[Ball State University]

Student Biographies

Psychological Science


In photo at left:

Front Row: Kim Miller, Nicole Owen, Cathy McCue, Julie Purtell, Heather Ryan, Shena Wadian, Lesli Johnson, Kendra Castle, Lucas Pozenel.

Back Row: Becky Bell, Jonathan Schuster, Russ Webster, Kansie Drummond, Maxx Somers, Angie Miller, Camilla Andersson, Jon Vallano, Holly Slabaugh.








Camilla Andersson, Clinical Student

I知 from Arvika, Sweden, and I知 a first year student in the Clinical Psychology program. Before coming to BSU, I attended Shoreline Community College in Seattle and completed an AA degree in Arts and Science. In the summer for 2002, I received a BA in Behavioral Science at University of Maine at Machias. After graduation, I worked for two years as a Home-Based Family Specialist. I was a member of an intervention team that provided intensive home-based family counseling and in-home support services to children and families who were involved with the Department of Human Services. Since January of 2003, I have been licensed as a social worker in the state of Maine. My research interest focuses on cross-cultural differences in children and adolescents.

Amy Bauer, Clinical Student

I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College, where I majored in advertising. After receiving my degree, I worked at Leo Burnett, an ad agency in Chicago, for four years as a media planner and buyer. While at Leo Burnett, I began pursuing an education in psychology by attending night classes. It was at that time I decided to leave Chicago and the world of advertising to go to school full-time. This past year I took courses at Northern Illinois University to fulfill my undergrad psychology requirements. After receiving my Master's degree, I plan to attend a clinical or counseling psychology doctoral program.

Rebecca Bell, Cognitive and Social Processes Student

Becky is a first-year student from Pennsylvania, home of the official Groundhog Day groundhog. She graduated from Susquehanna University.

Kendra Castle, Clinical Student

I am a first-year student who commutes from Indianapolis. I received my undergraduate degree in psychology at Indiana University. My interests include severe psychopathologies and health psychology, although this could change. After completing my master痴 degree, I plan on getting licensed.

Heidi Cole, Clinical Student

I am from a small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I did my undergrad at Central Michigan University where I majored in Psychology and minored in Sociology. While my interests are still very broad, I find that I am mostly interested in personality disorders and also depression/anxiety.

Jennifer Riedl Cross, Cognitive and Social Processes Student

As I have been in all my schooling, I am a nontraditional student, working at it part-time while raising four children and working as Managing Editor of the Roeper Review, a journal on gifted education. Before having children I was a computer programmer and systems analyst at the Tennessee Valley Authority. As a full-time mom, I went to graduate school to maintain my sanity and have a Master's degree in educational psychology from Ball State. I am very interested in how people think and how they interact, particularly in their desire to maintain the status quo. I look forward to pursuing a doctorate in either cognitive psychology or sociology when I finish this program.

Matthew Decker, Clinical Student

Matt is a first-year student who graduated from Indiana Wesleyan. He has visited Africa several times.

Kansie Drummond, Cognitive and Social Processes Student

Hi. I am a first year graduate student from the small town of Central, South Carolina. I started my undergrad degree at Charleston Southern University, but then transferred to Anderson College, in Anderson, South Carolina, where I received my BA in psychology. I have several research interests, and they are evolving and changing all the time. (I figure I'll have plenty of time to narrow that down when I grow up.) Once I complete my Master's degree, I intend to go on to obtain a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology. After that, my goal is to teach and conduct research at an academic institution somewhere. As for my free time...I love walking, hiking, taking pictures, listening to music, and watching Seinfeld, That 70's Show, and Will & Grace. (I also use to take every chance I got back home to go to Charleston, in the low country...One day, I'm gonna move back there permanantly.) So far, I really like Ball State, and I look foward to the rest of my experience here.

Steven Galka, Clinical Student

Hi, I am a second-year student. I received my undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. My interests lie in both domains of research and practice, with an emphasis on community responses and processes regarding mental health and child abuse & neglect. During my time here, I plan on engaging these issues from both academic and social action perspectives.

Nancy Hammoudah, Clinical Student

I graduated from Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, IL with my B.A. in psychology. My hometowns are Chicago and Egypt. I am interested in working with children and adoloscents. My research interests include ethnic identity and prejudice. At this time, I am planning to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.

Alishea Hawkins, Clinical Student

I am a second-year student from Louisville, KY. I completed my undergraduate work in psychology at Bellarmine University. I worked with adults who have been diagnosed with severe mental illness for two years before coming to Ball State. I plan on pursuing a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, and my research interests deal with female sexuality and the causes of female sexual dysfunction.

Molly Jameson, Cognitive and Social Processes Student

Hello!!! I originally hail from the far-away town of Anderson, IN (actually it is only one town over from Muncie). I received my undergraduate degree in psychology at Indiana State University (alma mater of Larry Bird for all you basketball fans!) Early in my psychology career I realized that I love research and want to spend the rest of my life researching...but researching what?!?!?!? My interests are great, but lie mainly in the social psychology realm, and are also branching out into industrial/organizational psychology. My main research interest is social influence and persuasion, and how that relates to both attitude change and leadership. I am also interested in physical attractiveness, group dynamics, romantic relationships, jealousy, worker motivation, and job satisfaction. However, if you ask me tomorrow, this list may not exist and a new one may be in its place!

In photo at right:

Sprawling: Despina Constandinides, Amy Bauer, Alishea Hawkins, Steven Galka.

Standing: Seth Ely, Adam Wenger, Cathy Morris, Kristin McMillen-Dodd, Bill Johnston, David deMedicis.









Lesli Johnson, Clinical Student

Hello. I am a first-year student from Austin, Texas. I recieved my B.A. in psychology from Texas Tech University. My interests lie in forensic psychology, more specifically, within a correctional setting. I am also interested in competency to stand trial and insanity cases. After I receive my masters here at Ball State, I plan to get my Ph.D. in clinical psychology and work in a correctional facility.

William M. Johnston, Clinical Student

First of all, I must say I知 the father of the most beautiful 2 year old son and 8 year old daughter the world has ever seen. (seriously!) I知 also a husband and a second year student. My two biggest concerns with entering graduate school were the commute from Indianapolis and the responsibilities involved with having a 10 month old at home. Fortunately, I have a very understanding, wonderful wife who helps make it possible. The commute is still quite long, but doable. My experience in the program, so far, has been a very positive one. The faculty, staff, and students have all been both friendly and helpful. If you池e considering the clinical or cognitive program, I would suggest a visit to the department to get a feeling for the environment you値l be in for two years. Dr. Pickel is very good about taking time to answer questions you may have about the programs. Also, meet with other faculty who have interests similar to yours for a chat about possible research opportunities or GA assignments, if you'll have an assistantship.

Fadhel Khashawi, Cognitive and Social Processes Student

I am from Kuwait, a small country in the Middle East. Once I complete the Master's program at Ball State, my goal is to enter a Ph.D. program in cognitive psychology.

Shannon Kobes, Cognitive and Social Processes Student

I am a second-year student. I am originally from Iowa and obtained my undergraduate psychology degree from Wayne State College in NE. My interests include sexual assault research, victim blame, and rape myth formation. Upon completing the Master's program, I plan on pursuing a PhD in social psychology with the intent of working in research academia.

Hyeon-nyeon Lee, Cognitive and Social Processes Student

Hi, I'm Hyeon-nyeon Lee from Korea. I'm a second-year grad student. I'm interested in politics for the social minors, so I'm dreaming of working in political areas when I accomplish my future doctoral degree. I think politics is an efficient way to make progress in the world; however, since I was a French major, I really love to see plays and choreographic performances. I do believe that the close interaction between professors and students is the greatest strenth of BSU.

Tom Lenhardt, Cognitive and Social Processes Student

Hi everyone. I'm a second-year student, originally from Bismarck, ND. I attended the University of North Dakota as an undergraduate. After earning a B.A. in Psychology, I moved to Minneapolis, MN in 2002. I worked at a hospital in the mental health units for a year before coming here to Ball State. My research interests are related to eyewitness memory, criminal personalities, cross-cultural psychotherapy, and the application of chaos theory to human dynamics. My future plans include pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology and a career as a clinical practitioner.

Cathy McCue, Cognitive and Social Processes Student

Cathy is a first-year student who graduated from Ball State University. She has worked professionally as a research confederate in a study on eyewitness memory.

Kristen McMillen-Dodd, Clinical Student

Hello. I am a Southern California native, but I graduated with my bachelor's degree in psychology here in Indiana. My research interests include psychotropic medication and sleep parameters, and learning and REM sleep deprivation. In addition to research, I am interested in psychometric testing. After completing my master's degree, I plan to obtain licensure, as well as continue conducting research.

Angie Miller, Cognitive and Social Processes Student

I am a cog/social student from the Indianapolis area. I attended Hanover College in Hanover, IN as an undergraduate, majoring in psychology and minoring in cultural anthropology. My research interests include, but are not limited to, gender studies, creativity, and factors affecting dream content and recall. After completion of my Master's degree, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology.

Kim Miller, Clinical Student

I am a third year clinical student from Birmingham, AL. I received my Bachelor's degree from Auburn University in 1993 and between undergrad and grad I worked for nine years in a variety of clinical and applied settings. I have enjoyed my time at Ball State and would highly recommend the program. This year I will be completing my thesis on a study of human motivation in both clinical and non-clinical adults, and applying to doctoral programs in clinical psychology. This year I also manage our departments advising center and resource room, conduct psychological testing at a local youth center, and am active in a variety of organizations on campus.

Cathy Morris, Clinical Student

I am from Grand Rapids, MI, where I attended Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University. I am a non-traditional student; I began my college career at age thirty-five. Once I have completed the master program here at Ball State I plan on obtaining my PhD in clinical psychology. My interests are in adult chronic mental illness and cultural factors in the assessment and treatment of mental illness.

Nicole Owen, Clinical Student

Nicole is a first-year student from Kentucky. She graduated from Bellarmine in beautiful Louisville.

Lucas Pozenel, Clinical Student

Hi, my name is Lucas Pozenel. I am from Youngstown, Ohio. I received my Bachelor's degree in Psychology at Ohio University. I hope to either pursue a Ph.D in clinical psychology or to become a licensed mental health counselor. My interests lie in working with children and doing AIDS research.

Julie Purtell, Cognitive and Social Processes Student

Julie is a first-year student from Ohio. She graduated from Wilmington College.


In photo at left: Shannon Kobes, Molly Jameson, Sachi Ito, Hyeon Lee, Tom Lenhardt.














Heather Ryan, Clinical Student

Heather is a first-year student from Arizona. She graduated from Butler University.

Jonathan Schuster, Cognitive and Social Processes Student

I am from Jacksonville, Florida. I got my bachelor degrees in Psychology and Accounting from Auburn University. For the moment, I知 interested in memory痴 function in reading for comprehension and topic structure, but this might change in the future. When I hopefully get my Masters degree, I知 planning on getting a Ph.D., but nothing is written in stone yet.

Holly Slabaugh, Cognitive and Social Processes Student

I am originally from Kokomo, Indiana. In my undergraduate studies at Indiana University, I double majored in both psychology and communication arts in four years. While at IU, I had the opportunity to complete a research study on the relationship between young children's human figure drawings and Piaget's four levels of cognitive development. Currently, I am employed at Bona Vista Programs, helping to teach adults with developmental disabilities independent living skills. My main interests in psychology are to learn more about children and adults with chronic illnesses and disabilities as well as to pursue a PhD in the future.

Maxx Somers, Cognitive and Social Processes Student

My name is Maxx Somers. I am currently enrolled in the Cognitive and Social Psychology Program. I graduated in 2003 from Hanover College with a B.A. in psychology and then worked for a year at Indiana University. My research interests center around self-esteem.

David Taylor, Clinical Student

David is a first-year student who completed his undergraduate work at Ball State University.

Jon Vallano, Clinical Student

Jon is a first-year student who completed his undergraduate work at Ball State University.

Shena Wadian, Clinical Student

Shena is a first-year student who graduated from Wartburg College.

Russell Webster, Cognitive and Social Processes Student

Hi, everyone. I am from Downers Grove, IL (outside of Chicago), where I attended North Central College for my undergraduate career. I have a double major in Psychology and French. My main research interests are prejudice/stereotypes (specifically individual difference variables that predict negative attitudes toward minority groups) and sexuality (primarily gender, gay, lesbian, and bisexual social issues). I also have peripheral interests in developmental, peace, and political psychology. I plan on pursuing a doctoral degree after completing the Cog-Soc program here at BSU. My outside interests include tennis and indepedent films. See my web site.

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(765) 285-1711

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