Faculty and Staff

Education:

• Ph.D., University of California Santa Cruz (2008)
• M.S., University of California Santa Cruz
• B.S., University of Oregon

Courses Taught:

• PSYC 216 – Research Methods
• PSYC 225 – Psychology of Gender
• PSYC 316 – Advanced Research Methods
• PSYC 335 – Child & Adolescent Development
• PSYC 336 – Adult Development & Aging

Bio:

Melanie is a developmental psychologist who teaches classes in developmental psychology, psychology of gender, and research methods, with a strong emphasis on collaborative learning and mentorship. She enjoys engaging with students both in the classroom and through undergraduate research projects. Her students regularly present their work at campus events as well as regional and national conferences. Melanie’s research centers on gender development, with projects examining girls’ and women’s experiences with sexism, gender similarities and differences in communication styles, feminist identity, and parent-child and peer conversations about racial and gender discrimination. Through student-led collaborations, she has investigated a wide range of topics, including the development of friendships and romantic relationships, how gender and parental status influence workplace perceptions, the impact of early sex education on college students, political engagement among college students, children’s understanding of race and social class, and the psychological transition to parenthood.

Education:

• Ph.D., Indiana University
• B.S., Indiana University

Courses Taught 

• BIOL/NSCI356 Neurobiology
• NSCI 111 Introduction to Neuroscience
• PSYC 101 General Psychology
• PSYC 201 Behavioral Statistics
• PSYC 280 Drugs & The Nervous System
• PSYC 355 Physiological Psychology

Bio

James is a neuroscientist who teaches classes in neuroscience, psychology and statistics. In graduate school, James studied changes in neuronal information processing induced by psychomotor stimulants and investigated the role of dopamine and its interaction with dopamine in drug addiction and relapse. As a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Chicago James studied signaling pathways underlying drug-induced neuronal plasticity. His current research examines the effects of chronic variable stress and environmental enrichment on drug-seeking behavior and the epigenetic effects on enhanced drug-seeking behavior of offspring of adults exposed to chronic variable stress. His students regularly present their research at campus events as well as regional, national, and international conferences. In the classroom, James is interested in developing a community through student-centered learning techniques.  

Dan's website

Education:

• Ph.D., George Mason University (2014)
• B.S., George Mason University (2006)

Courses Taught:

• NSCI 111 - Introduction to Neuroscience
• NSCI 357 – Neurodevelopment
• PSYC 350 – Sensation and Perception
• PSYC 201 – Behavioral Statistics

Bio:

Dan Ehlinger is a neuroscientist with research interests in environmental factors that impact the developing brain. In undergraduate and graduate school, Dan studied the effects of drugs of abuse on structural plasticity in the adolescent brain – specifically, how the shape and structure of neurons change in response to drug exposure and the biological mechanisms that produce and support these changes (e.g. dopamine system development). Dan then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital, studying the interaction between genetics and stress on early brain development and how these factors influence serotonin system development. Dan has continued these lines of research with undergraduate students at UWRF in the Neuroscience Research Lab, joining the Psychological Sciences Department in 2018.  As a teacher, Dan is extremely interested in developing and implementing hands-on active learning – labs, research opportunities, case studies, and more.             

Education:

• Ph.D., Social Psychology, Rutgers University-New Brunswick (2026)
• M.S., Psychology, Rutgers University-New Brunswick (2024)
• B.S., Psychology and Cognitive/Behavioral Neuroscience, Loyola University Chicago (2021)

Courses Taught:

• PSYC 101 – General Psychology 
• PSYC 325 – Abnormal Psychology

Bio:

Erin is a social psychologist by training and teaches introductory courses in psychology, as well as abnormal psychology and mental health. She is passionate about connecting with students in the classroom and in the research lab and looks forward to developing her lab with undergraduates at UWRF. Erin has several research veins centered on social perceptions, exploring how default or prototypical social identities may influence judgments regarding racial and gender economic inequality, sexual orientation categorization, and gender identity judgments. Her research employs wide-ranging methods including AI dictionary text coding and novel facial perception paradigms. Erin is excited to further relate her research to the study of mental health outcomes and feelings of belonging for different social groups through student collaborations on campus.

Education:

• Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University (2017)
• M.A., Case Western Reserve University
• B.A., Case Western Reserve University

Courses Taught 

• PSYC 150 Introduction to Psychological Sciences
• PSYC 201 Behavioral Statistics
• PSYC 305 Learning & Motivation
• PSYC 310 Memory & Thinking
• PSYC 450 Senior Seminar in Psychology

 Bio 

Abigail is a cognitive psychologist with interests in memory, metacognitive judgments, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. She enjoys geeking out about critical thinking, scientific literacy, and student‑centered, evidence‑based learning techniques. Abigail enjoys engaging with students and building community through learning.

Education 

• Ph.D., Psychology – Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno (2013)
• M.A., Psychology – Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno (2010)
• B.S., Psychology – Minnesota State University, Mankato (2005)

Courses Taught 

• NSCI 289 – Topics in Neuroscience
• PSYC 216 – Research Methods
• PSYC 355 – Physiological Psychology

Bio:

Aaron is a cognitive neuroscientist and became a member of the Psychological Sciences Department in 2025. His graduate work largely focused on the examination of cortical integrity in autism spectrum disorder. More specifically, through the examination of post-mortem tissue this research sought to identify structural abnormalities that may contribute to compromised connectivity. More recently, his research concentration has sought to examine the electrophysiological correlates of memory and attentional processes. This line of research uses electrical recordings of brain activity to determine which cognitive processes are responsible for eliciting specific electrophysiological signatures, often referred to as Event Related Potentials. Aaron teaches Physiological Psychology, Research Methods, and Topics in Neuroscience and is excited to develop more courses for the neuroscience program. 

Education

• BS, Psychology, University of Central Oklahoma 1994
• MS, Social Psychology, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997
• PhD, Social Psychology, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999

Courses Taught

• PSYC 360 Social Psychology
• PSYC 385 Psychology of Prejudice and Racism 

Bio

Cyndi is both a professor of psychological sciences and the director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. As a social psychologist, Cyndi’s expertise is in the psychology of prejudice and racism. Her scholarly work is focused on teaching and learning about racism and prejudice and how racial bias and prejudice influence student learning and success. Her book "Teaching about Race and Racism in the College Classroom: Notes from a White Professor" was published in 2019 as part of the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education series of West Virginia University Press. 

Education:

• Ph.D., Texas A&M University (2000)
• M.S., Texas A&M University
• B.S., University of Southwestern Louisiana

Courses Taught

• PSYC 101 – General Psychology
• PSYC 250 – Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology
• PSYC 315 – Psychological Measurement and Evaluation
• PSYC 326 – Peer Mentoring
• PSYC 361 – Psychological Foundations of Employee Selection
• PSYC 361 – Psychological Foundations of Employee Training

Bio

Travis Tubré is an industrial/organizational psychologist serving as a professor of psychological sciences and coordinator of the Psychological Sciences Peer Mentoring Program. Travis is an active researcher – studying, publishing and presenting on applications of psychology to the workplace. As an invited speaker, Travis has presented internationally in locations such as Germany, Japan and Lebanon. Travis also provides I/O consulting services to public-sector and private-sector organizations. Travis has received honors from UW-River Falls for teaching (Distinguished Teaching Award, Keith Wurtz Award for Innovations in Teaching Excellence), advising (Adviser of the Year Award) and scholarly activity (Paul B. and Robert Dykstra Research Excellence Award).

Education:

• Ph.D., University of Minnesota (2006)
• M.A., University of Minnesota
• B.A., Macalester College

Courses Taught

• PSYC 110 Careers in Psychology
• PSYC 216 Research Methods
• PSYC 269 Health Psychology
• PSYC 270 Sport Psychology
• PSYC 320 Personality Psychology
• HWM 730 Holistic Aspects of Health (Master’s Program)

Bio 

Todd serves as the departmental specialist for Health Psychology and Sport Psychology. His research focuses on the intersections of health behavior, sport and well-being. He has recently presented research on perfectionism and motivational climate at the Association for Applied Sport Psychology conference in Montreal, as well as his research on generosity and happiness at the European Conference on Positive Psychology in Innsbruck, Austria. He maintains an active research program with undergraduate students including recent projects investigating topics in mindfulness, sport specialization and athlete well-being as well as perfectionism and discontinuation in sports. In addition, he serves multiple roles on campus related to advising and athletics, including the provision of pro-bono sport psychology consulting to many athletes, teams and coaches.