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Washington State University
College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology

Remington Swensson

Image of Remington Swensson

Remington Swensson

Assistant Professor- Career Track

Ph.D. Baylor University, 2024

Contact Information

Email: remington.swensson@wsu.edu
Office: JT TBA
Phone: (509) 335-TBA

Curriculum Vita

Classes Taught

  • PSYCH 328: Behavior Modification
  • PSYCH 333: Fundamentals of Psychological Disorders

Areas of Interest

  • ASD and Developmental Disabilities
  • Equivalence Based Instruction and Music
  • Telehealth and ABA
  • Social skills for individuals with ASD

Selected Publications

Swensson, R.M., Akers, J.S., Austin, M., Liu, R., Swafford, L.B. & Gerow, S. (2024) Teaching children with autism spectrum disorder to mand for answers to questions via telehealth: A caregiver implementation. Behavioral Interventions. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.2015

Swafford, L., Akers, J.S., Swensson, R., Carlson, J. (2023). A systematic review of caregiver-mediated interventions for autistic adolescents: Implication for social validity. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-024-00432-7

Akers, J.S., Davis, T.N., McGinnis, K.M. & Swensson, R.M. (2022) Effectiveness of Remote Delayed Performance Feedback on Accurate Implementation of Caregiver Coaching. Journal of Behavioral Education.

Gerow, S., Radhakrishnan, S., Akers, J. S., McGinnis, K., & Swensson, R. (2021). Telehealth parent coaching to improve daily living skills for children with ASD. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.813

Miller, A. C., Cox, R. E., Swensson, R. M., Oliveira, J. S. C. D., & Petursdottir, A. I. (2021). Effects of blocking echoic responses on tact emergence following stimulus pairing. European Journal of Behavior Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1080/15021149.2021.1896070

 

 

 

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Stacy Gessler

Stacy Gessler

Program Coordinator-Academic Support

Contact Information

Washington State University
Department of Psychology
Johnson Tower 233
P.O. Box 644820
Pullman, WA 99164-4820

Email: stacy.gessler@wsu.edu
(509) 335-2633
Johnson Tower 233B, Pullman

Job Responsibilities and Duties

 

  • Graduate Program Coordinator
  • Graduate Assistantship Contract Coordination
  • Graduate Admissions Applications Management
  • Schedule Preliminary & Final Exams
  • Zoom Scheduling for Graduate Exams
  • Blue Faculty Evaluation Report Management
  • Department Scheduler
  • Process Add/drop Forms
  • Undergraduate TA/RA Enrollment
  • Special Enrollments
  • OBIEE Reports for SONA and Census Day
  • Backup Website Development and Support

Christine So

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Christine So

Assistant Professor

Ph.D. University of Houston, 2022

Contact Information

Email: christine.so@wsu.edu
Office: JT TBA
Phone: (509) 335-TBA
Website: Laboratory for Understanding Nocturnal behaviors and Affect (LUNA)

Curriculum Vita

Classes Taught

  • PSYCH 530: Professional, Ethical, and Legal Issues

Research Interests

  • Mechanisms of trauma-related sleep disturbances
  • Sleep disturbances as a risk factor for other health-related problems
  • Neurobiology of sleep
  • Sleep health disparities

Research in the Laboratory for Understanding Nocturnal behaviors and Affect (LUNA) broadly centers on how disrupted sleep acts as both precipitating and exacerbating factors of psychopathology, particularly in the context of trauma and stress. Currently, my line of research is focused on characterizing cognitive and affective processes underlying nightmares using multimodal methods (e.g., ecological momentary assessment, polysomnography, actigraphy, computerized tasks). Other lines of research to be pursued include use of ambulatory technology to identify sleep biomarkers of Alzheimer’s risk, environmental influences on sleep health disparities, and personalized behavioral sleep medicine interventions.

Dr. So will be considering graduate student applications for Fall 2025 admission to the Clinical Psychology PhD Program.

Selected Publications

So, C.J., LaVoy, E.C.P., Harmouch, S., & Alfano, C.A. (2023). Objective and subjective sleep patterns and biomarkers of stress among women with a history of sexual abuse in childhood. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001600

Miller, K.E., So, C.J., Brownlow, J.A., Gehrman, P.R., & Woodward, S.H. (2023). Neighborhood disadvantage is associated with sleep disturbance in a sample of trauma-exposed Veterans. Sleep Health, 9(5), 634-637.

So, C.J., Palmer, C.A., Gonzalez, R.D., Bower, J.L., Lau, S., & Alfano, C.A. (2021). Which objective sleep elements predict children’s perceptions of good sleep quality? A preliminary investigation based on polysomnography and actigraphy. Sleep Health, 7(1), 65-71.

LaVoy, E.C., Palmer, C.A., So, C.J., & Alfano, C.A. (2020). Bidirectional relationships between sleep and biomarkers of stress and immunity in youth. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 158, 331-339.

Doty, T.J., So, C.J., Bergman, E.M., Trach, S.K., Ratcliffe, R.H., Yarnell, A.M., Capaldi, V.F., Moon, J.E., Balkin, T.J., & Quartana, P.J. (2017). Limited efficacy of caffeine and recovery costs during and following 5 days of chronic sleep restriction. Sleep, 40(12), zsx171.

 

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Majoring in Psychology (New Curriculum)

Majoring in Psychology

Why a Degree in Psychology?

Many students enter college unsure of what their future major may be. Your first year is an excellent time to explore a number of different interests that may, or may not, evolve into a future career. Assuming that psychology is among your interest areas, enroll in Psych 105: Introductory Psychology during your first year to learn more about this diverse and exciting discipline. Psych 105 will give you a better idea of what psychology “is,” what psychologists “do,” and whether or not a degree in psychology is really something that interests you.

Bachelor of Science Degree

The Department of Psychology offers a Bachelor of Science degree for students wishing to major in psychology at the undergraduate level. This degree emphasizes both the experimental and applied aspects of the discipline. It provides fundamental training in its basic areas (i.e., physiology, learning, cognition, social, developmental, etc.) as well as extensive training in statistical analysis and scientific methodology. The degree is designed to prepare students for entry into the job market, immediately following graduation, in a wide variety of fields or admission to a graduate program in pursue of advanced post-baccalaureate training in counseling, clinical, and experimental psychology.

Students may use the Psychology Check Sheet for the B.S. to track their progress toward degree completion:

  • Students admitted to Psych prior to fall 2024 use this check sheet
  • Students admitted to Psych fall 2024 and beyond use this check sheet

The Bachelor of Science in Psychology requires a minimum of 35 credits in PSYCH, at least 15 of which must be in 300-400-level courses. Students must take at least 10 credits of psychology in residence at WSU and must maintain at least a C average in PSYCH courses.

Students must also complete the psych senior exit survey prior to graduating.

Academic advisors will assist students with requirements and course selection, but each student is ultimately responsibility for understanding and meeting the graduation requirements.

Admission to the Major Process

Students wishing to formally declare psychology as their major must complete a process called admission-to-the-major (formerly called certification).

A student may be admitted to the Psychology major after completion of 30 credits, PSYCH 311 with a C- or better, and cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better.

If these requirements are met, the student may complete the admission to the major form.  Students are encouraged to complete the admission to the major process as soon as these requirements are met.

Psychology as a Second Major or Second Degree

Students majoring in another degree, but wishing to graduate with Psychology as a second major, should follow the guidelines listed below:

  1. The student must have a 2.5 cumulative GPA and complete Psych 311 with a “C-” or better to apply for a Bachelor of Science as a second major.
  2. The student must complete a “Admission to the Major” form and indicate that they are seeking Psychology as a second major or degree. This can be done after the student is admitted to their first major.
  3. The student must complete an “Undergraduate and Professional Degree Application,” This can be done at least 2 semesters before graduation.
  4. The student must complete all of the requirements for the Department of Psychology, along with all of the College of Arts and Sciences requirements.
  5. The student’s transcript will indicate that they have a second degree upon completion of all requirements and 150 semester hours.

Giving Tuesday

Student Industry Tour Experience

 

WSU Department of Psychology prepares future psychologists, with graduates pursuing with a variety of employment opportunities. Student Industry Tour Experience connects students with a variety of employers in the surrounding communities including residential treatment centers, forensic/police settings, geriatric/senior living centers, community sports organizations, and human resources departments, to make students aware of the many career options available to them before completing their baccalaureate course of study.

 

Your donation will ensure WSU’s psychology majors learn how skills they obtained in the classroom transfer to career opportunities, discovering many they did not know existed. Thank you for supporting the next generation of psychology professionals!

 

Here is what the students told us about their Student Industry Tour Experience:

“I gained tons of new information about different career options and different ways to get there.”

“Allowed me to expand my thinking and not feel trapped to what certain types of careers I feel pressured into going into. It also showed me the importance of advocating for yourself and taking initiative to explore my options.”

“It was amazing seeing non-conventional jobs with these degrees and I liked seeing real-world jobs. YES!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Careers in Psychology

Careers in Psychology

To explore different careers in psychology use the arrows to move through the slides

Understanding human behavior can be useful in almost any job. Statistics are also proving that, in comparison to specialized degrees, a broad, sound, liberal arts education can be an asset for advancement in a variety of careers. Students maximize their employment potential by excelling in their course work and diversifying their college education by capitalizing on the unique aspects of our program (i.e., service learning, practicum and research).  The jobs featured on this page come from a variety of areas. They differ in terms of the credentials one will need to pursue them (i.e., Bachelor of Science degree to a Ph.D.). Students interested in these options are encouraged to research them further. This will help students to determine the specific steps they can take as an undergraduate to enhance their chances of landing a particular job. For example, a practicum assignment can provide students with valuable hands-on training. It can also help them determine whether a particular job or career is something they would enjoy. Another resource is the Academic Success and Career Center (ASCC). ASCC Advisors can help students arrange interviews with potential employers, look at job listings, etc. In addition, students are encouraged to discuss their options with faculty, psychology academic advisors, and potential employers. Students may also meet with College of Arts and Sciences Career Development Coordinator, Leanne Ralstin.  She is available to meet with students one-on-one and also provides workshops on topics such as how to find an internship, career exploration, next steps after graduation and much more!

Learn More About Careers in Psychology

Image listing a sampling of careers in psych

Lucas Huckaby

Lucas Huckaby

Assistant Professor- Career Track

Ph.D. University of Louisville, 2021

Email: lucas.huckaby@wsu.edu
Office: JT 213
Phone: (509) 335-4634

Classes Taught

  • Fall 2022 PSYCH 470: Motivation
  • Fall 2022 PSYCH 321: Personality

Research Interests

  • Prejudice against Atheists
  • Sexual and Gender Minorities
  • Religion and Spirituality
  • Forgiveness/Self-forgiveness
  • Romantic Relationships
  • Multicultural Psychology

Selected Publications

Current Publications:

  • Valentine, J. C., Cheung, M. W. L., Smith, E. J., Alexander, O., Hatton, J. M., Hong, R. Y., … Huckaby, L. T., …  & Seely, H. D. (2022). A primer on meta-analytic structural equation modeling: The case of depression. Prevention Science23(3), 346-365.

 

Lucas Huckaby

Hsin-Ya Liao

Hsin-Ya Liao

Hsin-Ya Liao

Associate Professor

Ph.D. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2006

Email: hsinya.liao@wsu.edu
Office: JT 353
Phone: (509) 335-0680
Lab Website: Culture, Assessment, & Well-being Lab

Vita

Classes Taught

  • PSYCH 403: Multicultural Psychology
  • PSYCH 444: Basic Clinical Skills
  • PSYCH 539: Cognitive and Neuropsychological Assessment
  • PSYCH 552: Diversity Issues in Psychology

Research Interests

  • Culture, Diversity, and Intergroup Relations
  • Cross-Cultural Assessment
  • Stigma and Help-Seeking
  • Vocational Interests

My research centers on examining the role of culture and diversity on mental health service delivery and psychological well-being. My current project looks at stigma towards mental health and help-seeking, with an attempt to connect the stigma framework to indigenous cultural concepts. In a related project, I examine how status-based rejection sensitivity (i.e., sensitivity toward rejection due to their stigmatized group status) and ideological preference (e.g., malleable vs. fixed lay theory) would predict stigmatized individuals’ adjustment and well-being.

My second line of research involves examining vocational interest structures and assessments across cultures. Built on my prior work on the basic interest measures (Liao et al., 2008, also see https://labs.wsu.edu/caw/scales/), I explore the relations between vocational interests and other individual differences domains and examine the equivalence of interest structures across cultures. I also look at how well the interest congruence (aka, the person-environmental fit in interest) predicts academic performance, career success, and job satisfaction. Due to cultural variations in vocational interests, I advocate for a greater use of the indigenous interest measures than the imported ones.

Dr. Liao will be considering graduate student applications for Fall 2025 admission to the Clinical Psychology PhD Program.

Selected Publications

Vogel, D. L., Zhao, N., Vidales, C. A., Al-Darmaki, F. R., Baptista, M. N., Brenner, R. E., Ertl, M. M., Liao, H.-Y., Mak, W. W. S., Rubin, M., Schomerus, G., Şahin, E., Topkaya, N., & Wang, Y.-F. (2024). Interdependent stigma of seeking mental health services: Examining a new scale across eight countries/regions. Journal of Counseling Psychology. Advance online publication.

Buki, L. P., Liao, H.-Y., Montoya, Y., Sommer, R. K., Capielo Rosario, C., French, B. H., & McCaughey, T. (2024). Acculturation and breast cancer screening in Latina women: Unraveling reasons for mixed results over 40 years of research. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 100, 101974.

DeCino, D. A., Strear, M. M., Chronister, J., Liao, H.-Y., Chou, C.-C., & Chesnut, S. (2021). A validation study of the Multicultural Counseling Inventory for school counselors. Journal of School Counseling, 19(15), 1-32. http:/www.jsc.montana.edu/articles/v19n15.pdf

Kim, T., Hutchison, A., Gerstein, L., Liao, H.-Y., Cheung, R. W.-L., Cinamon, R. G., Michael, R., Mastroianni, E., Bellare, Y. & Collins, R. M. (2020). Hong Kong women’s perception of their future. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 48(2), 168-182.

Bai, L., & Liao, H.-Y. (2019). The relation between interest congruence and college major satisfaction: Evidence from the basic interest measures. Journal of Career Assessment, 27(4), 628-644.

Su, R., Tay, L., Liao, H.-Y., Zhang, Q., & Rounds, J. (2019). Toward a dimensional model of vocational interests. Journal of Applied Psychology, 104(5)690-714.

Vogel, D. L., Heath, P. J., Engel K. E., Brenner, R. E., Strass, H. A., Al-Darmaki, F. R., Armstrong, P. I., Galbraith, N., Galbraith, V., Baptista, M. N., Gonçalves, M., Liao, H.-Y., Mackenzie, C., Mak, W. W. S., Rubin, M., Topkaya, N., Wang, Y.-F., & Zlati, A. (2019). Cross-cultural validation of the Perceptions of Stigmatization by Others for Seeking Help (PSOSH) scale. Stigma and Health, 4, 82-85.

Liao, H.-Y., Spanierman, L. B., Harlow, A., & Neville, H. A. (2017). Do parents matter? Examination of White college students’ intergroup experiences and attitudes. The Counseling Psychologist, 45(2)193-212.

Vogel, D. L., Strass, H. A., Al-Darmaki, F. R., Armstrong, P. I., Baptista, M. N., Brenner, R. E., Gonçalves, M., Heath, P. J., Lannin, D. G., Liao, H-Y., Mackenzie, C., Mak, W. W. S., Rubin, M., Topkaya, N., Wade, N. G., Wang, Y-F, & Zlati, A. (2017). Stigma associated with seeking mental health services: Examination across ten countries/regions. The Counseling Psychologist, 45(2)170-192.

Liao, H.-Y., Hong, Y-y., & Rounds, J. (2016). Perception of subtle racism: The role of group status and legitimizing ideologies. The Counseling Psychologist, 44(2), 237-266.

Yeh, C. J., Liao, H-Y., Ma, P-W. W., Shea, M, Okubo, Y., & Kim, A. B., & Atkins, M. S. (2014). Ecological risk and protective factors of depression and anxiety among low-income Chinese immigrant youth. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 5(3), 190-199.

No, S., Hong, Y.-y., Liao, H.-Y., Lee, K., & Wood, D., & Chao, M. M. (2008). Lay theory of race affects and moderates Asian Americans’ responses toward American culture. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 991-1004.

Spanierman, L. B., Neville, H. A., Liao, H.-Y., Hammer, J. H., & Wang, Y.-F. (2008). Participation in formal and informal campus experiences: Effects on students’ racial democratic beliefs. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 1(2), 108-125.

Liao, H.-Y., Armstrong, P. I., & Rounds, J. (2008). Development and initial validation of public domain Basic Interest Markers [Monograph]. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 73, 159-183.

Hong, Y.-y., Liao, H.-Y., Wang, R. Y. M., Chan, G., Chiu, C., Ip, G. W., Fu, H., & Hansen, I. G. (2006). Temporal causal links between outgroup attitudes and social categorization: The case of Hong Kong 1997 transition. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 9(2)265-288.

Liao, H.-Y., Rounds, J., & Klein, A. G. (2005). A test of Cramer’s (1999) help-seeking model and acculturation effects with Asian/Asian American college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(3), 400-411.

Hsin-Ya Liao

Chang Liu

Chang Liu

Chang Liu

Assistant Professor

Ph.D. Penn State University, 2019

Email: c.liu@wsu.edu
Office: JT 233D
Phone: (509) 335-4633
Lab Website: The Healthy Start Lab (Coming soon!)

Classes Taught

  • Fall 2022 Psychology 518: Lifespan Developmental Psychology

Research Interests

  • Maternal-Child Health Inequities
  • Child Social-Emotional Development
  • Developmental Psychopathology
  • Childhood Obesity
  • Research Methods (Dynamic System Approach; Behavioral Genetics Approach)

My research program centers on understanding the developmental processes and mechanisms leading to resilience vs. maladjustment in children and mothers, aiming to promote child health and well-being. My work integrates multiple levels of analysis, including prenatal adversities, genetic influences, and early parental hostility and efficacy in the study of risk and resilience within children and mothers over time. This has led to three lines of research. One line focuses on characterizing dynamic change processes for child social-emotional development and how parents and children co-regulate emotions during interactions. A second line of research examines how genes, prenatal environment (e.g., prenatal exposure to drugs), and postnatal environment work together to influence child emotional and behavioral regulation vs. maladjustment. A third line of research examines risk and resilience in minority children and mothers and how different contexts of development influence child emotional and behavioral regulation vs. maladjustment. Most of my previous work has focused on mental health outcomes. Most recently, I have become interested in examining the emergence of childhood obesity. Specifically, I have started to examine the impact of child temperament, genetic risks, and environmental exposures (e.g., prenatal exposure to drugs, neighborhood characteristics) on normative versus atypical development in child body mass index (BMI) over time.

Dr. Liu will be considering graduate student applications for Fall 2025 admission to the Clinical Psychology PhD Program.

Selected Publications

Recent Publications:

Liu, C., Zheng, Y., Ganiban, J.M., & Saudino, K.J. (in press). Genetic and Environmental Influences on Temperament Development across the Preschool Period. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Liu, C., Moore, G.A., Roben C.K.P., Ganiban, J.M., Leve, L.D., Shaw, D.S., Natsuaki, M.N., Reiss, D., & Neiderhiser, J.M. (in press). Examining Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Constructs for Anger Expression and Regulation in Toddlers. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science.

Kim, Y., Williams, A., Liu, C., & Zhou, Q. (2022). Dynamic Associations among Emotion Regulation, Expressed Affect, and Inhibitory Control in Preschoolers from Low-income Immigrant Families. Emotion.

Aris, I. M., Perng, W., Dabelea, D., Ganiban, J. M., Liu, C., Marceau, K., … & Wright, R. (2022). Analysis of Early-Life Growth and Age at Pubertal Onset in US Children. JAMA network open, 5(2), e2146873-e2146873.

Ganiban, J. M., Liu, C., Zappaterra, L., An, S., Natsuaki, M. N., Neiderhiser, J. M., Reiss, D., Shaw, D.S., & Leve, L.D. (2021). Gene × Environment Interactions in the Development of Preschool Effortful Control, and Its Implications for Childhood Externalizing Behavior. Behavior Genetics, 51, 448–462. doi: 10.1007/s10519-021-10073-9

Shewark, E.A., Ramos, A.M., Liu, C., Ganiban, J.M., Fosco, G., Shaw, D.S., Reiss, D., Natsuaki, M.N., Leve, L.D., & Neiderhiser, J.M. (2021). The Role of Child Negative Emotionality in Parenting and Child Adjustment: Gene-Environment Interplay. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13420

Bray, B., Liu, C., Roben C.K.P., Leve, L.D., Shaw, D.S., Ganiban, J.M., Reiss, D., Natsuaki, M.N., & Neiderhiser, J.M. (2020). Inherited and Environmental Moderators of Mother-Child Behavioral Contingency and Contingent Negativity at 27 Months. Infant Behavior and Development. doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2020.101478

Liu, C., Ji, L., Chow, S.M., Kang, B., Leve, L.D., Shaw, D.S., Ganiban, J.M., Natsuaki, M.N., Reiss, D., & Neiderhiser, J.M. (2020). Child Effects on Parental Negativity: The Role of Heritable and Prenatal Factors. Child Development, 91: e1064-e1081. doi:10.1111/cdev.13404

Cree, R., Liu, C., Gueorguieva, R., Neiderhiser, J., Leve, L., Connell, C., Shaw, D.S., Natsuaki, M.N., Ganiban, J.M., Beekman, C., Smith M.V., & Reiss, D. (2020). Using an adoption design to test genetically based differences in risk for child behavior problems in response to home environmental influences. Development and Psychopathology, 1-19. doi: 10.1017/S0954579420000450

Williams, A., Srinivasan, M., Liu, C., Lee, P., & Zhou, Q. (2020). Why do bilinguals code-switch when emotional? Insights from immigrant parent–child interactions. Emotion, 20(5), 830–841. doi: 10.1037/emo0000568

 

Sarah Bauer

Sarah Bauer

Sarah Bauer

Secretary Senior

Contact Information

Washington State University
Department of Psychology
Johnson Tower 233
P.O. Box 644820
Pullman, WA 99164-4820

Email: sarah.g.bauer@wsu.edu
Phone: (509) 335-2632
Fax: (509) 335-5043

Job Responsibilities and Duties

 

  • Daily Office Operations
  • Key Requests, Distribution, & Returns
  • Office Supplies and Requisitions
  • Web Site Maintenance
  • Business Assets Inventory
  • Department Poster Printing
  • Search Committee Support
  • Space Coordinator
  • Conference Room Scheduling (JT 235 C)
  • Copy Requests
  • Scantrons
  • Syllabus Requests
  • Forwarding Addresses
  • Faxing
  • Shipping