Department of Psychology
Faculty and Staff
Dr. Charles F. Kaiser, Chair
Ph.D., University of Houston, 1973

Office Location:
57 Coming St., Office #104
Phone:
843-953-5705
E-Mail: kaiserc@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Health Psychology, Psychology of Stress, and Sports Psychology.

Research Interests:
Correlates of depression in children and adults, gifted adolescents, health behaviors and coping with disasters.

Dr. Robin Bowers
Ph.D., Colorado State University, 1987

Office Location:
55 Coming St., Office #201
Phone:
843-953-5617
E-Mail: bowersr@cofc.edu

Teaching Interests: Forensic Psychology, Physiological Psychology, Motivation and Emotion.

Research Interests:
Forensic Psychology, Neuroanatomy of violent self-destruction behavior, Sociocognitive determinants of aggressive behavior.


Dr. Adam Doughty
Ph.D., West Virginia University, 2002

Office Location:
14 Coming St., Office #100
Phone:
843-953-7300
E-Mail: doughtya@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Conditioning and Learning, Conditioning and Learning Laboratory, and Introduction to Psychological Science.

Research Interests:
My research interests lie in the experimental analysis of behavior. To bring knowledge of basic behavioral processes to bear on clinically significant issues (e.g., learning and problem behavior in mental retardation and developmental disabilities), I conduct laboratory research using both non-human animals (pigeons and rats) and humans (people with and without mental retardation). Research topics have included behavioral persistence, behavioral history, behavioral variability, choice, conditioned reinforcement, reinforcement-schedule interactions, relational learning, discriminative stimulus control, and punishment.

Dr. G. David Gentry
Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1978

Office Location:
59 Coming St., Office #100b
Phone:
843-953-5962
E-Mail: gentryd@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Conditioning and Learning, Psychological Statistics, and Research Methods.

Research Interests:
Experimental research on choice behavior, self-control, impulsivity, risk taking, and operant conditioning.

Dr. James B. Hittner
Ph.D., Hofstra University, 1993

Office Location:
14 Coming St., Office #101
Phone:
843-953-6734
E-Mail: hittnerj@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Psychology of Personality, Psychology of Substance Abuse, Abnormal Psychology and the Psychology of Creativity.

Research Interests:
Expectancies, risk perceptions and substance abuse;Substance abuse and HIV-risky sexual behavior;Applied statistics and Monte Carlo simulation; Statistical software development.

Dr. Mark W. Hurd
Ph.D., University of Toronto, 1996

Office Location:
59 Coming St., Office #202
Phone:
843-953-6362
E-Mail: hurdm@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Physiological Psychology (and lab), Behavioral Genetics, Psychopharmacology.

Research Interests:
I am a behavioral neuroscientist with two specific areas of interest. First, I am interested in circadian rhythms and attempting to understand how circadian oscillators interact with one another to affect overt behavior. I have worked primarily with zebrafish for the past several years and one of my interests in these animals is to better understand the relationship between circadian rhythms and leaning and memory. My other area of interest involves functional neuroimaging and bioinformatics. My colleagues at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and I use functional neuroimaging for presurgical mapping of brain tumors; these data are used in conjunction with structural imaging techniques for patients with operable brain tumors. In addition, we also work on functional neuroimaging of the motor system and dystonia, an involuntary, often painful, continuous muscle contraction that produces abnormal postures and movements. We hope that these experiments will lead to a better understanding of and treatments for this condition.

Dr. Michael M. Marcell
Ph.D., Vanderbilt University, 1978

Office Location:
55 Coming St., Office #201
Phone:
843-953-8197
E-Mail: marcellm@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Introduction to Psychological Science, Research Methods, Laboratory classes in Cognitive Psychology and Sensation and Perception.

Research Interests:
Auditory cognition and auditory imagery; online experimentation.

Dr. Cynthia May
Ph.D., Duke University, 1995

Office Location:
55 Coming St., Office #103
Phone:
843-953-6735
E-Mail: mayc@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
Not applicable - On sabbatical
Teaching Interests: Cognitive Psychology, Adult Development and Aging, Cognitive Laboratory, and Introduction to Psychological Science.

Research Interests:
I am a cognitive psychologist with primary interests in human memory and aging. My research attempts to understand the mechanisms responsible for optimal cognitive performance, and how these mechanisms decline with age. One ultimate goal of my work is to develop paradigms and strategies for improving intellectual functioning for both younger and older adults. To this end, I am currently exploring two main areas of work: circadian arousal and emotion. My colleagues and I have explored the ways in which an individual's circadian arousal, or daily peak time, influences cognitive performance. In a series of studies we found that intellectual work that requires careful, strategic processing is best performed at one's peak time of day. Our second line of research is currently exploring the extent to which emotion can be used to boost memory, especially for older adults.

Dr. Kim May
Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, 1992

Office Location:
14 Coming St., Office #201
Phone:
843-953-6363
E-Mail: mayk@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Quantitative Methods, Statistics, Tests and Measurement, Research Design.

Research Interests:
One of my primary interests is investigating the use of Item Response Theory (IRT) to solve measurement problems, particularly the measurement of change. The other is in applied statistics, including Monte Carlo studies to investigate the statistical properties (e.g., power and Type I error rate) of various statistical procedures.

Dr. Garrett Milliken
Ph.D., University of Memphis, 1991

Office Location:
65 Coming St., Office #211
Phone:
843-953-5443
E-Mail: millikeng@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Sensation and Perception (and lab), Physiological Psychology (and lab) and Comparative Psychology.

Research Interests:
I am a Comparative Psychologist broadly trained in the area of systems neuroscience. My major areas of interest are in the evolution of brain and behavior. More specifically, I am interested in the evolution of primate behavior, the characterization of laterality, hand structure and manipulative ability. I also have an interest in the study of perceptual mechanisms of neural plasticity.

Dr. Lisa Thomson Ross
Ph.D., Wayne State University, 1993

Office Location:
65 Coming St., Office #209
Phone:
843-953-6776
E-Mail: rossl@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Social Psychology, Introduction to Psychological Science, Psychology of Personality, Introduction to Women’s Studies, Social Psychology Lab, and the following Special Topics courses: Psychology of Gender, Social Relationships and Mental Health, & Personality Development.

Research Interests:
Broadly speaking, my research involves applying social psychology to mental health issues. My three major research interests have revolved around the causes, correlates and consequences of unpredictability (e.g., family chaos), the etiology and prevention of alcohol misuse, and the etiology of body image and eating disorders. I have also conducted research on sexual assault and social support.

Dr. Thomas P. Ross
Ph.D., Wayne State University, 1994

Office Location:
59 Coming St., Office #200
Phone:
843-953-3339
E-Mail: rosstp@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Introduction to Psychological Science, Abnormal Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Neuropsychology, and Special Topics in Psychotherapy and Counseling.

Research Interests:
Neuropsychological assessment and models of executive functioning. Addition interests include the relationship between depression and cognition in patients with neurological illness.

Dr. Michael Ruscio
Ph.D., Cornell University, 2001

Office Location:
59 Coming St., Office #205
Phone:
843-953-7106
E-Mail: rusciom@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Physiological Psychology and Lab, Introduction to Psychological Science.

Research Interests:
I am a behavioral neuroendocrinologist interested in the neural mechanisms associated with parental behavior and other affiliative behaviors. For example, brief exposure to a foster neonate can elicit spontaneous parental behavior in several vertebrate species. Yet, within a population some animals respond to neonates far better than others. I investigate how neuropeptidies, neurogenesis, and other neuroendocrine measures contribute to this variation. Additionally, I examine how exposure and reaction to a neonate permanently alters the brain and predicts responses to other social stimuli. I also investigate the degree to which certain social circumstances (living in isolation, with related individuals, or with strangers) can be stressful or beneficial for an animal by measuring neuropeptidergic, neurogenic and behavioral responses. I take a comparative approach to my research and have studied social behaviors in avian (Japanese quail) and mammalian (prairie vole) species.

Dr. Susan Simonian
Ph.D., Ohio State University, 1987

Office Location:
14 Coming St., Office #202
Phone:
843-953-8271
E-Mail: simonians@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
Not applicable - on sabbatical
Teaching Interests: Diverse areas of child and adult health psychology and preventative health, abnormal psychology, child psychopathology, and behavior therapy (applied behavioral analysis).

Research Interests:
Effects of chronic illness on children and families, preventative health, early identification of mental health disorders in children, effects of exercise during pregnancy on maternal, infant and child outcomes. Additional interests concern multi-disciplinary approaches to wellness and prevention of illness across the lifespan.

Dr. C. Vincent Spicer
Ph.D., University of Kentucky, 1999

Office Location:
65 Coming St., Office #210
Phone:
843-953-6785
E-Mail: spicercv@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Social Psychology (and lab), Industrial Psychology and Organizational Behavior.

Research Interests:
My primary research interest falls within the broad area of stereotyping and prejudice. I am particularly interested in examining the effects of stereotyping and prejudice on members of stigmatized groups. More precisely, this interest focuses on investigating the extent to which stereotyping and prejudice significantly influence the social identity and self-efficacy of members of culturally stigmatized groups, particularly in situations where a negative cultural stereotype about the group is relevant.

Dr. Faye B. Steuer
Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1973

Office Location:
55 Coming St., Office #102
Phone:
843-953-8196
E-Mail: steuerf@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Developmental Psychology, Mass Media and Human Development, History and Systems of Psychology.

Research Interests:
Psychological aspects of mass media; mother-child interactions as influenced by the presence of television; an in-depth examination of developmental psychology textbooks as works of scholarship.

Dr. Rhonda Swickert-Hittner
Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, 1996

Office Location:
55 Coming St., Office #101
Phone:
843-953-5046
E-Mail: swickertr@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Psychology of Personality, Social Psychology (and lab).

Research Interests:
My research interests are focused on examining individual differences in stress perception and coping processes. My most recent work has examined how people may learn and grow from weathering aversive events. In addition to my work on individual differences and stress and coping, I am also interested in personality factors that are believed to have a strong biological basis such as extraversion, neuroticism, and sensation seeking.

Dr. Carol Toris
Ph.D., University of Virginia, 1986

Office Location:
55 Coming St., Office #203
Phone:
843-953-8198
E-Mail: torisc@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Social Psychology (and lab), Psychology of Language, Nonverbal Communication, Observational Research Methods, and Environmental Psychology.

Research Interests:
Verbal and nonverbal behavior as a function of social context;figurative language use in medical contexts; gestures that accompany idiomatic speech; multi-cultural similaries and differences in gesture use.

Dr. Katherine White
Ph.D., University of Florida, 2002

Office Location:
57 Coming St., Office #202
Phone:
843-953-5517
E-Mail: whitek@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: My teaching interests lie in both cognitive psychology and adult development and gerontology. At the College of Charleston, I have taught Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Laboratory, and Introduction to Psychological Science.

Research Interests:
My research interests are in memory and language processing in young and older adults. More specifically, my research investigates the effects of priming (phonological, semantic, orthographic) on word retrieval. For example, I am interested in how different forms of priming influence retrieval of low frequency words, of word spellings, and of preexisting versus new associations. In addition, I am currently exploring the conditions that facilitate memory for new information in both young and older adults.

Dr. John Widholm
Ph.D., American University, 1997

Office Location:
57 Coming St., Office #204
Phone:
843-953-8194
E-Mail: widholmj@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Conditioning and Learning (and lab), Introduction to Psychological Science.

Research Interests:
Assessing the impact of developmental exposure to environmental contaminants on learning and behavior. I am currently assessing the effects of developmental exposure to ammonium perchlorate (a rocket fuel additive) on neurobehavioral function in rats.


Visiting Faculty
Dr. Kelly Schuller
Ph.D.

Office Location:
57 Coming, Office #205
Phone:
843.953.5494
E-Mail: schullerk@cofc.edu
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Developmental Psychology



Dr. Susan Woodward
Ph.D., City College of the City University of New York

Office Location:
57 Coming, Office #203
Phone:
TBA
E-Mail: TBA
Office Hours: Spring 2008
To be announced
Teaching Interests: Cognitive Psychology




Staff
Ms. Stacia Clark
Department Administrative Assistant
Office Location:
57 Coming, Office #102
Phone:
843-953-5590
E-Mail: clarks@cofc.edu
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
 

Ms. Tanyekia Robinson-Johnson
Department Administrative Assistant
Office Location:
57 Coming, Office #102
Phone:
843-953-5590
E-Mail: robinsonjohnsont@cofc.edu
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
 

Adjunct Faculty - Spring 2008
Faculty Course
Dr. Brian Sullivan Introduction to Psychological Science
Dr. Sherry Rieder Introduction to Psychological Science
Dr. Ron Acierno Abnormal Psychology
Dr. Cheryl Bennett Abnormal Psychology
Dr. Lori Knackstedt Introduction to Psychological Science
Ms. Anada Amstadter Introduction to Psychological Science
Ms. Bettina Veigel Introduction to Psychological Science
Dr. Joe Dispenza Personality
Dr. Russ Nazzaro Introduction to Psychological Science
Dr. Diane Hamrick Introduction to Psychological Science
Dr. Jennifer Bennice Psychology of Stress
Dr. Traci Fraley Introduction to Psychological Science

Copyright 2001-2008, All rights reserved, College of Charleston
 

This page was last updated: 01.January.2008