s Behavior Analysis Program and a student in Dr. Greg Madden’s Behavioral Economics Lab. Hinnenkamp was recently awarded the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services...

Eleven graduate students and three faculty from the Utah State Psychology Department’s School Psychology Program attended and presented research at the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Annual Convention in Baltimore, Maryland in Februar...

Six doctoral students in the Utah State Psychology Department’s Combined Clinical/Counseling Program matched with internship locations on February 21, 2020 through the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Center (APPIC).

Will Walker is a senior in the Psychology Department’s undergraduate program. He started his higher education career undecided about a major and a career path. A few weeks into his first psychology class, Walker was hooked.

Anthony Wheeler is an alumnus of the experimental psychology program and a current Health Outcomes Advisor at Eli Lilly and Company. He came to Logan seeking unique research opportunities and was captivated by the beauty and mountains.

Dr. Michael Levin was recently selected as the next editor-in-chief of the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science (JCBS). Levin is an Associate Professor for the Combined Clinical/Counseling Psychology PhD program in the Utah State University Department...

Katie Brown comes to the Utah State University Department of Psychology after receiving her doctoral degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where she provided behavior analytic services in the Severe Behavior Program and the Autism and Sev...

Sterling Tobiasson is a recent graduate of the Professional School Counseling Program at Utah State. He is a self-proclaimed “late bloomer,” pursuing his Master’s of Education after following many career paths including teacher, pilot, EMT, excavator, and...

A faculty member and five students from the Utah State University Psychology Department presented research at the 53rd Annual Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Convention in Atlanta, Georgia in November.

Cassity Haverkamp, MEd, is a PhD student in the School Psychology Program at Utah State University. After completing her undergraduate degree at Weber State, a faculty member and an advisor both recommended she continue her education at USU.

Aggie’s Think-Care-Act held the third annual Inclusive Excellence Symposium on October 30, 2019. The program began with a welcome address from Utah State University President Noelle Cockett with Dr. Crystal Fleming as the keynote speaker.

Five students and a faculty member from the Utah State University Department of Psychology attended the 2019 National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA) Conference on October 17–20, 2019, in Miami, Florida.

Byron Garcia is a student in the Combined Clinical/Counseling PhD Program at Utah State and a fellow in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).

Rebecca K. Blais, associate professor in the Psychology Department, was named the new associate department head on October 1, 2019. This new administrative position in the Department of Psychology assists the current department head in offering support to...

Sarfaraz Serang, one of the newest USU Psychology Department faculty, has a focus on quantitative measures; he sees the future of data analyzation. His interests focus on developing modern statistical methods for use in social sciences.

Ken Kaisch was working as a priest at an Episcopal church in southern Utah in early 1980, when he started looking for a way to pursue his dream of getting a PhD in clinical psychology.

Jonathan Rich came to Utah State from a rural community just across the border in Bear Lake County, Idaho. He received a bachelor’s degree at USU in psychology with minors in chemistry and biology.

As the summer heats up and the Psychology Department prepares for an incoming cohort of students and the next school year, six psychology students are preparing for new adventures in doctoral internship programs across the country.

After receiving an undergraduate degree at the College of Charleston, Annie Galizio accepted a position as a graduate student in the Behavior Analysis Program at Utah State University.

Three graduate students in the Utah State Psychology Department Professional School Counselor (MEd) Program were awarded fellowships from the American Psychological Association (APA).

The 32nd annual American Indian Psychologists & Psychology Graduate Student Convention was held in Cache Valley from June 21-25, 2019. Each year, individuals come together from across the United States for a week of fellowship, learning, and connection.

Undergraduate student, Savannah Daines came to USU unsure about her future. She is leaving with a passion for medicine and a minor in psychology, which she says prepares her with the necessary perspectives and resources...

Summer time can be about catching up on the things you let slide during the semester, but it can also be about taking a deep breath, participating in self-care, and refreshing before the next school year. Make your summer a productive and rejuvenating one...

Hallie Tannahill, a second-year student in the Combined Clinical/Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program at Utah State University, has been selected for the United States Air Force Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP).

This publication fits perfectly into my program of research to address mental health disparities in Latinx populations by cultural adapting and evaluating Generation PMTO interventions tailored for Latinx families

My research primarily examines self-regulated learning (SRL), which includes a variety of sub-processes such as setting goals, planning, and holding adaptive motivational beliefs before a task,...