How can I schedule an appointment with you?
Can I get into your class?
What are your research interests?
What courses do you teach?
What is your approach to teaching?
Are you taking new undergraduate students to work in your lab?
Do you supervise undergraduate departmental honors students?
Do you supervise undergraduate university honors students?
Do you supervise undergraduate students working on an internship?
Do you write letters of recommendation for your students?
How can I schedule an appointment with you?
Students can make an appointment with me in two ways. First, the best way for a student to make an appointment with me is to sign up for one of my office hours. To sign up, go to the Department of Psychology office on the fourth floor of the Psychology/Math (aka Psychology/Computer Science) building. The department maintains a bulletin board that lists my office hours.
Students can also sign up by calling the departmental office (815-753-0372).
The second way for a student to make an appointment with me is to contact me directly (voice: 815-753-7086; email: [email protected]). I strongly prefer to meet during my office hours, so please sign up through the department if possible.
Can I get into your class?
Undergraduate students seeking to get into my class should register in the usual way. If the class is full, keep trying -- openings are sometimes created as students rearrange their schedules, especially during the week before and the first week of class. If you are not able to register in the usual way, then come to the first day of class, get a syllabus, and let me know you want to get in. Usually I receive only a few such requests and I try hard to admit everyone. I expect those that are admitted by special permit or with a waiver of a prerequisite to recognize the sacrifices made on their behalf and to act accordingly.
What are your research interests?
My research examines cognitive and emotional factors related to anxiety, anxiety disorders, and change in anxiety during treatment, addressing questions such as: what are the mechanisms of change in effective therapies for anxiety disorders?; what are the implications of these mechanisms for how we understand the psychopathology, including etiology and maintenance?; and how can treatment and prevention be improved based on what we learn about mechanisms of change?
Information processing theory provides an important foundation for my understanding the process of change during exposure therapy for anxiety conditions. Using this foundation, my past research has examined the process of fear reduction during exposure and cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors that are involved in the maintenance of anxiety disorders. The goal of this research is to better understand pathological fear and anxiety, and the mechanisms by which pathological fear and anxiety decrease over time and during treatment.
An important program of research in my lab involves the development of an early intervention for social anxiety. My clinical research team is currently implementing an intervention for incoming college freshmen at NIU, and developing an intervention for social anxiety in high school and middle school students. The goal of this line of research is to develop and disseminate effective and usable treatments during the early course of social anxiety disorder, and to better understand the psychological, interpersonal and academic consequences of social anxiety during the early course of the disorder.
My graduate students are working on projects related to how social anxiety effects the interpretation of positive social events; the role of safety behaviors in social anxiety; identity and self-injury behavior; distinct etiological pathways in hypochondriasis; the application of terror management theory to obsessive compulsive disorder; test anxiety; and other topics. One area of research that I need help with is the implementation of an early intervention program for socially anxious students as they make the transition to a new educational institution (such as from middle school to high school, and high school to college). I am also doing some work related to test anxiety, and doing some reading and writing about brain areas (e.g., the anterior cingulate cortext) and cognitive factors (e.g., error detection and rumination) in the etiology and maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder, and other anxiety conditions. I am also interested in other topics, including racism and antiracism, and pseudoscience and parapsychology.
A list of my publications can be found in the publications section of this website.
I have a strong and active lab. My graduate students are well-trained, publish in peer-reviewed journals, present at national professional conferences, and have good employment outcomes. More information about my former and current graduate students can be found in the former students and current students section of this website.
Undergraduate students working with me sometimes publish in peer-reviewed journals and present at national professional conferences.
What courses do you teach?
Most semesters I teach one undergraduate course (PSYC 316: Introduction to Psychopathology) and one graduate course (alternating between PSYC 654: Psychotherapy Practicum and PSYC 680C: Multicultural Diversity, Supervision, and Consultation). In the past I have also taught PSYC 417: Behavior Modification and PSYC 413: Clinical Psychology Laboratory at the undergraduate level, and PSYC 642: Personality Assessment, PSYC 641: Advanced Psychopathology, and PSYC 644: Cognitive Behavioral Theory and Techniques at the graduate level.
What is your approach to teaching?
My teaching philosophy is communicated to my students on my course syllabi. On the syllabus for my Clinical Psychology Lab course (PSYC 413), one of the course objectives is:
“Students will take an active role in their learning about clinical psychology research, being aware of their strengths and limitations, being open to feedback from instructors and peers, and actively pursuing knowledge and skills in clinical psychology research.”
All of my syllabi also include the following description of roles and responsibilities:
“The teachers’ role is to teach and evaluate. This includes administration of and communication about the course; providing lectures, class activities, and assignments; grading assignments, participation, and exams; and being available to facilitate students’ learning. The students’ role is to learn. This includes attending and participating in class; completing the readings and assignments in a timely manner; taking the exams; and asking questions to clarify procedures, assignments, and curriculum issues.”
I create and facilitate training opportunities that are tailored to students’ needs and abilities. I include activities to engage and motivate students, particularly early in the semester. I work hard at teaching and providing reasonable and appropriate accommodations. I am particularly responsive to those students that are engaged and working hard to learn.
I am actively engaged in teaching and in improving my teaching. I continue to work on improving my classroom teaching and staying abreast of developments with the academic and professional practice fields. I also do some research related to teaching effectiveness.
I have a strong and active lab. My graduate students are well-trained, publish in peer-reviewed journals, present at national professional conferences, and have good employment outcomes. More information about my former and current students can be found in the former students and current students sections of this website.
Are you taking new undergraduate students to work in your lab?
Yes! Each semester I have between 2 and 12 undergraduate students working in my lab, helping with research. We typically have 4 or 5 students working in my lab, usually as part of their registration in PSYC 485: Independent Study. The number of students that I accept depends on the projects we have underway. If you are interested in working in my lab, fill out an application.
Feel free to contact me if you want more information. You might also look at the department of psychology’s listing of professors looking for undergraduate research assistants.
Undergraduate students completing PSYC 485 in my lab participate in a variety of research-related activities, including lab meetings, collecting data from human research participants, library research, entering data, collating questionnaires, assisting with lab organization and maintenance, scheduling data collection sessions, participant recruitment, and other research assignments. The student is also expected to complete a 12-15 page research paper that includes a literature review, a set of hypotheses, and proposed method of investigation. The paper topic must be related to the projects currently being conducted and approved by me in advance.
Undergraduate students that work in my lab sometimes also do so a recipient of an Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program grant (URAP). URAP opportunities are available in my lab only during certain semesters. If I know a semester in advance that an undergraduate student would be interested in a URAP grant, I can apply for one to try to create the opportunity.
I often write letters of recommendation for students that work in my lab as they apply to graduate schools. Undergraduates that work in my lab are essential for the success of my research program, and I am grateful to them for all they do.
Do you supervise undergraduate departmental honors students?
Yes, but only on a limited basis. Supervising undergraduates in departmental honors sometimes helps my research program, especially when the student is strong academically, hard working, and respectful, and when the project is sound and related to my interest. The department and the university provide little special recognition or acknowledgement of my supervision of departmental honors, and this work has only a small effect on the evaluations of my work by my colleagues, the department chair, or the university administration. Departmental honors projects are most successful when the student recognizes that the faculty member is taking time away from other important activities to provide a special training opportunity, and when the student works hard to learn and to complete the project.
Undergraduate students with strong academic records and plans to pursue graduate training in psychology are welcome to make an appointment with me to discuss the possibility of departmental honors. Departmental honors works best for me if the undergraduate student has interests similar my interests, is flexible, and contacts me early in their junior year (or earlier). I often have ideas for research that students might pursue as an honors project.
Do you supervise undergraduate university honors students?
Yes, but only on a limited basis.
Supervising undergraduates in university honors occasionally helps my research program. The department and the university provide for no special recognition or acknowledgement of my supervision of university honors, and this work does not affect the evaluations of my work by my colleagues, the department chair, or the university administration. University honors projects are most successful when the student recognizes that the faculty member is taking time away from other important activities to provide a special training opportunity, and when the student works hard to learn and to complete the project.
Undergraduate students are welcome to make an appointment with me to discuss the possibility of pursuing university honors. This is usually done in the context of registration for PSYC 485: Independent Study.
Do you supervise undergraduate students working on an internship?
Yes, but only on a limited basis. Students should find an academic supervisor with interests that match with the internship placement.
Cooperative internships are most successful when the student recognizes that the faculty member is taking time away from other important activities to provide a special training opportunity, and when the student works hard to learn and to complete the project.
Undergraduate students are welcome to make an appointment with me to discuss the possibility of having me serve as their academic supervisor for PSYC 489: Cooperative Internship. I typically require the student to meet with me two times, to review three or four empirical journal articles, and to write a 10-12 page APA-format paper.
Do you write letters of recommendation for your students?
For undergraduate students that have worked in my lab through PSYC 485 or URAP, the answer is “almost always.” Writing letters of recommendation for students does not help me directly, but it is a way to show my gratitude for the contributions that these students make to my lab and my research program. For students that have taken other courses with me (including a cooperative internship) but have not taken PSYC 485 or completed a URAP, the answer is “sometimes.”
Writing letters is more work for me. The department and the university provide no special recognition or acknowledgement when I write these letters, and doing so has no effect on the evaluations of my work by my colleagues, the department chair, or the university administration. I fully expect that students requesting letters of recommendation will recognize the sacrifices made on their behalf and to act accordingly.
I will tell you if I have any reservations or concerns that would affect my recommendation. If I agree to write a letter of recommendation for you, then schedule a 30 minute meeting with me. Bring information about yourself (any personal statements or letters you plan to submit, unofficial transcript, resume, etc.) and information about the program or position (forms, addresses, etc.). Don’t worry about stamps or envelopes. I consider it the student’s responsibility to follow-up with me to make sure the letters are sent – persist until I tell you “the letter has been sent.”
Can I get into your class?
What are your research interests?
What courses do you teach?
What is your approach to teaching?
Are you taking new undergraduate students to work in your lab?
Do you supervise undergraduate departmental honors students?
Do you supervise undergraduate university honors students?
Do you supervise undergraduate students working on an internship?
Do you write letters of recommendation for your students?
How can I schedule an appointment with you?
Students can make an appointment with me in two ways. First, the best way for a student to make an appointment with me is to sign up for one of my office hours. To sign up, go to the Department of Psychology office on the fourth floor of the Psychology/Math (aka Psychology/Computer Science) building. The department maintains a bulletin board that lists my office hours.
Students can also sign up by calling the departmental office (815-753-0372).
The second way for a student to make an appointment with me is to contact me directly (voice: 815-753-7086; email: [email protected]). I strongly prefer to meet during my office hours, so please sign up through the department if possible.
Can I get into your class?
Undergraduate students seeking to get into my class should register in the usual way. If the class is full, keep trying -- openings are sometimes created as students rearrange their schedules, especially during the week before and the first week of class. If you are not able to register in the usual way, then come to the first day of class, get a syllabus, and let me know you want to get in. Usually I receive only a few such requests and I try hard to admit everyone. I expect those that are admitted by special permit or with a waiver of a prerequisite to recognize the sacrifices made on their behalf and to act accordingly.
What are your research interests?
My research examines cognitive and emotional factors related to anxiety, anxiety disorders, and change in anxiety during treatment, addressing questions such as: what are the mechanisms of change in effective therapies for anxiety disorders?; what are the implications of these mechanisms for how we understand the psychopathology, including etiology and maintenance?; and how can treatment and prevention be improved based on what we learn about mechanisms of change?
Information processing theory provides an important foundation for my understanding the process of change during exposure therapy for anxiety conditions. Using this foundation, my past research has examined the process of fear reduction during exposure and cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors that are involved in the maintenance of anxiety disorders. The goal of this research is to better understand pathological fear and anxiety, and the mechanisms by which pathological fear and anxiety decrease over time and during treatment.
An important program of research in my lab involves the development of an early intervention for social anxiety. My clinical research team is currently implementing an intervention for incoming college freshmen at NIU, and developing an intervention for social anxiety in high school and middle school students. The goal of this line of research is to develop and disseminate effective and usable treatments during the early course of social anxiety disorder, and to better understand the psychological, interpersonal and academic consequences of social anxiety during the early course of the disorder.
My graduate students are working on projects related to how social anxiety effects the interpretation of positive social events; the role of safety behaviors in social anxiety; identity and self-injury behavior; distinct etiological pathways in hypochondriasis; the application of terror management theory to obsessive compulsive disorder; test anxiety; and other topics. One area of research that I need help with is the implementation of an early intervention program for socially anxious students as they make the transition to a new educational institution (such as from middle school to high school, and high school to college). I am also doing some work related to test anxiety, and doing some reading and writing about brain areas (e.g., the anterior cingulate cortext) and cognitive factors (e.g., error detection and rumination) in the etiology and maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder, and other anxiety conditions. I am also interested in other topics, including racism and antiracism, and pseudoscience and parapsychology.
A list of my publications can be found in the publications section of this website.
I have a strong and active lab. My graduate students are well-trained, publish in peer-reviewed journals, present at national professional conferences, and have good employment outcomes. More information about my former and current graduate students can be found in the former students and current students section of this website.
Undergraduate students working with me sometimes publish in peer-reviewed journals and present at national professional conferences.
What courses do you teach?
Most semesters I teach one undergraduate course (PSYC 316: Introduction to Psychopathology) and one graduate course (alternating between PSYC 654: Psychotherapy Practicum and PSYC 680C: Multicultural Diversity, Supervision, and Consultation). In the past I have also taught PSYC 417: Behavior Modification and PSYC 413: Clinical Psychology Laboratory at the undergraduate level, and PSYC 642: Personality Assessment, PSYC 641: Advanced Psychopathology, and PSYC 644: Cognitive Behavioral Theory and Techniques at the graduate level.
What is your approach to teaching?
My teaching philosophy is communicated to my students on my course syllabi. On the syllabus for my Clinical Psychology Lab course (PSYC 413), one of the course objectives is:
“Students will take an active role in their learning about clinical psychology research, being aware of their strengths and limitations, being open to feedback from instructors and peers, and actively pursuing knowledge and skills in clinical psychology research.”
All of my syllabi also include the following description of roles and responsibilities:
“The teachers’ role is to teach and evaluate. This includes administration of and communication about the course; providing lectures, class activities, and assignments; grading assignments, participation, and exams; and being available to facilitate students’ learning. The students’ role is to learn. This includes attending and participating in class; completing the readings and assignments in a timely manner; taking the exams; and asking questions to clarify procedures, assignments, and curriculum issues.”
I create and facilitate training opportunities that are tailored to students’ needs and abilities. I include activities to engage and motivate students, particularly early in the semester. I work hard at teaching and providing reasonable and appropriate accommodations. I am particularly responsive to those students that are engaged and working hard to learn.
I am actively engaged in teaching and in improving my teaching. I continue to work on improving my classroom teaching and staying abreast of developments with the academic and professional practice fields. I also do some research related to teaching effectiveness.
I have a strong and active lab. My graduate students are well-trained, publish in peer-reviewed journals, present at national professional conferences, and have good employment outcomes. More information about my former and current students can be found in the former students and current students sections of this website.
Are you taking new undergraduate students to work in your lab?
Yes! Each semester I have between 2 and 12 undergraduate students working in my lab, helping with research. We typically have 4 or 5 students working in my lab, usually as part of their registration in PSYC 485: Independent Study. The number of students that I accept depends on the projects we have underway. If you are interested in working in my lab, fill out an application.
Feel free to contact me if you want more information. You might also look at the department of psychology’s listing of professors looking for undergraduate research assistants.
Undergraduate students completing PSYC 485 in my lab participate in a variety of research-related activities, including lab meetings, collecting data from human research participants, library research, entering data, collating questionnaires, assisting with lab organization and maintenance, scheduling data collection sessions, participant recruitment, and other research assignments. The student is also expected to complete a 12-15 page research paper that includes a literature review, a set of hypotheses, and proposed method of investigation. The paper topic must be related to the projects currently being conducted and approved by me in advance.
Undergraduate students that work in my lab sometimes also do so a recipient of an Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program grant (URAP). URAP opportunities are available in my lab only during certain semesters. If I know a semester in advance that an undergraduate student would be interested in a URAP grant, I can apply for one to try to create the opportunity.
I often write letters of recommendation for students that work in my lab as they apply to graduate schools. Undergraduates that work in my lab are essential for the success of my research program, and I am grateful to them for all they do.
Do you supervise undergraduate departmental honors students?
Yes, but only on a limited basis. Supervising undergraduates in departmental honors sometimes helps my research program, especially when the student is strong academically, hard working, and respectful, and when the project is sound and related to my interest. The department and the university provide little special recognition or acknowledgement of my supervision of departmental honors, and this work has only a small effect on the evaluations of my work by my colleagues, the department chair, or the university administration. Departmental honors projects are most successful when the student recognizes that the faculty member is taking time away from other important activities to provide a special training opportunity, and when the student works hard to learn and to complete the project.
Undergraduate students with strong academic records and plans to pursue graduate training in psychology are welcome to make an appointment with me to discuss the possibility of departmental honors. Departmental honors works best for me if the undergraduate student has interests similar my interests, is flexible, and contacts me early in their junior year (or earlier). I often have ideas for research that students might pursue as an honors project.
Do you supervise undergraduate university honors students?
Yes, but only on a limited basis.
Supervising undergraduates in university honors occasionally helps my research program. The department and the university provide for no special recognition or acknowledgement of my supervision of university honors, and this work does not affect the evaluations of my work by my colleagues, the department chair, or the university administration. University honors projects are most successful when the student recognizes that the faculty member is taking time away from other important activities to provide a special training opportunity, and when the student works hard to learn and to complete the project.
Undergraduate students are welcome to make an appointment with me to discuss the possibility of pursuing university honors. This is usually done in the context of registration for PSYC 485: Independent Study.
Do you supervise undergraduate students working on an internship?
Yes, but only on a limited basis. Students should find an academic supervisor with interests that match with the internship placement.
Cooperative internships are most successful when the student recognizes that the faculty member is taking time away from other important activities to provide a special training opportunity, and when the student works hard to learn and to complete the project.
Undergraduate students are welcome to make an appointment with me to discuss the possibility of having me serve as their academic supervisor for PSYC 489: Cooperative Internship. I typically require the student to meet with me two times, to review three or four empirical journal articles, and to write a 10-12 page APA-format paper.
Do you write letters of recommendation for your students?
For undergraduate students that have worked in my lab through PSYC 485 or URAP, the answer is “almost always.” Writing letters of recommendation for students does not help me directly, but it is a way to show my gratitude for the contributions that these students make to my lab and my research program. For students that have taken other courses with me (including a cooperative internship) but have not taken PSYC 485 or completed a URAP, the answer is “sometimes.”
Writing letters is more work for me. The department and the university provide no special recognition or acknowledgement when I write these letters, and doing so has no effect on the evaluations of my work by my colleagues, the department chair, or the university administration. I fully expect that students requesting letters of recommendation will recognize the sacrifices made on their behalf and to act accordingly.
I will tell you if I have any reservations or concerns that would affect my recommendation. If I agree to write a letter of recommendation for you, then schedule a 30 minute meeting with me. Bring information about yourself (any personal statements or letters you plan to submit, unofficial transcript, resume, etc.) and information about the program or position (forms, addresses, etc.). Don’t worry about stamps or envelopes. I consider it the student’s responsibility to follow-up with me to make sure the letters are sent – persist until I tell you “the letter has been sent.”
Photo by clare_and_ben used under Creative Commons license