Psychology

We Value Diversity and Inclusion

The Department of Psychology at the University of Oklahoma is committed to diversity and inclusion in our pursuit of excellence in research and teaching. True excellence in research and teaching can only be achieved in environments that affirm the dignity and inherent worth of all individuals.

Psychology as a discipline firmly recognizes the importance of individual differences. We value and seek to better understand individual differences, including but not limited to those related to race, ethnicity, skin color, national origin, religious and spiritual beliefs, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical and mental abilities, size and appearance, as well as veteran and socio-economic status. While we value free expression and the critical examination of ideas, we must also be committed to creating an environment of trust, mutual respect, and compassion. We have a shared responsibility to continually foster an environment that supports and benefits all, including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, staff, and faculty.

It is important that we all recognize and continually remind ourselves that feelings of alienation, marginalization, powerlessness, and loneliness are detrimental to both physical and mental health. It is therefore incumbent upon the Department of Psychology at the University of Oklahoma that we foster an environment where all individuals feel welcome, valued, competent, and empowered.

Summer 2022 Newsletter

The Department of Psychology 2022 Summer Newsletter was sent out to alumni in August 2022. You can view all of our past newsletters here.

This issue contains notable updates about our newest faculty member Professor Adrienne Carter-Sowell, faculty grants, graduate and faculty awards, our first year project presentations and so much more!

New Faculty

Mike Sladek

Introducing one of our new faculty members: Dr. Mike Sladek! Mike studies adolescent health, stress, and identity with a focus on identity-affirming approaches to promote development and health for youth facing marginalization due to systems of oppression in society. ⁠

Mike is originally from Cedar Rapids, IA. He was awarded his PhD at Arizona State University and just finished a post-doc at Harvard University. ⁠If he was not a professor he would be pursuing a career in Broadway! He loves singing, dancing, and all things musical theatre.

Alex Harris-Watson

Introducing another new faculty member: Dr. Alex Harris-Watson! Alex's research focuses on individual differences at work, with a particular emphasis on the role of personality in interpersonal dynamics such as teams, leadership, and collaboration with artificial intelligence.

She is a self proclaimed Midwest gal! She grew up in Wisconsin, did her undergraduate degree in Minnesota, and most recently spent 3 years in Chicago as a Post Doc at Northwestern University. She loves to cook/bake and spend time with her dog - if her dog is lucky, those things happen at the same time, when she tends to drop food he can eat.

Charlie Rioux

This #PsychTalkThursday we wanted to introduce one of our new faculty members, Dr. Charlie Rioux.

Charlie's general research interests lie in mental health promotion, developmental psychology, and research methodology. She conducts interdisciplinary and collaborative research on a wide variety of topics.

She is originally from Montreal, Canada. She was awarded her PhD at the University of Montreal and is coming to us from a dual Postdoc appointment at the University of Manitoba and the University of Calgary. Charlie loves to cook and even ran a vegetarian cooking blog for over a decade!

Awards

Longmire Prize for Teaching

Congratulations to Associate Professor Erin Freeman, this year’s recipient of the Longmire Prize for Teaching! This award is given annually to a nominee in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences who exhibits a scholarly and thoughtful approach to innovative teaching.

OU Student Government Association Outstanding Faculty Award

Congratulations to Professor Shane Connelly! She recently won the University of Oklahoma Student Government Association Outstanding Faculty Award. She was picked amongst all the faculty across the entire university!

Helen Riddle Award

Congratulations to graduate student Jinhyo Cho for receiving the Department of Psychology 2021-2022 Helen Riddle Award for Teaching Excellence! Cho was awarded $750 and a certificate of recognition

Outstanding Teaching Award

The Department of Psychology offers an Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award each year. Jessica Beccerra was the 2021-2022 winner, and received a certificate of recognition as well as a monetary award of $250.