Greetings, Alumni
from Dr. James Denniston
This year has been an active and exciting year for the Department of Psychology, with four new faculty having joined the Department, two faculty entering phased retirement, and Dr. Paul Fox stepping down as Chairperson after five years of dedicated service. Joining the Department are Drs. Lisa Emery (General-Experimental), Chris Dickinson (General-Experimental), and Shawn Bergman (Industrial Organizational/Human Resource Management).
Also joining the Department is Dr. Scotty Hargrove, our second appointment to the Kulynych/Cline Distinguished Visiting Professorship. Dr. Hargrove comes to Appalachian from Ole Miss and replaces Dr. Rich Nagle who was the inaugural Kulynych/Cline Distinguished Visiting Professor. Dr. Hargrove is an expert on rural clinical psychology and will serve as a consultant to the clinical faculty as we continue the process of planning for a Ph.D. program in rural clinical psychology. Should the university receive permission to establish this program, it would be the second doctoral program (and the first Ph.D. program) offered by the university.
Dr. Hargrove has also created a colloquium series to address concerns of rural psychology, health, and mental health. Last fall, Dr. Michael Blank from the Department of Psychiatry at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine was the inaugural speaker in this series. Later this spring, Dr. Cindy Carlson from the University of Texas, Dr. Sue Keefe from the Department of Anthropology at Appalachian, and Drs. Lisa Curtin and Kurt Michael from our own department, will participate in a rural mental health symposium as part of this series.
Last spring, Dr. Paul Fox stepped down as Department Chair following five years of service and I was appointed Chair, with Dr. Ken Steele serving as Assistant Chair. Dr. Fox continues to train graduate students in the Teaching of Psychology course and is enjoying his break from administrative duties so that he can have more time to pursue research on jury decision making and teach at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Next year Drs. Joan Woodworth and Hank Schneider will both enter their final year of phased retirement. We will all miss Joan and Hank.
This year the Psychology Clinic moved to its new home at the Institute for Health and Human Services housed in University Hall. Dr. Josh Broman-Fulks directs the clinic with consultation from Dr. Schneider. The Psychology Clinic offers our Clinical-Health graduate students the opportunity to develop skills in AD/HD assessment and the treatment of anxiety disorders.
Unfortunately, the current economic climate has also posed numerous challenges to the Department and our students. While the Department has weathered significant budget reversions this year, next year promises to be a greater challenge to both faculty and students. With the fall of the stock market, the Department's endowment that provides scholarships and approximately $5,000 of research and travel support to our students will have little if any funds available for allocation to our students for next year. This lack of support at a time in which students have the greatest need is particularly worrisome. Contributions of any amount to the Department's annual fund would help support our current students as they try to take full advantage of the opportunities available to them at Appalachian. If you are interested in making a financial gift to the Department, please see our website or contact me directly.
We very much appreciate your interest and support of our Department's activities. Please stop by Smith-Wright Hall when you visit campus and be certain to look for the Department's tent at Homecoming each fall.