Faculty and Staff

Yoav Arieh, Chair and Associate Professor, has a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Bar Ilan University. His research interests include selective attention, sensory integration/multisensory processes and auditory perception. He teaches courses in experimental psychology and quantitative methods.

John Paul Wilson, Associate Professor, received a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Toronto. His research is broadly focused on the interplay of perceiver and target identities in social perception. It also focuses on first impressions, face memory, and social judgments. He teaches courses in social psychology.‌

Michael Bixter, Associate Professor, received a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Stony Brook University with a graduate certificate in Quantitative Methods. He then completed two postdoctoral research positions, the first at Georgia Tech and the second at Arizona State University. His research interests include decisions about delayed and risky rewards, how decisions are made in small-group situations, and how decision making and other cognitive processes develop across adulthood. He teaches courses in statistics at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

Julia Coyne, Assistant Director of Clinical and School Psychology Training, received a PhD in School Psychology from Loyola University Chicago. She holds New Jersey and national certification in school psychology. Her research interests include post-injury cognitive rehabilitation in learning, supporting learning in multi-tiered systems, crisis intervention and prevention, and international school psychology. She teaches the School Psychology Externship class and oversees psychoeducational assessment services and training at the Psychological Services Clinic. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric rehabilitation research at the Kessler Foundation in West Orange, N.J., where she conducted funded research.

Melissa Velez is the Student Success Coordinator for undergraduate students in the Department of Psychology. She is currently pursuing her MA from Montclair State University.

Jen Wilenta is the Coordinator for Graduate Student Advancement in the Department of Psychology.  Jen supports all of the Psychology graduate level programs (PhD, MA, Cert) from marketing/recruitment through graduation. She is a MSU alum herself, receiving both of her degrees from Montclair State University: MA in Family and Child Studies as well as a BS in Business Management.

Paul Amrhein, Professor, received a PhD from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. His research interests include language use in natural contexts (conversations, therapeutic interventions) and how bilingualism contrasts with monolingualism with regard to memory access and production of knowledge representations across the lifespan. He teaches courses in research methodology and statistics.

Kevin Askew, Associate Professor, received a PhD from the University of South Florida. His research interests include “cyberloafing” and personal computer use at work; and the intersection of psychology and technology. He teaches courses including Quantitative and Statistical Methods, Interventions for Successful Organizations, and Personnel Psychology.

Pevitr Bansal, Assistant Professor, received a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Kentucky. His research interests include the development, assessment, and treatment of disruptive and aggressive conduct problems in childhood, with a particular focus on how callous-unemotional traits influence the presentation of aggressive behaviors. Ultimately, he aims to develop novel treatments that target the unique underlying mechanisms that contribute to and maintain disruptive and aggressive behaviors. He teaches courses in aggression throughout the lifespan, and developmental psychology. 

Jennifer Bragger, Professor, has a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Temple University. Her research interests include leadership development, the job interview, faith at work, work-family conflict, and stereotypes at work. She teaches courses including Leadership Theory and Development, Performance Management, Personnel Psychology, Organizational Psychology, and the cooperative learning course in Leadership Development.

Elizabeth Chan, Assistant Professor, earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Florida State University and completed her doctoral internship at Johns Hopkins Medicine/Kennedy Krieger Institute. Her research utilizes strength-based approaches to enhance the quality of life for individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) across the lifespan. Dr. Chan’s current work focuses on supporting emerging adults with ADHD, particularly in achieving educational success and transitioning into the workforce. She teaches courses in introductory psychology and clinical interventions.

Dr. Collins, Professor, received her PhD in social psychology from the University of Maryland and is currently serving as the psychology cooperative education coordinator and PSI CHI advisor.

Nicole Conklin, Assistant Teaching Professor, and Online BA Program Coordinator, is a Conservation Psychologist, studying human behavior and emotions as they relate to the natural world. While obtaining her PhD at Antioch University New England, her research focuses on implementing reflective interventions in zoo and aquarium settings to strength visitors’ cognitive and affective outcomes and promote proenvironmental behavior. Nicole also works on a nationwide project that assists zoos and aquariums in engaging and co-designing zoo programming with the low-income communities surrounding their facilities. Additionally, she is a conservation psychology coach, assisting clients such as U.S Fish and Wildlife Refuges in implementing these co-design principles. Outside of work, Nicole enjoys staying active through Crossfit and spending time with family and friends.

Samantha Coyle, Associate Professor, received a PhD in School Psychology from Northern Illinois University. Her research interests involve investigating the positive and negative features of peer relationships, specifically social support and bullying victimization in relation to internalizing disorders in adolescent youth; she is also interested in research on assessment, prevention and intervention practices addressing social-emotional, behavioral and academic challenges of children and adolescents. She teaches courses in Cognitive Assessment and Adolescent Psychology.

Ana DiGiovanni, Assistant Professor, holds a PhD in Psychology from Columbia University. Her research lies at the intersection of relationship science and affective science, with a strong emphasis in advanced quantitative methods. Specifically, her research examines the experiences — both good and bad — that we share with those closest to us. Much of this work centers the role stress plays in relational processes, with an emphasis on how people talk about problems and negative feelings. At its core, this work investigates how we show up for others, work together to regulate complex emotions, and build meaningful connections across a multitude of relationship contexts. She has expertise with dyadic methods, daily diaries, longitudinal designs, and psychophysiological methods. Ana is open to advising graduate students in the I/O and Clinical departments. She will teach mostly social psychology and quantitative methods courses.

Jason J. Dickinson is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of the Robert D. McCormick Center for Child Advocacy and Policy. He received a PhD in Legal Psychology from Florida International University. His research interests include children’s eyewitness testimony, forensic interviewing, and investigative decision-making. His research has been supported by several grants from the National Science Foundation and he regularly consults with the legal community to help translate research into public policy. He teaches courses on forensic psychology, forensic interviewing, statistics and human sexuality.

Jeremy Fox, Associate Professor, received a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University at Albany, State University of New York. His research interests include the developmental psychopathology of anxiety and depression, temperament and emotion regulation, parenting, screening and early intervention of childhood anxiety, and school-based mental health and dissemination issues. He is a licensed clinical psychologist who teaches courses in child psychology, clinical assessment, ethics, and evidence-based therapy.

Dr. Milton A. Fuentes received his MA in psychology with a Latinx psychology focus from Montclair State University and his doctorate in clinical psychology from Rutgers University. He completed a pre-doctoral fellowship in clinical and community psychology at Yale University and secured post-doctoral training in epidemiology at Columbia University.  He is the 2012 President of the National Latinx Psychological Association and was recently awarded fellow status in the American Psychological Association for his outstanding contributions in the field of psychology.  Dr. Fuentes is also the recipient of the 2023 Society for the Teaching of Psychology Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award.  Dr. Fuentes’ professional interests are in the areas of diversity science, program development, pedagogy, and motivational enhancement.  He serves as a consultant to academic campuses, community-based agencies, and corporate clients, helping them center equity, diversity, and inclusion in their mission and strategic planning efforts.  Dr. Fuentes is currently a professor in the psychology department at Montclair State University as well as a licensed psychologist in New Jersey and New York.

Alexandra Gaynor, Assistant Professor, earned her PhD in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience from the City University of New York, where her research focused on cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying memory processes. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, investigating the role of cancer history in neurocognitive dysfunction in older adults, and then expanded upon this work at Columbia University, where she examined the impact of modifiable lifestyle factors on brain and cognitive aging.  Dr. Gaynor’s ongoing research uses non-invasive brain stimulation and neuroimaging methods to investigate the roles of disease history and lifestyle on neurocognitive aging in healthy and clinical populations.

Manuel Gonzalez, Assistant Professor, received his PhD in industrial-organizational psychology in 2020 from Baruch College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Much of his research revolves around two broad topics: (1) the influences of emotions in the workplace on personal, interpersonal, and organizational outcomes, and (2) justice-related and ethical issues in the workplace, with a recent focus on fairness issues that emerge when utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning. These topics sometimes bring his research into additional areas such as personality, leadership, and even music in the workplace. Dr. Gonzalez has also worked as a consultant in the area of personnel selection and assessment, which has helped to inform his research. Outside of his work, Dr. Gonzalez is a loving husband and father, pun enthusiast, metal head, and caretaker of two endearingly unintelligent cats.

Sally Grapin, Associate Professor, received a PhD from the University of Florida. Her research interests include assessment, prevention and intervention practices for students with reading and other learning disabilities. She teaches courses including Practicum in Assessment I, Practicum in Assessment II, Practicum in School Psychology, and Therapeutic Interventions in the Schools.

Cheryl Gray, Assistant Professor, received a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of South Florida. She specializes in leadership and employee well-being. Her primary line of research investigates how to be a supportive supervisor and coworker. Dr. Gray teaches courses on a variety of I/O Psychology topics, and she enjoys involving students in her research projects. She also enjoys consulting with organizations that share her passion for enhancing employee well-being. For an overview of Dr. Gray’s work, check out this podcast episode.

Dr. Tamara B. Jean-Jacques, Assistant Teaching Professor in the School Psychology program at Montclair, is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, and a practicing psychotherapist under supervision. She earned her doctorate in School Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University and holds multiple advanced degrees in psychology and educational psychology. Dr. Jean-Jacques has served as a certified school psychologist, supervisor, and special education administrator, leading special services departments in diverse urban and suburban school districts, supervising multidisciplinary teams, and developing specialized curricula. In her role at Montclair, Dr. Jean-Jacques will prepare future school psychologists through hands-on clinical training, assessment, and supervision.

Erin Kang, Assistant Professor, received a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Stony Brook University in 2020, with an advanced graduate certificate in Quantitative Methods. Her research focuses on integrating science and practice, via understanding processes that shape clinical presentations in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), investigating neural mechanisms of clinical phenotypes and plasticity in ASD, and applying these insights to evidence-based interventions for social functioning. Her research incorporates contemporary analytic methodologies, including advanced quantitative methods and neuroscience. She teaches clinical courses is the graduate and undergraduate programs.

Mawia Khogali, Assistant Professor, holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and Law from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. With ten years of experience leading quantitative, qualitative, and applied research with Black and Brown youth and adults impacted by the criminal legal system, Mawia brings expertise in leveraging science and data-driven metrics to inform program development, strategy, implementation, and evaluation in public safety reform. Her experience as an applied researcher and practitioner cultivated an interest in supporting students in bridging the gap between psychological research and practice. She is dedicated to guiding students, practitioners, and organizations in translating research into practice in accessible ways.

Christopher M. King, Associate Professor, received a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Drexel University, as well as a JD. His research interests include forensic mental health assessment, correctional psychology, police and public safety psychology, and mental health law. He teaches courses within his specialty area, including Psychology and Law, Forensic Psychology, and Interventions in Forensic Psychology. He is a licensed psychologist in New Jersey and New York State.

Meredyth Appelbaum, Assistant Professor, received a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Stanford University. Her research examines the methods people use to coordinate in face-to-face conversation and how this coordination facilitates mutual understanding. She teaches courses including Introduction to Statistics, Psychology Research Methods, and Psycholinguistics (Psychology of Language).

Laura Lakusta, Professor, received a PhD in Cognitive Developmental Psychology/Cognitive Science from Johns Hopkins University. Her research interests include cognitive and language development in infants and children, specifically on the development of spatial concepts and spatial language acquisition. She has published in several peer-reviewed journals including Cognition, Language Learning and Development, and Cognitive Science and is the recipient of research funding from the National Science Foundation. She teaches courses in developmental psychology, child psychology, and research statistics. More information can be found on her website.‌

Carrie Masia Warner, Professor, received a PhD in Clinical Psychology from West Virginia University. Her research interests focus on how to improve child and adolescent mental health services, specifically the implementation and evaluation of evidence-based interventions for anxiety and mood disorders in schools and pediatric medical settings. She teaches courses related to clinical externship, abnormal psychology and evidence-based interventions. Masia Warner has published extensively in top journals and has had great success securing external funding. Previously, she served on the faculties of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center and the Department of Psychology at William Paterson University. She also completed a post-doctoral NIMH research fellowship at Columbia University.

Adam P. Natoli, Assistant Professor, received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from Adelphi University. His program of research investigates how we measure psychological functioning and strives to develop, evaluate, and apply advanced measurement and statistical methodologies to the empirical study of psychological assessment with a focus on instrument psychometrics, multimethod assessment, and applications of Artificial Intelligence in these domains. This work is accompanied by research on the conceptualization and treatment of personality psychopathology and psychodynamic theories and principles. Dr. Natoli predominantly will teach quantitative and research methodology courses in the department.

Jennifer Pardo, Professor, received a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Yale University. She is the director of the Speech Communication Laboratory. Her research centers on the production and perception of spoken language, with an emphasis on understanding variation and convergence in phonetic form. She teaches courses in cognition, perception, and psycholinguistics. Publications resulting from her research have appeared in Journal of Memory & Language, Frontiers in Psychology, and Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics.

Ruth Propper, Professor, received a PhD in Cognitive Neuropsychology from the University of Toledo. She is the director of the Cerebral Lateralization Laboratory. Her research interests include the contributions of the cerebral hemispheres to mood, cognition and perception and the mechanisms by which hemispheric activity can be altered, thereby altering emotions, cognition and perception. She teaches courses focusing on neuroscience and research methodologies.

Jazmin Reyes-Portillo, Associate Professor, received a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University. Her research interests include: examining the use of digital health technology to reduce mental health disparities among racial/ethnic minority youth as well as examining ways to improve the implementation and dissemination of evidence-based practices in schools and community clinics. She teaches courses including Abnormal Psychology and Professional Issues in Multicultural Psychology. Reyes-Portillo has been successful in obtaining external funding and has published in journals such as Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Cognitive and Behavioral Practice.

Ofelia Rodriguez, PhD, Associate Professor, received a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Seton Hall University. She is a certified School Psychologist and licensed Clinical Psychologist. Her research interests include clinical psychology, multicultural psychology, Latino/a issues, issues of diversity, bereavement, addiction, trauma, sexual abuse, and women’s issues. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and authored a book on the impact of childhood traumas on adults. She directed the School Psychology program until 2006, since then she has focused on training undergraduates by teaching courses such as Introduction to Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Psychology of Women, and Clinical Psychology.

Mark Rose, Assistant Teaching Professor, received a PhD in Organizational Psychology from the University of South Florida. His research interests include use of innovative item types in test development, people analytics, and critical thinking assessment. As a civilian with the U.S. Air Force, he previously held leadership roles focused on Air Force-wide recruitment, selection, and promotion. Before his time in the Air Force, he served as a Research Director for Pearson’s talent assessment team and oversaw the development and revision of widely used assessments such as the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and Raven’s Progressive Matrices. In addition to teaching in our I/O program, Dr. Rose will serve as the Director of the Industrial/Organizational MA Psychology Program.

Joshua Sandry, Professor, received a PhD from New Mexico State University. His research interests include understanding how attention and memory interact to create new long-term memory representations in both healthy and neurological populations. He teaches courses including Experimental Psychology, Introduction to Statistical Methods in Psychology, Perception, Physiological Psychology, Human Learning and Memory, and Cognition. Sandry’s lab is called the Cognition and Neurocognitive Disorders Research Lab.

Dr. Denise Simão Marques, Assistant Teaching Professor, holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Miami. Throughout her professional career she has employed cross-cultural approaches to psychological treatment focusing on underserved communities. She has worked clinically with homeless veterans, refugees, individuals with HIV and complex medical comorbidities, as well as with individuals experiencing general mental health concerns. As a scientist-practitioner, she has helped to run various grant-funded community-based research projects. Dr. Simão Marques is committed to fostering a culturally conscientious approach at the intersection of clinical practice and academia. In addition to teaching in our clinical programs, she will be serving as the Assistant Director of Training for the Clinical Psychology PhD program.

Lauren Schaible, Assistant Teaching Professor, received her Psy.D. from Georgian Court University. She has her own private practice where she practices psychotherapy as well as applied behavioral analysis with a special interest in obsessive compulsive disorder and ADHD. In addition to her private practice, Lauren has 20 years of education experience including supporting students as a school psychologist, BCBA, teacher, and undergraduate and graduate instructor.

Valerie Sessa, Professor, received a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from New York University. Her research interests include leadership development in college students and continuous learning at the individual, group, and organizational levels. She teaches courses including Leadership Theory and Development, Groups in Organizations and Work Attitudes and Motivation. She is the author of three books: Executive selection: Strategies for success, Jossey Bass (with Jodi Taylor, 2000), Continuous learning in Organizations: Individual, group, and organizational perspectives, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. (with Manny London, 2005), Work group learning: Understanding, improving, and assessing how groups learn in organizations, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. (edited with Manny London, 2008), and has one book in progress: College Student Leadership Development: Learning from Experience, Taylor and Francis.

Dr. Spat-Lemus, Assistant Teaching Professor, received her PhD in Clinical Psychology with Health Emphasis and training in Clinical Neuropsychology from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University. She completed a two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuropsychology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Dr. Spat-Lemus conducts research/publishes on the neurocognitive performance in patients with neurological/medical disorders, as well as on the cross-cultural aspects of neuropsychological testing and treatment. Most recently, she was a clinical neuropsychologist and Assistant Professor of Neuropsychology at Weill Cornell Medicine’s (WCM) Department of Neurological Surgery. Dr. Spat-Lemus currently serves as the Director of the Clinical MA Psychology Program at MSU.

Akina Umemoto, Assistant Professor, received her PhD in Cognition and Brain Sciences Program in psychology from University of Victoria, BC, Canada, in 2016. Her research has centered around the overarching questions examining 1) how the reward system works, 2) the role of cognitive control in modulating reward- and effort-based behaviors, and 3) the underlying mechanisms of alterations in these processes in mental disorders, particularly depression and anxiety. Dr. Umemoto uses a combination of psychophysiological methods (electroencephalography (EEG) and pupillometry), experimental manipulations, and behavioral and self-report measures to answer her research questions. Outside of her work Dr. Umemoto enjoys running and yoga, and has love for dogs and nature.

Yingying (Jennifer) Yang, Associate Professor, received a PhD in developmental/cognitive psychology from the University of Alabama. Her research interests include a variety of cognitive development phenomena (such as attention, learning, memory, and problem solving with a focus in spatial processes) in typical and atypical development (such as people with intellectual or developmental disabilities). She teaches courses in statistics, research methods and developmental psychology. Yang has also been successful in attracting external funding and has published in journals such as Journal of Experimental Child Psychology and Research in Developmental Disabilities.

Tina Zottoli, Associate Professor, received a PhD from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY Graduate Center and is a NYS licensed clinical psychologist. She teaches Forensic Psychology in the Undergraduate program, Criminal Forensic Assessment, Research Methods and Psychological Science and the Law at the graduate level.  She has co-authored several publications, including “The feedback related negativity (FRN) in adolescents,” Psychophysiology (with J. Grose-Fifer) and “A first look at the plea deal experiences of juveniles charged in adult court,” International Journal of Forensic Mental Health (with T. Daftary-Kapur). Dr. Zottoli is the director of the Legal Decision Making Lab at MSU. Her scholarly interests lie primarily in adolescent decision making and legal competencies, and her research program is presently focused on guilty plea decision making and wrongful conviction by guilty plea. Dr. Zottoli also maintains a small clinical practice in New York, providing consultation, forensic evaluation, and expert testimony across a range of criminal and civil contexts.  Lab website: https://msudecisionmakinglab.com