UNF Psychology

Hats off to our amazing master’s graduates!

Your dedication, perseverance, and passion for the mind have taken you to new heights—and this is just the beginning. We can’t wait to see the impact you’ll make!

We’re so proud of our incredible Class of 2025 Ospreys!

Your hard work, curiosity, and compassion have inspired us every step of the way—now go show the world what you’re made of!

Welcome back, Psychology & BNS students! Feeling the need to stretch your wings and soar?
This Summer A, join Dr. Olutola Akindipe and Dr. Debbie Wang for a Study Abroad trip to Kenya and embark on an extraordinary academic journey in Cultural Psychology.
This unique course features:
✨ A 10-day trip exploring Kenya’s culture, history, and stunning landscapes
✨ Interactions with the Maasai tribe and indigenous students
✨ Visits to the Maasai Mara, Paradise Lost caves, Lake Naivasha, and more 🦁🌿
Take your learning to new heights—learn more and sign up today!

https://studyabroad.unf.edu/_portal/tds-program-brochure?programid=10125

Today, we’re thrilled to shine the spotlight on Abby Pruitt! Recently featured by UNF Newsroom to share her inspiring story and passion, Abby’s journey is one worth celebrating. We caught up with her for an exclusive inside scoop—read on to learn more about what drives her and the incredible work she’s doing.

Q: What do you want to do after you graduate?
A: "I would love to get involved in research addressing emotional regulation and the benefits of mindfulness and/or do my own independent research involving those topics."

Q: Why UNF?
A: "The campus is beautiful. If I am feeling stressed, even just walking to class when surrounded in the campus' nature can cheer me up. I also wanted somewhere where the professors could get to know me, and I have found the best people to work with that encourage my success."

Q: What is your favorite psychology fact?
A: "Laughter really is the best medicine! Laughter and happiness have been shown to decrease pain and increase one's lifespan. 🙂 "

Q: What excites you about doing research in psychology?
A: "I can always learn something new. There is always something to do. Some parts of it are interesting and some are tedious, but I even like the tedious parts, because the feeling of reward at the end of a project is like no other."

After the interview, Abby shared her enthusiasm for UNF’s local Psi Chi chapter, also known as the National Honor Society of Psychology (psichi.org). She highlighted the numerous benefits of becoming a Psi Chi member, including access to scholarships, engaging activities like fun crafts, and professional discussion panels throughout the year. For students interested in connecting with like-minded peers and exploring psychology-related topics, Abby encourages reaching out via [email protected] for more information.

Membership requirements for Psi Chi include a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, specific course credit criteria (outlined in the chapter’s constitution on Perch Portal), and a one-time membership fee.

Meet Ziena Baker, the December 2024 Graduate Student of the Month, an alumna of the University of North Florida, and a current Master’s student in Psychological Sciences. Ziena encourages students to explore beyond traditional paths, highlighting the diverse specializations available in psychology. Her journey underscores the strength of UNF’s program in preparing students for dynamic and rewarding careers.

Read below for some insight:

Q; How did your degree in psychology at UNF help your transition into your current career or field?
A: "My degree in Science in Psychology at UNF has helped me greatly to both find and develop my current career in assessment. Psychology degrees are being increasingly valued by assessment graduate programs, since many Psychology programs allow opportunities for developing quantitative and mixed-methods research skills. In fact, the current assessment doctoral program I'm applying to is specifically interested in Psychology graduates! So, I would say that a Science in Psychology degree will give you the foundational skills you need to apply to any research-oriented program, especially if you enjoy the work and you're ready to expand on your talents."

Q: What advice would you give to current UNF psychology students?
A: "DON'T think you're restricted to just the specializations that are offered at UNF! Or clinical work! The world of Psychology is so much more broad than you realize. If you were to look at the specializations in graduate Psychology that other schools offer ahead of time, you would be amazed at the wide variety of work people do. You can dual-specialize in neuroscience and social psychology, you can spend your entire career researching rats, and there's even programs out there that offer graduate degrees in just looking at the psychological impact of genetics. All of these are perfectly valid specializations that you may not know about unless you go looking!"

We’re hosting a naming competition for the brain in our Psychology main office! 🧠

This teaching tool helps us learn about the brain, and now it needs a name. Drop your best suggestion in the comments by 09/02, and we’ll randomly select a winner. 🎉

Don’t miss this chance to leave your mark on UNF Psychology! 🦅💙

We are thrilled to welcome two new adjuncts to the Department of Psychology!

Dr. Beenne Anglin, earned her PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Her dissertation focused on workplace satisfaction and psychological contracts among online adjunct faculty. She will be teaching Research Methods and Conflict Transformation.

Dr. Alexandria Tomkunas is from the University of Connecticut to the UNF family! She will be teaching Lifespan Developmental Psychology. She is on record saying: “I am excited to teach undergraduate students in the Sunshine State (where I am originally from)!”

Welcome to the UNF Psychology family, Dr. Anglin and Dr. Tomkunas!

Welcome to another Faculty Friday! This time, our spotlight shines on Dr. Dan Richard as he shares his captivating educational voyage and the genesis of his venture into Psychology!

Q: Where did you go to college and what was/were your major(s)?
A: “I attended Undergraduate and Master’s program at Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe, LA, and I completed my Ph.D. at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX. My major was Experimental and Social Psychology.”

Q: What first sparked your interest in research?
A: The social psychology concept of contagion was my first interest in research. I also was fascinated by behavioral approaches to learning.

Q: What are your experiences with research?
A: My experiences are quite varied. I tend to pursue applied research with quantitative and data science dimensions. I investigate how people think about their social world and how that influences their actions in relation to others.

Q: Finally, what’s a fun fact about you that people don’t normally guess?
A: One of my favorite movies of all time is The Princess Bride. “Inconceivable!”

June is PTSD Awareness Month. Let's talk about it.

Anyone can develop PTSD at any age. Some factors can increase the chance that someone will have PTSD, many of which are not under that person's control. For example, having a very intense or long-lasting traumatic event or getting injured during the event can make it more likely that a person will develop PTSD. PTSD is also more common after certain types of trauma, like combat and sexual assault.

PTSD symptoms usually start soon after the traumatic event, but they may not appear until months or years later. They also may come and go over many years. If the symptoms last longer than 4 weeks, cause you great distress, or interfere with your work or home life, you might have PTSD.

Reliving the event (also called re-experiencing symptoms). Memories of the traumatic event can come back at any time. They can feel very real and scary. Having more negative thoughts and feelings than before the event. The way you think about yourself and others may become more negative because of the trauma.

"Getting better" means different things for different people. There are treatment options for PTSD. For many people, these treatments can get rid of symptoms altogether. Others find they have fewer symptoms or feel that their symptoms are less intense. Your symptoms don't have to interfere with your everyday activities and relationships.

A few trauma-focused psychotherapies are the most highly recommended treatments for PTSD. "Trauma-focused" means that the therapy focuses on the memory of the traumatic event or its meaning. The 3 most effective types of trauma-focused psychotherapy are:

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT):
Where you learn skills to understand how trauma changed your thoughts and feelings.
Prolonged Exposure (PE):
Where you talk about your trauma repeatedly until memories are no longer upsetting.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR):
Which involves focusing on sounds or hand movements while you talk about the trauma.

Help Raise PTSD Awareness. Read more at ptsd.va.gov

🎉 Today we are celebrating Dr. John Oliver, who has been named by the College of Arts and Sciences as someone who demonstrates passion for student success.

Graduating students expressed their appreciation for Dr. Oliver's passion for student success by recognizing him on a survey administered to students completing their degrees at UNF. In fact, he was the most nominated faculty member in the entire college with 20 nominations from graduating students. Here's what Dr. Oliver had to say about student success:

"Student success is all about the student taking responsibility for their growth and happiness. Knowledge will only get them so far. What is needed is action."

Happy Faculty Friday (Staff Edition)! This week, we celebrated a birthday for Erica in the main office and we discussed her journey with the Department of Psychology.

Q: Where did you go to college and what were your majors?
A: "I went to the Los Angeles Film School and received my Bachelors of Science in Digital Filmmaking."

Q: Why did you decide to join the Department of Psychology?
A: "I have always been interested in psychology. Growing up, my dad stressed the importance of mental health and the need to nurture our minds. This influenced my work in college, where most of my short films focused on mental health awareness. My capstone project specifically explored anxiety, depression, and memory loss, highlighting the critical issues that are often miscommunicated and misinformed in mainstream media."

Q: What's your favorite thing about working in the department?
A: "The people here are incredible! From the moment I joined the department, I felt so welcomed, and it really set the tone for an amazing workplace. Working with faculty, students, and other staff has been the best part of my job. I love listening to life stories and making connections with people. Being in such a large department means I get to do that every day! I remind myself daily that we do what we do for the students, and it makes me so happy to know that I'm helping them and contributing to their futures in psychology."

Q: What's a fun fact about yourself that most people wouldn't know?
A: "Growing up, my parents was in the 501st Squad 7 in Jacksonville, and we went to a lot of conventions and Star Wars celebrations. I was able to meet and befriend many Star Wars actors and crew members! My fondest memory is sharing a slice of chocolate cake with Jeremy Bulloch, the original Boba Fett, in Orlando at a Star Wars celebration (before Disney took over haha). Meeting David Prowse and chatting with him was a big deal to me too. I love Darth Vader!"