Dr. Jessica Akers researches strategies for promoting appropriate social and play skills as well as verbal behavior in individuals with autism and related disabilities.
Dr. Tonya Davis’s research focuses on fields of inquiry in special education, applied behavior analysis, developmental disabilities, and autism.
Dr. Stephanie Gerow evaluates developmental disabilities, autism, delivery of interventions via telehealth technology, challenging behavior interventions, and teaching natural change agents (e.g., parents, teachers) to implement interventions.
Dr. Beth Lanning’s research interests lie in child and adolescent health issues, child sexual abuse, body image, intimate partner violence, quality of life issues in vulnerable populations, and autism.
Dr. Renée Umstattd Meyer investigates research topics such as physical activity, sedentary behavior, rural active living, health equity, built environment, and these areas’ implications for policy.
Dr. Thomas Fergus examines anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as well as the variables that might span across psychological disorders, such as metacognitive beliefs.
Dr. Gary Elkins investigates the efficacy of hypnosis and mind-body interventions for sleep disturbances, menopause, breast cancer symptoms, pain, and stress management, in addition to the physiological and cognitive mechanisms that underlie the effects of mind-body interventions such as heart rate variability, cortisol (HPA axis), cognitive expectancies, and placebo effects.
Dr. Stacy Ryan-Pettes researches the development of adolescent substance use and comorbid externalizing behaviors, the dissemination of evidence-based treatments to community settings, the use of technology to enhance adolescent treatment outcomes, and the ethical conduct of treatment research with vulnerable populations.
Dr. Jocelyn McGee’s research areas of interest include contemplative science, culture and diversity, positive aging, human flourishing, spiritual diversity, and dementia and care-givers.
Dr. Dennis Myers, similarly, seeks research opportunities in areas such as military and first responder family relationships, leadership of senior living environments, social work and long-term care, older adults and poverty, volunteerism in later life, family caregiving, academic leadership and administration of social work education programs, and congregational and community engagement of Boomers & older adults.
Dr. Sungeek Moon researches mental health among racial minority groups, addictive disorders, and substance abuse prevention in adolescents.
Dr. Qianwei Zhao’s broad research interests include health and wellness, mental health and trauma, and addictions and substance use.
