Department of Psychological Sciences

103 Mather Memorial Building
Phone: 216.368.2686
Anastasia Dimitropoulos, Interim Chair
anastasia.dimitropoulos@case.edu


The Department of Psychological Sciences combines the areas of study found in many psychology departments with those typically found in communication sciences departments. Our distinctive department offers undergraduate majors and minors in communication sciences and in psychology. We also offer a minor in communication for health professionals. For graduate students, our Psychology Program offers accredited doctoral training in psychology within our Developmental, Cognitive and Affective Sciences Program, as well as training at the master's level in psychology. Our accredited Communication Sciences Program offers a MA and PhD in communication sciences.

Communication Sciences

Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, 11635 Euclid Ave, Room 333
Phone: 216.368.2470

The Department of Psychological Sciences offers courses of study in communication sciences leading to Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The Communication Sciences Program prepares undergraduate and graduate students to address broad issues of human communication processes and disorders through the application of cutting-edge technology and rigorous clinical training. We provide a comprehensive foundation in normal and disordered human communication and combine it with innovative interdisciplinary experiences that capitalize on the extensive resources of the university and the surrounding medical community. The department enjoys a particularly close relationship with Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, an outstanding independent, nonprofit provider of care in speech-language pathology and audiology; in fact, the program is housed within the center.

Many students pursue undergraduate study in communication disorders as preparation for further study in other fields or in conjunction with study in other fields. For example, one can combine a major in communication disorders with a major in sociology or psychology or with a minor in gerontological studies. Professionals in human services fields such as medicine, social work, nursing, or education often work with persons with communication disorders. For students interested in academic or research careers, investigation in the field of communication disorders is often done alongside investigation of normal human behavior. For example, one might study the word learning of children with normal language as well as that of children with language impairment.

Psychology

103 Mather Memorial Building
Phone: 216.368.2686

The Psychology Program offers the combined advantages of a strong liberal arts college and a major university. There are classes in all major areas of the psychology field. We encourage close student-faculty relationships and offer many opportunities for individualized study and research.

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. The discipline embraces all aspects of the human experience: from the functions of the brain to the actions of neurons, from child development to care for the aged. In settings ranging from scientific research centers to mental health care services, "the understanding of behavior" is the enterprise of psychologists. An undergraduate major in psychology offers a student preparation for a wide variety of careers. Many majors find psychology to be an excellent preparation for such service-oriented professions as social work, counseling and guidance, special education, and management. Those who pursue graduate work in one of the many fields of psychology often seek positions in teaching and research or applied human services. In addition, the study of psychology provides a knowledge and an understanding of behavior that has applications in professions such as nursing, medicine, law, teaching, business, and public relations.

Department Faculty

Anastasia Dimitropoulos, PhD
(Vanderbilt University)
Professor; Interim Department Chair: Director, Schubert Center for Child Studies
Genetic syndromes involving intellectual disabilities; compulsive behavior in MR/DD; functional neuroimaging

Jennifer L. Butler, PhD
(Case Western Reserve University)
Senior Instructor
Social psychology

Lauren Calandruccio, PhD
(Syracuse University)
Louis D. Beaumont University Professor
Audiology

R. Elizabeth Capps, PhD
(Ohio University)
Assistant Professor
Child clinical psychology

Angela Hein Ciccia, PhD
(Case Western Reserve University)
Professor
Neuroscience of communication and communication disorders in adolescents/adults, with focus on traumatic brain injury

Arin M. Connell, PhD
(Emory University)
Professor
Internalizing problems; coping skills during adolescence

Heath A. Demaree, PhD
(Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
Professor
Cerebral and psychophysiological bases of emotion

Norah C. Feeny, PhD
(Bryn Mawr College)
Professor; Executive Director of the Sara and Curt Moll Institute for Mental Health and Well-Being
Evaluation of interventions for anxiety (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder) and mood disorders

Robert L. Greene, PhD
(Yale University)
Professor
Human memory and cognition

Kathryn (Kay) McNeal, MS, CCC-SLP
(Purdue University)
Instructor
Speech-language pathology

Rachel Mulheren, PhD
(James Madison University)
Assistant Professor
Physiology of swallowing and treatment of swallowing disorders

Jean Nisenboum, MA
(Miami University)
Instructor
Dysphagia; diagnosis of speech

Rita Obeid, PhD
(City University of New York)
Assistant Professor
Predictors influencing language difficulties in school-aged children; predictors of stigma among people with disabilities

James C. Overholser, PhD
(Ohio State University)
Professor; Director, Psychological Clinical Program
Adult psychopathology; depression; suicide; personality disorders

Amy Przeworski, PhD
(Pennsylvania State University)
Elizabeth and Raymond Armington Associate Professor
Anxiety disorders; emotion regulation; cultural factors in family interactions

Kathryn (Kyra) Rothenberg, PhD
(Kent State University)
Instructor
Health communication

Stacy Ryan-Pettes, PhD
(Emory University)
Associate Professor
Clinical psychology

Elizabeth J. Short, PhD
(University of Notre Dame)
Professor
Cognitive psychology; applied developmental; learning disabilities

Lee A. Thompson, PhD
(University of Colorado, Boulder)
Professor; Deputy Provost for Academic Strategic Initiatives, Case Western Reserve University
Human behavior genetics; child development


Lecturers

Lisa Ann Freebairn, MA
(Case Western Reserve University)
Lecturer

Keri November, MA
(Columbia University)
Lecturer


Adjunct Faculty

Kelly Bhatnagar, PhD
(Case Western Reserve University)
Adjunct Assistant Professor; The Emily Program

Rachel Berkowitz, MA, CCC-SLP
Adjunct Instructor; Mayfield City School District

Laura Brady
Adjunct Instructor; Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center

Lisa Bruening
Adjunct Instructor; ALS Association

Barbara Choudhury, MA, CCC-SLP
(Case Western Reserve University)
Adjunct Instructor; Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center
Speech-language pathology

Kelly Christian, PhD
(Case Western Reserve University)
Adjunct Assistant Professor; Lawrence School

Tori Cordiano, PhD
(CWRU)
Adjunct Assistant Professor; private practice

Barbara Ekelman, PhD
Adjunct Associate Professor; PT MED - Pediatrics
Pediatrics

Thomas Frazier, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor; The Cleveland Clinic

Zara Gennert, PhD
Adjunct Instructor; University Hospitals Richmond Medical Center

Nicole Gerami
Adjunct Instructor; Western Reserve Speech and Language Partners

Emily Hornack
Adjunct Instructor; MetroHealth Medical Center

Vanessa Jensen
Adjunct Assistant Professor; The Cleveland Clinic

Karen Kantzes, AuD, CCC-A
(A. T. Stills University)
Adjunct Instructor; Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center
Audiology

Susan M. Knell, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor; private practice

Marilyn Malkin, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor; private practice

Michael Manos, PhD
(University of Arizona)
Adjunct Assistant Professor; The Cleveland Clinic

Lauren Masuga, MA, CCC-SLP
(Miami University)
Adjunct Instructor; Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center
Speech-language pathology

AnnaMaria McLaughlin, PhD
(Case Western Reserve University)
Adjunct Assistant Professor; Independent Researcher

Rebecca Mental, PhD
(Case Western Reserve University)
Adjunct Assistant Professor; Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center

Darlene Moenter-Rodriguez, PhD
(Ohio State University)
Adjunct Assistant Professor; Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center
Auditory potentials

Kevin Smith, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor; Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare

Sarah Spannagel, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor; Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital

Kenneth Weiss, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor; Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center

Brigid Whitford, AuD, CCC-A
(A.T. Stills University)
Adjunct Instructor; Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center
Audiology


Secondary Faculty

Britt Nielsen
Associate Professor; School of Medicine - Psychiatry

Rebecca Hazen, PhD
Assistant Professor, School of Medicine/Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital

Carolyn Landis, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Medicine/Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital

Lynn Singer, PhD
Professor, School of Medicine/University Hospitals

Terry Stancin, PhD
Professor, School of Medicine/MetroHealth Medical Center

Thomas P. Swales, PhD
Assistant Professor, School of Medicine/MetroHealth Medical Center

Gerry Taylor, PhD
Professor, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine

Abraham Wolf, PhD
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine

James M. Yokely, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine


Clinical Faculty

Kathleen Ashton, PhD
(Ohio State University)
Clinical Instructor
Bariatrics

Richard A. Cirillo, PhD
Clinical Assistant Professor; Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities

Lori L. D’Angelo, PhD
Clinical Instructor; International Center for Clubhouse Development

Mathew A. Fuller, PhD
Clinical Instructor; Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center

Tom Hagesfeld, PhD
Clinical Assistant Professor; The Joint Commission in Behavioral Healthcare

Gerald Hayes, PhD
Clinical Instructor; Baldwin Wallace University

Josephine Ridley, PhD
(West Virginia University)
Clinical Instructor

Stacy Williams, PhD
Adjunct Associate Professor; private contractor


Emeritus

Douglas K. Detterman, PhD
(University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa)
Louis D. Beaumont University Professor Emeritus

Grover C. Gilmore, PhD
(Johns Hopkins University)
Professor Emeritus

Jane Kessler, PhD
(Western Reserve University)
Lucy Adams Leffingwell Professor Emerita

Barbara Lewis, PhD
(Case Western Reserve University)
Professor Emerita

Sandra W. Russ , PhD
(University of Pittsburgh)
Distinguished University Professor and Louis D. Beaumont University Professor Emerita

Milton E. Strauss, PhD
(Harvard University)
Professor Emeritus