Launching Heartland Health Network
Heartland Health Network

Congratulations Dr.’s Goggin, Berkley-Patton and Catley!
UMKC Department of Psychology Researchers

Due to more than a decade of research focused on improving community health and addressing health disparities among African Americans we have received a three-year, 1 million dollar grant from NIH to create Heartland Health Network (HHN).

The grant was awarded through the NIH National Center on Minority Health Disparities Community Based Participatory Research Initiative. Of more than 600 grant proposals submitted from across the nation, UMKC was one of only approximately 30 proposals that were awarded.

HHN is slated to become a coalition of community partners working together to address health disparities by promoting wellness, facilitating health research and the dissemination of effective health intervention within the African American community.

Per Dr. Berkley-Patton, “HHN is really an outgrowth of ongoing research in our department and partnerships and programs that are already in place and working,” Berkley-Patton said. “What makes the formalization of HHN unique is that our community partners will be involved in every stage of the research process – from developing research goals to assisting with implementing research projects and interpreting data. HHN will allow researchers, health care providers and community leaders to work together to find the most effective communication and intervention strategies and translate those strategies into improved health outcomes for patients.”

Along with researchers from the UMKC Department of Psychology, the founding HHN partners are the Calvary Community Outreach Network (CCON) a faith based non-profit and the Kansas City Free Health Clinic (KC Free) a community based health service organization. With these partnerships, the opportunity to reach over 50 percent of the African American population who attend weekly church services and receive health services, the potential impact of this project is significant. The community need is evident when your hear Rev. Eric D. Williams, founder and CEO of the Calvary Community Outreach Network say, “I’m tired of doing funerals that could have been prevented, and we have to broaden our understanding of what a ministry is and what it can do. We need to look at all of the needs that our congregants have and use evidenced based approaches to address them. Working together through the HHN, we have a chance to really make a difference in addressing the health of our community.”

To be learn more about Heartland Health Network visit us at www.heartlandhealthnetwork.org

The Department of Psychology Congratulates All Recent Psychology Graduates!

At UMKC’s Spring 2010 Commencement, 64 students majoring in psychology received their Bachelor’s of Arts degree. While we are proud of the many accomplishments of all of our graduates, we want to particularly acknowledge several students whose extreme high academic achievement in both the general education requirement and those specific for the psychology major earned them Departmental Honors.

Departmental Honor Recipients Spring 2010

Justin Aarant, Alexandra Davis, Lacey Durbin, Sybil Hamm, Amy Karim, Katie Kenslow, Alexandra Kuestersteffen, Patti McGrannahan, Josie Tyrer

See some of our Departmental Honor recipients profiled below.

Alexandra Davis

I began my studies at UMKC the fall 2006. Upon graduating from UMKC I plan to attend the University of Nebraska Lincoln, Doctoral program in Developmental Psychology. Outside of school, I like to hang out with friends and family! I knew psychology was the major for me when I took general psychology my senior year of high school. I fell in love with it then and want to study it as long as I can! I attribute my high academic achievement to the opportunities that I had doing undergraduate research in my 490 with Dr. Murdock and Dr. Filion. Also, the support I received from my family. Some tips I would offer students, who are currently pursuing their psychology degree at UMKC, would be to get involved in research as much as possible and find what it is that really inspires you.

Lacey Durbin

I began my studies at UMKC the fall 2008. Upon graduating from UMKC I plan to start at Rockhurst University in their Occupational Therapy program. Outside of school, I like to travel back to Illinois to spend time with my family, read books, and spend time with my fiancé. I knew psychology was the major for me because I find the aspects of the mind very intriguing and wanted to learn more. I attribute my high academic achievement to the hard work that I put into striving to be the best that I can. My parents also instilled in me the idea of a good work ethic and always believed that I could do anything I set my mind to. Some tips I would offer students, who are currently pursuing their psychology degree at UMKC, would be to try to absorb as much information about psychology as possible because it is very intriguing and can be used in everyday life. Also enjoy the wonderful teachers who are there to help you reach your life goals.

Alexandra Kuestersteffen

No Picture Available

I began my studies at UMKC the fall 2008. Upon graduating from UMKC I plan to attend graduate school for Counseling Psychology. Outside of school, I like to read, bake, and volunteer at Rose Brooks and Kansas City Free Health Clinic. I am currently looking for a hobby, all the while driving my family and friends crazy with an overabundance of arts and crafts and/or sporting supplies. I knew psychology was the major for me because I've always wanted to help others with their problems, and counseling psychology felt like the best fit. I attribute my high academic achievement to my mom. She set high standards and helped me every day to achieve them. Some tips I would offer students, who are currently pursuing their psychology degree at UMKC, would be take as many psych electives as you can! It's a great way to help figure out what path is best for yourself.

Josie Tyrer

I began my studies at UMKC August 2006. Upon graduating from UMKC I plan to attend University of Alabama at Birmingham for graduate school. I have been accepted to their clinical Ph.D program and my focus will be in neuropsychology research. Outside of school, I like to be creative. I like to work with my hands e.g., cooking, drawing, sewing, bookbinding, throwing on the wheel. I knew psychology was the major for me when I took an AP psychology class in high school. It was a pretty fun and interesting class. The teacher I had also talked about studying psychology in college and was very enthusiastic about the topics we covered. I attribute my high academic achievement to always having the mindset that it’s my job. Some tips I would offer students, who are currently pursuing their psychology degree at UMKC, would be get involved in Psych 490 Directed Research, especially if you are serious about grad school.

UMKC Spring 2010 SEARCH Symposium News

On Friday, April 16th, UMKC SEARCH (Students Engaged in Artistic and Academic Research) held its annual student research symposium. A number of Psychology undergraduate researchers participated in the event, presenting their findings to classmates, professors, and visitors. Presentations were judged and awards given in each of several divisions.

Both the first and second place presentations in the Behavioral and Social Sciences division went to students in the Department of Psychology!

First place was awarded to Alexandra N. Davis and Sarah A. Potts (top picture; D. Filion, faculty advisor) for their presentation "Differences in Anticipatory and Viewing Phases of Negative Images Using a Psychophysiological Measure".

Second place went to Nicholas Cale (second picture down; M. Rempfer, faculty advisor) for his presentation "Learning Potential and Memory in People with Serious Mental Illness".

Other Department of Psychology undergraduate presenters were Alexandria Bohn (third picture down; J. Berkley-Patton, faculty advisor), “Supportive Parental Communication and Sex Behaviors in African-American Adolescents”, and Clarissa Johnson and Hannah Fugate (fourth picture down; D. Filion, faculty advisor), “Instructed Emotional Regulation by Negative Picture Valence Using Psycho-Physiological Measures.”

Congratulations to all!

For more information about SEARCH, visit http://www.umkc.edu/searchsite/

We Are Pleased To Announce The Department of Psychology
School of Graduate Studies, PhD Student Fellowship Award Winners For 2010!

Back row from left: Erin McInerney-Ernst, Dr. Tamera Murdock, Department of Psychology Chair, David Martinez, Jessica Hamilton. Front Row from left: Amber Hinton-Dampf, Erin Moore, and Laura Hancock. Not pictured: Liz Duval and Starlyn Hawes.

New Awards
Jessica Hamilton - Preparing Future Faculty Fellow for 2010-2011
Jessica’s current research focuses on the effectiveness of coping skills training on emotion regulation using emotion modulation of startle reflex as an objective measure of emotion regulation. She is also interested in adjustment outcomes of children who have incurred trauma, such as maltreatment. Jessica’s faculty mentors are Dr. Diane Filion & Dr. Tamera Murdock.
Laura Hancock - Arthur Mag Doctoral Fellow in Arts & Sciences.
Laura plans to conduct a randomized controlled trial to examine the efficacy of computer-assisted cognitive training in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that frequently has a negative impact on cognition (skills like memory, attention, and speed of information processing).These deficits are associated with unemployment, social difficulties, problems with medication management, and reduced quality of life. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Jared Bruce.
Amber Hinton-Dampf - School of Graduate Studies McNair Doctoral Fellowship
Amber’s areas of research interests broadly include sexuality, sexual risk behaviors, close relationships, motivation, and cheating. A current project she is working on examines condom use among homosexual adolescent males using the ARRM model. Her faculty mentors are Dr. Tamera Murdock and Dr. Jacob Marszalek.
David Martinez – Chancellor’s Fellowship
David’s area of research interest includes HIV medication adherence and HIV prevention in Latino and African American populations. His faculty mentors in this research are Dr. Kathy Goggin and Dr. Jannette Berkley-Patton.
Erin Moore – Chancellor’s Fellowship
Erin’s research focuses on trying to understanding why specific individuals take more risk with their sexual behavior and the identification of protective factors. She hopes to her apply her knowledge to developing and evaluating sexual health interventions. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Jannette Berkley-Patton.
Continuing Awards
Liz Duval – Chancellor’s Fellowship
For Liz’s dissertation project she will be using neurological (fMRI) and physiological (startle eyeblink) measures to investigate attention and emotional responses to faces in people with and without social anxiety. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Diane Filion.
Starlyn Hawes – School of Graduate Studies McNair Doctoral Fellowship
Her faculty mentor is Dr. Jannette Berkley-Patton.

Congratulations To The Newest UMKC Psi Chi & Psychology Club Members!

On Wednesday April 9th, 2010 at the UMKC Diastole House, the newest members of the UMKC Chapter of the Psi Chi Honor Society and Psychology Club were inducted. The evening kicked-off with a welcome by Psi Chi President Mr. Bryan Fox, who subsequently introduced the current officers of Psi Chi and the Psychology Club, as well as inductees into both organizations.

The Psychology Club Officers for 2010-2011 are:
President: Vyshnavi Reddy, Vice-President : Komal Dasani, Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ricardo Marte

The Psychology Club Inductee’s for Spring 2010 are:
Brodie L. Barnard, Carmen R. Benn, Elizabeth Dains, Donna Dixon, Jessica Drinkard, Amanda Holman Junaid Javed, Monique Johnson, Jennifer Kendall, Danesha Martin, Cody Morrison, Vyshnavi Reddy Derek Renko, Tony Stabler, Jennifer Tung, Janie Vanliew.

The Psi Chi Officers for 2010-2011 are:
President: Ally Bohn, Vice-President: Melanie Somogie, Fundraiser/Service Project Officer: Lauren Buscher, Faculty Advisors: Dr. Jannette Berkley-Patton & Dr. Kym Bennett

The Psi Chi National Honor Society Inductee’s for Spring 2010 are: Brodie L. Barnard, Carmen R. Benn, Lauren K. Buscher, Benjamin B. Clark, Marissa L. Cohen, Rachel E. McConnell, Sarah A. Potts, Vyshnavi S. Reddy, Melanie S. Somogie, Anthony R. Stabler, Richard J. Thompson

Following the induction, Mr. Fox announced Dr. Kymberly Bennett as the 2010 recipient of the F.R.E.U.D. Award. According to Mr. Fox, F.R.E.U.D. stands for “Faculty Recognized for Exceptional Understanding and Dedication; it is Psi Chi's way of saying "Thank You". Dr. Bennett was presented with a certificate and gift of appreciation.

Dr. Leah Gensheimer, the Director of the Undergraduate Psychology Program at UMKC served as the keynote speaker for the evening. She addressed the topic of asking “why questions” vs. “what questions” in order to guide you closer towards your goal. Following her speech, Mr. Fox presented Dr. Gensheimer with a gift of appreciation.

By all accounts, the evening was a great success! Congratulations to the newest members of the Psi Chi Honor Society & Psychology Club!

Photo Credit: Mr. Sam Somogie

On February 15, 2010, the new “Celebrating Excellence” faculty and staff awards ceremony was held at UMKC. Chancellor Morton and Provost Hackett presided over the event lauding the faculty and staff who won specific awards.

The Department of Psychology’s very own Chair and Professor, Dr. Tamera Murdock, won the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentoring! CONGRATULATIONS Dr. Murdock!!

Some of the criteria for this award included:

• demonstrated record of graduate teaching excellence

• a demonstrated record of chairing graduate supervisory committees with timely completion rates

• an established record of mentoring and student professional development as demonstrated by examples such as student publication, external grant funding, and conference presentations

• an ability to attract graduate students to UMKC through active recruitment and academic/scholarly reputation; and a demonstrated commitment to diversity in the mentoring process

According to her nomination materials, Dr. Murdock:

• has taught nine different graduate courses and successfully mentors graduate students from three different PhD programs: Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, and the IPhD program

• has chaired 16 dissertations and 15 thesis committees in her 16 years at UMKC

• has served as primary mentor for a PFF Fellow on three separate occasions

• exhibits a commitment to diversity in the mentoring process (that) can be seen through a review of the topics her students have selected for their theses, dissertations, and other research endeavors

And, Dr. Murdock’s students:

• produce dissertations, theses, and manuscripts that stand out for their conceptual clarity and theoretical integrity

• have won dissertation fellowships, chancellor’s fellowships, and Preparing Future Faculty fellowships

• have also won national awards including an outstanding Dissertation Award from the National Reading Association and two Outstanding Student Presentation Awards from the American Psychological Association

For more information on the “Celebrating Excellence” awards ceremony and the winner’s of the 2010 awards associated with the ceremony, please see the provost’s website at: http://www.umkc.edu/provost/awards/recipients/2010/default.asp

Congratulations to PhD Student Elizabeth Duval and Faculty Member Dr. Melisa Rempfer!

I am pleased to have this opportunity to brag about two of our department members, Elizabeth Duval, MA., a doctoral student in our Clinical Psychology program, and Dr. Melisa Rempfer. We are all very proud of their accomplishments! Dr. Tamera Murdock, Department Chair

Elizabeth Duval, Graduate PhD Student:
Graduate student Liz Duval received an award from the UMKC Women's Council Graduate Assistance Fund (GAF) with Outstanding Merit. She will use this to help fund her dissertation research in which she is using functional brain imaging and other physiological measures to investigate how the brains of people with social anxiety respond differently to emotional faces than everyone else's. Congratulations, Liz!

Melisa Rempfer, PhD, Co-DCT & Honors Faculty Member:
Dr. Melissa Rempfer was named as an Honors Faculty Fellow for a two-year period beginning Jan. 2010. Dr. Rempfer will participate in the weekly Honors colloquium, advise undergraduate psychology Honors students and teach an Honors section of General Psychology each Fall semester. Congratulations, Dr. Rempfer!