Faculty Research Interests
Our mission is to promote research in psychology among undergraduate students through faculty mentoring, which prepares psychology students to become scholars, scientists, and leaders of tomorrow. Through undergraduate research, students acquire knowledge and understanding of the scientific method, including issues and methodologies specific to psychology.
Definition of Research: An attempt by careful enquiry, experimentation, study, observation, analysis and recording to:
- discover new facts, knowledge and information,
- develop new interpretations of facts, knowledge or information, or
- discover new means of applying existing knowledge.
Definition of Scholarship: For its definition of scholarship, the Department of Psychology uses Boyer’s (1990) model that describes scholarship as discovery, integration, service, application, and teaching. Scholarship involves a lifelong commitment to thinking, questioning, and pursuing answers.
Scholarship of Discovery: The scholarship of discovery takes the form of primary empirical research, historical research, theory development and testing, methodological studies, and philosophical inquiry and analysis.
Scholarship of Practice (Application): The scholarship of practice answers a question to improve the application of psychological principles in order to benefit individuals and groups. It encompasses all aspects of psychology where evidence of direct impact is presented including questioning of certain methods and looking for possible improvements.
Scholarship of Integration: The scholarship of integration associates research with reality and clarifies the meaning of results. The scholarship of integration emphasizes the interconnection of ideas, and brings new insight to bear on original concepts and research. Critical analysis and interpretation are two common methodologies, but interdisciplinary work may take place through any medium for scholarship such as those described as discovery, teaching, or practice (Boyer, 1990).
Boyer, E. (1990). Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities for the professoriate. Princeton, NJ: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
As a general rule, all psychology faculty are open to ideas beyond those listed below. These are provided as a guide only.
Steve Barney, Ph.D.
barney@suu.edu
Expertise: Clinical, Assessment, Stigma reduction
Research Interests: clinical assessment, pedagogical assessment, program assessment, PTSD, performance enhancement and wellness
Grant Corser, Ph.D.
corser@suu.edu
Expertise: Motivation, Emotion, and Personality
Research Interests: cognitive consequences of mood and emotion, personality factors affecting the experience of emotion
Ross Flom
rossflom@suu.edu
Expertise: Developmental Psychology, neuroscience
Research Interests: My program of research focuses on early perceptual and cognitive development in infants and children. One area examines the behavioral and neurophysiological foundations in early attention. A second area examines infants’ perception of affect and its influence on early cognitive development. Specifically, what are the effects of an adult’s communicated affect or emotion on infants’ memory and learning? A third area of research examines flexibility within early perceptual development. For instance, several developmental psychologists have argued that development, including perceptual development, is a process of “narrowing.” My research is currently funded by the NIH/NICHD.
Kirsten L. Graham, Ph.D
kirstengraham@suu.edu
Research Interests: Dr. Graham's primary line of research is at the intersection of ageism and professional training, specifically related to promoting geropsychology (and other geriatric-focused healthcare) in order to address the service gap and improve care for older adults. Other research interests include positive psychology (meaning making, volunteerism in older adulthood), especially as it relates to cognitive processes (repetitive thought/rumination, reminiscence). Dr. Graham is also passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration, community-based research projects, and program development and evaluation.
Student Involvement: Dr. Graham enjoys mentoring students on both individual and group research projects. Past students have created posters accepted to national conferences and contributed to manuscripts to be submitted for publication. No prior research experience is needed, and students are welcome to participate in projects to varying degrees based on interest and availability. Feel free to reach out directly to learn more about current research opportunities!
Michelle Grimes, Ph.D.
michellegrimes@suu.edu
Expertise: Clinical child psychology
Research Interests: disruptive behavior, sibling conflict, pediatric sleep disorders
Danny Hatch, Ph.D.
dlhatch@suu.edu
Expertise: Counseling, Clinical and Positive Psychology
Research Interests: Positive Psychology, Marital Satisfaction, Sexual Addiction
Julie Johnson-Pynn, Ph.D
juliepynn@suu.edu
Expertise: Cultural, Developmental, and Eco-psychology
Research Interests: Humans and the natural environment; Emerging Adulthood in different cultural contexts; Civic engagement and purpose in life
Bryan Koenig, Ph.D.
bryankoenig@suu.edu
Expertise: Social and Evolutionary Psychology
Research Interests: moral psychology, romantic and sexual interests, emotions, evolutionary psychology, statistics, research practices
Availability: Dr. Koenig is currently open to mentoring individual student projects, and he is open to students joining these current projects: 1) a speed dating study, 2) a study on perceptions related to moral punishment, (3) student replications of a study evaluating the effects of emotion priming on moral judgments.
Kevan LaFrance, Ph.D.
kevanlafrance@suu.edu
Expertise: Counseling Psychology
Research Interests: Mindfulness; Therapy outcomes; Career development- Social and cognitive factors
Britton Mace, Ph.D.
mace@suu.edu
Expertise: Applied Experimental Psychology
Research Interests: Soundscapes; Natural and Virtual Environments
Availability: Dr. Mace currently is working on a soundscape project in the Grand Staircase National Monument. There are currently two positions available for students who would like to become familiar with listening and analyzing soundscape recordings.
Michael Steele
michaelsteele2@suu.edu
Expertise: Child clinical psychology
Garrett Strosser, Ph.D.
garrettstrosser@suu.edu
Expertise: Social and Cultural Psychology
Research Interests: Attitudes towards stigmatized groups, morality, political ideology, biculturalism, social norms, pedagogy, and cognition
Lynn White, Ph.D.
white_l@suu.edu
Expertise: Health psychology, Physiological psychology - human & animal
Research Interests: food cue sensitivity, pain, and stress-related issues
The SUU Psychology Department's Student Research Handbook is available to help students navigate participating in and coordinating research studies.
Professional Associations:
- American Psychological Association
- Association for Psychological Science
- Rocky Mountain Psychological Association
Funding Opportunities for Psychology Undergraduates:
Publication Opportunities for Psychology Undergraduates
The psychology undergraduate research liaison encourages and supports undergraduate research and scholarship within the department.
Please contact Dr. Lynn White for questions or suggestions about undergraduate research and scholarship in the department of psychology.
Email: white_l@suu.edu
Office: GC 308G
Phone: 586-7913