Psychology

Dr. Micayla F. Lacey is a psychophysiologist specializing in motivational processes and emotion. Dr. Lacey earned her Ph.D in Experimental Psychology from the University of Alabama, with a concentration in Social Psychology.

In her research, Dr. Lacey uses behavioral and physiological measures, such as electroencephalography (EEG), to investigate processes linked to emotion and motivation. Her recent research has focused on using these measures to better understand the neural, cognitive, and behavioral processes that occur during instances of motivational conflict.

Dr. Ellen E. Newell is a social psychologist who focuses on understanding how diverse people cope with stressful situations. She is especially interested in the intertwining of people's psychological and cardiovascular responses when faced with the threat of discrimination. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Maine. Dr. Newell teaches a variety of courses for psychology and neuroscience students including statistics, the psychology of prejudice, and social psychology.

Dr. Newell is a strong advocate for diversity initiatives on the Wilkes University campus and she has been awarded the President's Award for Excellence in Diversity.

Dr. Newell runs the interdisciplinary Behavioral, Activism, Developmental and Social Stress Lab with Dr. Jennifer Thomas. Their most recent project examined feminist identity and whether identifying as a feminist can help buffer the wellbeing of people faced with sexism. You can read more about their lab in this article.

Dr. Nichole Sell, Assistant Professor of Psychology, received her BA in Psychology from Cedar Crest College, her MEd in Counseling and Human Services from Lehigh University, and her MS and PhD degrees in Biobehavioral Health from The Pennsylvania State University. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions at the University at Buffalo.

Dr. Sell teaches courses in Abnormal Behavior, Psychological Research, Applied Capstone, and Personality. She is a health psychologist whose main research focus deals with preventing risky drinking and related harms (e.g., sexual assault) among college students.

Dr. Jennifer Thomas is a developmental psychologist who is an expert in children’s and adolescents’ friendships and peer relationships. She is an Associate Professor of Psychology and the Director of the Women’s and Gender Studies program. Dr. Thomas earned a PhD in Developmental Psychology from Purdue University and an MA in psychology from Wake Forest University. She teaches courses in Developmental Psychology, Adolescent Psychology, Research Methods, the Psychology of Gender, and Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies. Dr. Thomas was a recipient of the Carpenter Outstanding Teaching Award.

Dr. Thomas has several areas of research interest. First, she studies how friendships influence children’s and adolescents’ adjustment and prosocial behaviors and connections between adults’ friendships and their wellbeing. Her interdisciplinary research interests include factors associated with emerging adults’ engagement in gender-based and political activism. Dr. Thomas, along with Dr. Newell, also examine women’s physiological reactions to stress to better understand their resilience versus vulnerability to sexism. Dr. Thomas also engages in the scholarship of teaching and learning. For example, she studies mechanisms that foster metacognitive processes and student achievement.

Dr. Thomas is the advisor for Psi Chi, the international psychology honor’s society, and the Wilkes Feminist Alliance.

Dr. Debbie Tindell, Professor of Psychology, received her BA degree in psychology from California State University, Chico and her MS and PhD degrees in Cognitive Psychology from Texas A&M University. She teaches courses in Cognition, Research Methods, the Senior Capstone course and Introductory Psychology. Dr. Tindell was a recipient of the Carpenter Outstanding Teaching Award and the President's Award for Excellence in Mentoring at Wilkes.

Dr. Tindell’s main research focus deals with human memory, and she is specifically interested in implicit memory and memory blocks. Dr. Tindell has also conducted research on issues related to research design, and the use of cell phones in the college classroom. She has also worked with Dr. Robert Bohlander (Professor Emeritus) to test the effects of audio-visual entrainment on cognitive processing using equipment in the NeuroTraining and Research Center. Dr. Tindell serves as the advisor to the Psychology Club.