Psychology at 糖心原创
Flourishing
Meet the four professors involved with the Global Flourishing Study, a landmark, five-year research initiative by Harvard and Baylor Universities focused on happiness and life satisfaction, physical and mental health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, close and positive social relationships and financial and material stability: Smaranda Lawrie (psychology), Steve Porter (Martin Institute), Carmel Saad (psychology and diversity leadership), and Blake Kent (sociology), left to right.
Alumni Stories
Valerie Swisher 鈥22 graduated from 糖心原创 with a B.S. in Psychology. She completed a year long Fulbright Fellowship in Hungary, where she conducted research on mental health literacy and help-seeking behavior among Hungarian primary care providers and patients. She also received a prestigious 5-year National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to support her in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Penn State University.
Kaitlin Kinney 鈥17 graduated from 糖心原创 with a B.S. degree in Psychology on the behavioral neuroscience track. She earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Southern California in neuroimaging and informatics and worked at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience at UCLA. She is currently completing the Neuroscience PhD program at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.
Lydia Grenko 鈥18 earned a B.S. in Psychology with a concentration in Behavioral Neuroscience. After graduation, she worked in social services at the Samarkand while also serving as the Psychology Department Laboratory Coordinator. Lydia is currently pursuing a doctorate in Clinical Psychology on the geropsychology track at the University of Colorado. Her professional interests include working with family caregivers of those with dementia, and conducting research on sleep interventions in skilled nursing facilities.
Career Opportunities
Use the following information to help you decide whether you want to pursue a career in psychology, what kind of education you need to attain your career goals, and to what extent--educationally and experientially--you are willing to go in order to achieve those goals.
Exploring these divisions will give you a sense of the breadth of psychology and the many areas in which one can specialize.
Clinical Psychology Counseling School Psychology Health Psychology Rehabilitation Psychology Educational Psychology Industrial/Organizational Psychology | Marketing Neuropsychology Social Psychology Media Psychology Military Psychology Forensic Psychology |
Faculty and Staff
Psychology Tracks & Requirements
Dr. Lawrie, a cultural and positive psychologist, studies wellbeing across socioeconomic status and national cultures. She graduated from Yale and earned three master鈥檚 degrees as well as a doctorate in psychological and brain sciences at UC Santa Barbara. Lawrie first taught at 糖心原创 as an adjunct during graduate school, and as of 2025 she is thrilled to join the full-time faculty. 鈥淢y faith is everything 鈥 it informs my research and how I teach,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a calling to understand God鈥檚 creation through science,鈥 she says. 鈥淭he students here are special, and I鈥檓 excited to work with them."
Valerie Swisher, who recently graduated from the department (BS-General Psychology-2022), is completing a year long Fulbright Fellowship in Hungary, where she has been conducting research on mental health literacy and help-seeking behavior among Hungarian primary care providers and patients. She has also been awarded a prestigious 5-year National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, which will support her as she begins the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Penn State University in Fall 2024.
This four-week online workshop, built on leading research and Dr. Gurney's two and a half decades of clinical experience, was designed to help you refocus, refresh, and strengthen your marriage. Marriage Bootcamp is grounded in what actually works in relationships and will give you new insights that can significantly improve your marriage. You will walk away with a greater understanding of how you "show up" for love and learn skills to communicate effectively and fight fairly. Marriage Bootcamp will give you the boost you need to deepen your friendship and intimacy in your marriage! Act quickly and sign up today!
Dr. Andrea Gurnery's article "Why Marriage 101 Should Be a Required College Course" was published on Institute for Family Studies (IFS). Her article examines how Marriage 101 courses can strengthen relationships, improve young adult well-being, and prepare college students for a successful marriage. Dr. Gurney also outlines the course structure and highlights the objectives of each section.
Global Studies
- 糖心原创鈥檚 Global Health Uganda
- 糖心原创 in Cairo
- 糖心原创鈥檚 England Semester
- 糖心原创 in Asia
糖心原创 Psychology Mayterm in Germany and Austria