Psychology | Neuroscience

Psychology is a hub science with connections to various other fields. These connections enable psychology students to branch out into many professions.

Here at the Austin College Department of Psychology, students are at the heart of this hub of academic experiences and opportunities. Students intellectually engage with the breadth and depth of psychological science through our small classes and practical experiences like labs and internships.

Meet the Faculty

Matthew Findley, Chair, Associate Professor of Psychology
Lisa M. Brown, The Herman Brown Chair of Psychology
Renee Countryman, Associate Professor of Psychology
Peter Marks, Associate Professor of Psychology
Danielle Franks, Adjunct Professor of Psychology
Michele Helfrich, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychology
Dr. Elizabeth Preas, Assistant Professor of Psychology

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Meet Our Alumni

Tanishia Choice ’04

Tanishia Choice, a 2004 Psychology major, attended the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, completing her degree in 2008 as a co-recipient of the North Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians Award for the outstanding student in psychiatry. She continued fellowship work at UT Southwestern and was one of only 10 psychiatric residents nationwide to receive… [Read More]

Emily Bull ’10

I graduated from Austin College in 2010 with a major in Psychology and Religious Studies. I received a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a Concentration in International Social and Economic Development in 2013 from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. I moved back to Texas from Tanzania in 2018. I started working for UT… [Read More]

Chris Rattan ’17

I graduated from Austin College in 2017 with a double major in Public Health and Psychology. I am currently an MPH student at the Boston University School of Public Health with a focus on Mental Health and Substance Use, as well as Health Communication and Promotion. I’ve also interned with the m.chat program at the… [Read More]

Rathna Nuti ‘09

I graduated from Austin College in 2009 with a double major in Biochemistry and Psychology. Having the understanding of mental health is a key link in the medical field when caring for patients and addressing their families. Furthermore, it extends to athletes especially when it impacts their performance in sport. Having a global understanding of… [Read More]

Merritt Harris ‘11

I graduated from AC with a double major in English and Psychology. After completing an Americorps term of service with a literacy non-profit in Dallas, I decided to earn my teaching certification. I taught high school English for two years at an alternative school and then relocated to Utah, where I teach English and AP… [Read More]

Allison Varley ‘09

Allison graduated in 2009 with a major in Psychology. During her time at AC, she realized her love for psychology research while completing her Honors thesis. She went on to study Social Psychology at Arizona State University, graduating with a PhD in 2017. Unlike most social psychologists, she pursued a non-academic career and now works… [Read More]

Alyssa Lee ‘11

Alyssa Lee graduated in 2011 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Communication Studies. While at AC, she was a member of the Posey Leadership Institute and the Service Station. She graduated from UT Southwestern Medical Center with a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling in 2013. She currently works as a Psychometrist at… [Read More]

Jaisy Joseph ‘09

Jaisy A. Joseph graduated from Austin College in 2009 with a double major in Psychology and Religious Studies. After her undergraduate studies, she went on to complete an MDiv. at Harvard Divinity School and her PhD in Systematic Theology at Boston College. For her doctorate, she completed a dissertation on the catholicity of the U.S.… [Read More]

Emily Kuo ’10

Emily Kuo graduated from Austin College in 2010 with a double major in Psychology and Spanish and a minor in Leadership Studies. She then worked as a maternal child health educator, labor doula, and homeless outreach services coordinator at a community health center in Aurora, Colorado. These experiences exposed her to the rewarding field of… [Read More]

Jodi McKee ‘97

LPC-S ATR-BC Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor Board Certified Art Therapist A week after I graduated from Austin College with my psychology major, I packed up my belongings and moved to Southern California to further my education. I chose to pursue a degree in art therapy, as making art had always been my own personal therapy.… [Read More]

Kevin Campbell ’07

Kevin Campbell graduated from Austin College in 2007 with his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. He went on to obtain his Juris Doctorate from SMU Dedman School of Law in 2010 and is now an attorney and Project Manager at a rapidly growing eDiscovery and legal process solutions provider. Here, Kevin leads teams of attorneys on… [Read More]

Kristin Saboe ’07

Upon graduating from Austin College in 2007 with majors in psychology and philosophy, I completed a Master’s (2010) and a Doctoral degree (2012) in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the University of South Florida. While in graduate school, I conducted research for public and private companies including as a fellow at RAND, Corp. Driven by a passion… [Read More]

Brittney Keel ’10

After graduating from Austin College I went on to Grayson and obtained my Associates of Science in Nursing. Once I graduated from Grayson I went to work for Carrus Specialty Hospital for 3 years and now I am at Baylor Scott and White as a Recovery Room/ Pre-Op nurse.

Ashley Overturf ’11

Ashley Overturf is a 2011 graduate who double majored in psychology and Spanish. She attended graduate school at Texas Woman’s University—Dallas where she obtained a masters degree in occupational therapy (OT). She is an occupational therapist at Parkland Hospital where she has helped develop and expand inpatient psychiatric OT services while also working on the… [Read More]

James Skinner ’09

I graduated from Austin College in 2009 with a double major in Psychology and Spanish. I earned my Juris Doctorate in 2012 and practice in West Texas. My passions are serving my community and conflict resolution. My legal practice focuses on negotiating multi-party agreements in the areas of agriculture, energy and real estate. Additionally, I… [Read More]

Nathan Packard ’14

I graduated from Austin College in January of 2014 with a major in Psychology and minor in Exercise and Sport Science. Upon graduation, I went on to complete an internship for the Kansas City Chiefs in their one-of-a-kind educational center known as the Sports Lab. This center aligns with the NFL’s Play 60 initiative to… [Read More]

Katherine Kuzmeskas ’07

Katherine (Kat) graduated in 2007 with a major in Psychology and a minor in biology and was a 2007 Teach For America Corps Member, serving for 3 years on the Texas Mexico Border. After TFA, Kat continued her pursuit of healthcare administration, obtaining a Graduate Assistantship and full scholarship for her Master of Public Health… [Read More]

Jerry Kenney ’06

As Director of Disaster Response and Recovery at Collaborative for Children I am focused on restoring high-quality early childhood education and care across the Gulf Coast region following Hurricane Harvey and building resilience to future disasters. Previously, I served as Policy and Advocacy Advisor and Programme Development and Management Officer for World Vision International South… [Read More]

Margie Norman ’83

Margie has a BA in Psychology and Sociology from Austin College and Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She began her career at Austin College in August 1995 as Career Counselor and Student Services Program Coordinator. She was promoted to director of Career Services in January 2000. Margie directs a comprehensive… [Read More]

Will Harpham ’11

Since graduating in 2011 with double majors in art and psychology, Will has taught at Uplift Williams Preparatory in West Dallas teaching Art and creating curriculum for the AP/IB Visual Arts programs. Since 2012 in his time outside of teaching, he has created over 25 public mural works across Dallas/Fort Worth and exhibited in galleries… [Read More]

Ashley Jones ’12

Ashley Jones joined Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas last year as an Artist-in-Residence: Art Therapist, working as a member of the Arts in Medicine team to offer art therapy opportunities tailored to patients and the health care system. The goal of her work is to engage patients, at their bedsides or in small group… [Read More]

Dianne Smith ’08

“Austin College is where I developed a voice as an artist and discovered my passion for photography. The faculty challenged me to think conceptually, broadened my knowledge in the arts, and helped instill confidence in my capabilities. This directly shapes the work I make today. As a working artist, I apply my background in psychology and… [Read More]

Jazmin Kelly ’14

Jazmin graduated from Austin College in 2014 with a major in Psychology and minor in Art. She is currently enrolled in a distance Masters of Applied Psychology program at the University of Southern California. As an Associate Human Resources Consultant, Jazmin is helping guide various clients’ people focused initiatives throughout the DFW area.