Congratulations to Cody Dillon-Owens ’19, Dr. Findley-Van Nostrand, and Dr. Buchholz on recent publication
Tag Archives: faculty news
Dr. Powell appears in docuseries about ghosting
Our very own Dr. Powell recently appeared as an expert commentator on ghosting in relationships in the Swiss docuseries “La science das coeurs brises” or “The science of broken hearts.” You can read more about Dr. Powell’s research in ghosting and her appearance in this docuseries in this article.
Welcome Dr. Kennedy-Metz!
The psychology department is excited to welcome a new faculty member this year!
Dr. Lauren Kennedy-Metz graduated from Roanoke College with a B.S. in Psychology, a Creative Writing minor, and a Neuroscience concentration. She then went down the road to Blacksburg where she completed a PhD in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health with a concentration in Neuroscience at Virginia Tech.
This year Dr. Kennedy-Metz has returned to her alma mater where she is currently teaching Introduction to Psychology and Cognitive Psychology, as well as serving as the faculty advisor for Psi Chi and RCPA.
When asked what brought her back to Roanoke, Dr. Kennedy-Metz shared that the Roanoke College Psychology Department was her “ideal scenario” for a work environment. She says the department is “where I learned the most about myself, my interests, my strengths as a student and as a human.” She adds that “it’s where I was afforded the opportunities to thrive through the encouragement of lifelong faculty members.” In addition, this native New-Englander shared that “the Roanoke area has always felt like home.”
Dr. Kennedy-Metz brings a unique research background to the department. She summarizes her work as follows:
“My research interests include characterizing psychophysiological indicators of acute stress and developing biofeedback-based approaches to stress management interventions. Most importantly, I’m interested in taking a tailored approach to both of these things within specific high-stress populations both on campus and beyond (e.g., students, student-athletes, police officers, healthcare workers, kitchen staff, etc.).”
Dr. Kennedy-Metz says she became interested in this topic because the experience of stress is very relatable, but people are often left in the dark about how to respond to it appropriately. However, properly responding to stress is a critical topic, especially for the populations mentioned above.
Speaking to current psychology students, Dr. Kennedy-Metz encourages you to “get involved in things that interest them early on.” She recommends exploring research, clubs, club sports, internships, study abroad and anything else that catches your eye. When trying new things, Dr. Kennedy-Metz says, “worst case you learn that it isn’t for you, and you move on!” She closes with this sage advice. “If you push yourself outside of your comfort zone and end up finding a niche you love, you might look back one day and wonder how different things may have been if you hadn’t taken that first step.”
Be sure to say hi to Dr. Kennedy-Metz when you see her around on the 5th floor of Life Science.
Welcome back to Roanoke, Dr. Kennedy-Metz!
Get Connected!
- Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
- Twitter: @RC_Psychology
- Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
- Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
- Instagram: #PsychRC
Dr. Eyad Naseralla
Meet Dr. Eyad Naseralla!
Dr. Naseralla is a first year professor of psychology here at Roanoke College. Dr. Naseralla completed his undergraduate degree at Texas Tech University, and his PhD at St. Louis University. His research investigates perceptions of victims, focusing on victims of sexual violence. When asked about his research, Dr. Naseralla explained, “What I like to do is find things that are common, but also overlooked. Things like reporting. Sexual assault is really underreported, so looking at that and seeing how people respond to that.”
When discussing his research further, Dr. Naseralla gave us his two key takeaways as a researcher, “The two biggest takeaways as a researcher are not to get too caught up with things, I think that sometimes it is better to keep things moving. The second biggest thing is that it’s super important to be conscientious….Being organized and managing your time well. That is really key to doing the things that you love to do.”
Dr. Naseralla is currently teaching two Psych-101 courses, as well as Psych-319: Psychology and Law. When asked what his favorite part of teaching at Roanoke College was so far, Dr. Naseralla responded with, “The fact that the students here are extremely eager. The smaller classes make things feel more personal. It feels like there is more of a relationship there, and students are really eager to learn and participate. I really enjoy that.”
We are very excited to have Dr. Naseralla with us at Roanoke College this year!
Dr. Andrea Burchfield
Meet Dr. Andrea Burchfield!
We are excited for her to join our psychology team this year 🙂
Dr. Burchfield gives us a little background information about herself when she writes, “I grew up in Northern Virginia before finding my home in the Roanoke Valley. I earned a BS in Psychology from Radford University in 2006, and then worked as an ABA Therapist with the Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center before returning to school. I earned a MA (2012) and PhD (2018) in Psychology from George Mason University, where my research focused on the effects of a mindfulness-based program for parents of children with autism.
I enjoy bringing my clinical experiences into the classroom through sharing relatable stories, exposing students to the practice of mindful meditation, and by using the science of behaviorism to teach course material effectively. My favorite thing about teaching is building relationships with students, and watching them learn and succeed. Therefore, I’m passionate about discovering ways to enhance access to connections, education, and opportunities on campus, particularly for students with disabilities.”
We are lucky to have her here at Roanoke College!
What actor is your professor?
Dr. Allen: Helena Bonham Coato
Dr. Buchholz: Daniel Craig
Dr. Camac: Jamie Lee Curtis
Dr. Day: Cate Blanchett
Dr. DeMarce: Liv Tyler
Dr. Early: Richard Gere
Dr. Friedman: Jennifer Lawrence
Prof. Friedman: Vince Vaughn
Dr. Lynch: Meryl Streep
Dr. Nichols: Jim Parsons
Prof. Nichols: Julia Roberts
Dr. Osterman: Louis Ck
Dr. Pranzarone: Robert Deniro
Dr. Shenal: Hugh Laurie
Dr. Whitson: Michael Caine
Blog Dedication
The Roanoke Psychology blog is dedicated to Dr. Curt Camac, former chair of the psychology department. Dr. Camac passed away on October 6, 2012. He was a full professor at the college. Curt was well loved by faculty and students alike and is responsible for the tremendous growth and well-being the department has experienced over the past decade. We hope to honor his memory by celebrating our successes and sharing our stories with you.
Dr. Camac’s obituary can be found here: http://www.johnmoakey.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1713049&fh_id=12548. If you would like to share your story about how Dr. Camac influenced you, please contact us.