MSAP Faculty
Rachel E. Bowman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Dr. Rachel Bowman stays busy juggling the demands of academia and family life. She has a great husband, two really cool daughters, and a cute (but not overly smart) dog. Her interests are varied and include reading, organic gardening & composting, the seasons, family, and the small detail s of everyday life.
Rachel very much enjoys teaching and likes the challenge of integrating her areas of research expertise into the classes she teaches. Rachel maintains an active program of research and views research with students as an extension of her teaching. Several of her past student research assistants have presented at conferences, as well as been co-authors on peer-reviewed manuscripts. She encourages interested students to come and speak with her about possible research opportunities. Degrees and Certifications: Ph.D., Graduate School and University Center – CUNY (Hunter College); MA and BS, Appalachian State University.
Maureen Conard, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Before coming to Sacred Heart University, Dr. Conard worked as a consultant for corporations and as a testing and validation specialist for a city in Connecticut. She encourages students to come and talk to her if they are interested in pursuing psychology-related careers in business settings. Degrees and Certifications: Ph.D., MA, University of Connecticut; BA Providence College.
Jennifer Gosselin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Gosselin holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (2003) and Master’s and B.A. in Psychology. She also completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship at Fordham University in 2005. She has diverse interests and has taught a variety of psychology courses, including: Abnormal Psychology, Counseling Theory and Techniques / Theories of Psychotherapy, Testing and Assessment, Group Psychotherapy, Social Psychology, Introductory Psychology, PSCC103 (The Individual and Society), Nonexperimental Research, Experimental Research, Personality Theory, Infant & Child Development, and the Psychology of Women.
She has taught psychology courses at Pepperdine University, George Mason University, Fordham University, and Hunter College (CUNY), in addition to Sacred Heart University. Her research interests broadly include application of Social Cognitive Theory to a variety of domains, including perfectionism, psychopathology, and body-image dissatisfaction. She has published in the separate areas of self-efficacy, psychopathology, body dysmorphic disorder, and HIV. She has also been a study coordinator for a national clinical trial at Columbia University. She is currently collaborating with the Sacred Heart University Counseling Center on research projects involving alcohol and other drug use, as well as body-image issues.
Ruth Grant, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Grant received her Ph.D. in Social/Clinical Psychology from Columbia University in l978. Prior to that she was a research assistant at Yale University Department of Psychiatry in the research and evaluation unit. She became licensed to practice psychology in the State of Connecticut after spending a year interning at the West Haven Veterans Hospital Post Traumatic Stress Disorder clinic.
In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Grant has previously taught at Albertus Magnus College, the University of Bridgeport, Southern Connecticut State University, and Western Connecticut State University. She is a consultant for the Department of Disability Services and the Department of Children and Families where she has conducted numerous case studies. She is recognized by the State of Connecticut Superior Court as an expert in childhood disorders of attachment and mood, sexual abuse, and in adolescent behavior disorders.
While at Sacred Heart University, she has developed methods to teach the principles of Introductory Psychology to students with learning challenges. She has also adapted several courses including Social, Personality, Adolescent Development, and Child Development to the Distance Learning format. She has developed 3 new courses including Developmental Disorders and Autism, Social Psychological Perspectives on Love and Romance, and Positive Psychology: Strategies for Success.
Ron Hamel, MA
Lecturer
Professor Hamel has been at SHU for 16 years, the last 9 years as a full time faculty member and the prior as an adjunct professor. Professor Hamel’s background is in health, mental health (psychopathology) and addiction. He worked at Yale Psychiatric Hospital for 6 years and then 3 years at Hill Health Care (South Central Rehabilitation Center) as a senior clinician heading the counseling group in 5 day detoxification center. Clients were addicted to opiates (heroin, oxycotin, and Percocet), alcohol and benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium and Klonopin).
In addition Professor Hamel is certified in auricular acupuncture used in treating addiction, especially heroin and other opiates.
Professor Hamel is currently a research assistant in the Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine. He is assisting in research of adolescent drinking behaviors; Project Choice. Reducing the drinking patterns by applying basic therapy and either a placebo or the drug naltraxone. Degrees and Certifications: M.A., Southern Connecticut State University, Certificate in Addiction Treatment, Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist.
William F. Mayer, Psy.D.
Director of MSAP
After years of teaching in the psychology department, Dr. Mayer now acts as the Director of the Master of Science in Applied Psychology program. Dr. Mayer has years of experience practicing as a licensed clinical psychologist providing a wide range of services to children, adolescents and adults. Known in the community as Dr. Will, his true passion is working with children and their families to provide the best atmosphere for children to prosper. In addition, Dr. Mayer also has a specialty in sports psychology, both advocating for the true benefits of youth sports and helping athletes with a variety of performance issues. Dr. Mayer works with athletes of all levels including consultation with the Sacred Heart Athletic department as well as the United Football League.
Dr. Mayer aims to bring his clinical experience into the classroom to highlight the real world application of theory and practice. Degrees and Certifications: Psy.D., M.A., California School of Professional Psychology at San Diego, B.A., Colorado State University.
Dawn Melzer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Melzer became a faculty member at Sacred Heart University in the Fall of 2009. Before joining the psychology department she taught at Adelphi University, Stonehill College and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst teaching both traditional and online classes. She encourages an interactive classroom and strives to create an environment in which students feel comfortable expressing their ideas to enhance classroom discussions. She incorporates her research experience with young children into her classes and looks forward to collaborating with her students as she begins her research program here at Sacred Heart. Degrees and Certifications: Ph.D. and M.S. University of Massachusetts at Amherst, B.A. State University of New York at Binghamton.
Mindy Miserendino, Ph.D.
Chair/Associate Professor
Dr. Miserendino was a postdoctoral fellow in Neuroscience in the Psychiatry Department at the Yale School of Medicine and also worked there as an Associate Research Scientist. She has been at Sacred Heart University for the past 12 years, and has worked with many capable undergraduates conducting psychopharmacological research in the Neuroscience lab. Dr. Miserendino welcomes inquiries from interested capable students to work as research assistants. Degrees and Certifications: Ph.D., MA, New York University; BA, Franklin and Marshall College.
AnneMarie Murphy, Ph.D.
Shirley Pavone, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Pavone is a graduate of Sacred Heart University with a B.S. in psychology, graduated from Fairfield University with an M.A. in Applied Psychology and had her Ph.D. conferred in September of 2001 from the Union Institute and University in Cincinnati Ohio. She retired from the State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addictions in March 2003 after 35 years service as a clinician, director of counselor education and certification preparation, program development and evaluation. She specialized in sobriety management and relapse prevention.
She started teaching at Sacred Heart as an adjunct in January, 1998 and came on board full-time in 2002. Currently, her interests are in service learning, volunteer programs and community based non-profit organizations. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Child Guidance Center and chair of the fund-raising donor and supporters committee. At Sacred Heart, she is an advisor to Kappa Delta Sorority (formerly, Nu Epsilon Omega), PAWS and advisor and participant in service trip for Habitat for Humanity, and the Post Katrina – Mississippi Recovery and restoration trips. She invites her students to get involved in other community based projects. Degrees and Certifications: Ph.D., Union Institute Graduate School, M.S., Fairfield University; B.S. Sacred Heart University.
Carrie Picardi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Picardi has been teaching as a full-time professor since 2008, and joined Sacred Heart University in 2011. Prior to teaching, she worked for 12 years in a variety of corporate and applied settings, in Human Resource Management positions as well as an organizational consultant and research analyst. She successfully led organizational initiatives and research projects in the areas of group dynamics and team building, job satisfaction, employee motivation, job analysis, employee selection, performance management, training and professional development, conflict resolution, and management coaching.
During her time as a business practitioner, Dr. Picardi also taught for several colleges and universities as an adjunct professor, and decided that entering academia to teach psychology full-time was her calling. She finds teaching and sharing her applied experiences with students to be a very rewarding endeavor, and she invites anyone to ask questions about how to prepare for entering the job market in any field, as well as questions about the Industrial/Organizational Psychology discipline. Degrees and Certifications: Ph.D., Applied Organizational Psychology, Hofstra University, 2010, M.A., Industrial/Organizational Psychology, University of New Haven, 1995, B.A., Psychology, The College of New Jersey, 1993.
Jessica Samuolis, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Samuolis joined Sacred Heart University in the Fall of 2011 as a full-time faculty member in the Psychology Department. Prior to joining the department she was a Research Scientist for a health promotion organization in New York where she worked on writing grants for federal funding to help develop and evaluate prevention programs for youth. Prior to that Dr. Samuolis completed a three-year postdoctoral fellowship in the School of Public Health at Columbia University. Degrees and Certifications: Ph.D. Fordham University - Applied Developmental Psychology, M. A Fairfield University - Community Counseling, B.A. Fairfield University - Psychology and Spanish.
Christina J. Taylor, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Dr. Taylor received her doctorate in social/personality psychology at CUNY with Stanley Milgram as her advisor, then went on to do postdoctoral training in clinical psychology at Hofstra University. She combines her interests in social and clinical psychology in the courses that she teaches and in her counseling practice, where she specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorders. She would be happy to talk to students who are interested in becoming involved in research or who have questions about graduate study or future careers. Degrees and Certifications: Ph.D., M.Phil., Graduate Center of the City University of New York; MA, University of Missouri; BA, Sacred Heart University.
Albert Walkin, MS, CAS
Lecturer
Professor Wakin was a practicing school psychologist for over 30 years before coming to work full-time at Sacred Heart University. During that time he also taught psychology courses part-time at Sacred Heart University (for 27 years) and in the graduate programs at the University of Bridgeport (for 16 years) and Southern Connecticut State University (for 16 years). Professor Wakin is also an advisor for the General Studies major. Degrees and Certifications: 6th Year Certificate, Southern Connecticut State University; Certification in School Psychology, Fairfield University; MS, BA, University of Bridgeport.
Deirdre Yeater, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dr. Yeater joined Sacred Heart University in the Fall of 2008. She enjoys teaching and incorporates her research and training experiences with marine mammals in her classes. Dr. Yeater encourages students to meet with her if interested in becoming involved in marine mammal cognition and behavior research. Degrees and Certifications: Ph.D., M.A., University of Southern Mississippi; B.S., SUNY Maritime College.
Find out more about the talented and knowledgeable faculty in Sacred Heart University’s online MS in Applied Psychology program. Call us at 877-791-7181 or request more information.
