Please see the program handbook for a list of recent publications for each faculty member.
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Washington State University, 2008
Consistent with my interests and program of investigation, research within the Emotion Regulation & Temperament Laboratory at NIU focuses on identifying contributors to infant/toddler emotion regulation, such as aspects of parent emotion regulation and parenting, how parent emotion regulation affects parenting of young children, and how early individual differences in emotion regulation contribute to risk for early emerging symptoms of internalizing and externalizing problems. Furthermore, the research within the lab takes a longitudinal approach so that we are able to model how early emotion regulation changes over time as a result of parent, child, and other environmental factors.
Dr. Bridgett anticipates admitting a new student in Fall, 2012.
E-mail: dbridgett1@niu.edu
Homepage: http://www.niu.edu/emotionreg/
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2008
My research interests focus on the exploration of mental health outcomes following interpersonal trauma, with a particular focus on intimate partner violence. I am particularly interested in the ways in which world views, attachment and coping affect outcome following trauma. My future work will likely continue to focus on intimate partner violence, as well as expand to focus on interactions between violent dyads more generally.
Dr. Lilly does not anticipate admitting a new student in Fall, 2012.
E-mail: mlilly1@niu.edu
Homepage: http://www.niu.edu/TMHRlab/index.shtml
Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Iowa, 1986
My research interests are in the areas of child clinical psychology and parenting. Specifically, I am interested in the effects of parental psychopathology and stress on parent-child interactions and adult perceptions of child behavior. I am also interested in social information processing as it is applied to abnormal child behavior in assessment and treatment settings.
Dr. Lovejoy is considering admitting a new student in Fall, 2012.
E-mail: mlovejoy@niu.edu
Homepage: http://www.niu.edu/parentchild/
Associate Professor,
Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault
Ph.D., SUNY-Buffalo, 1998
My research interests are in the areas of traumatic stress and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Specifically, I am interested in identifying risk factors that operate to increase individual vulnerability to PTSD following exposure to traumatic events as well as factors that mediate the link between trauma exposure and increased risk for subsequent trauma exposure. I also have related research interests in forgiveness and experiential avoidance.
Dr. Orcutt anticipates admitting a new student in Fall, 2012.
E-mail: horcutt@niu.edu
Homepage: http://www.niu.edu/~horcutt/
Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Connecticut, 1996
My research interests lie in the field of developmental psychopathology. Specifically, my research focuses on how family processes and broader contextual factors influence children’s socioemotional and cognitive functioning. I take a risk and resilience approach, focusing on protective factors that enhance the likelihood for successful trajectories through childhood and adolescence in at-risk populations. My current work considers how parenting practices and the role of extended kin influence children growing up in poverty.
Dr. Pittman anticipates admitting a new student in Fall, 2012.
E-mail: lpittman@niu.edu
Professor
Ph.D., SUNY at Stony Brook, 1979
The primary focus of my research agenda has been on understanding and treating intimate partner violence. Specifically, my research group is studying: (1) the etiology of relationship aggression with an emphasis on biological and developmental factors, such as head injury, neuropsychological dysfunction, neuroendocrine deficits, childhood trauma and psychopathology; (2) batterers’ treatment outcome and certification standards; and (3) anger and anger management in males, females, and adolescents.
Dr. Rosenbaum anticipates admitting a new student in Fall, 2012.
E-mail: arosenbaum@niu.edu
Associate Professor
Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin, 1994
My research interests include cognitive and emotional processes related to anxiety, anxiety disorders, and the treatment of anxiety disorders, particularly phobic, obsessive-compulsive, and panic disorders; how anxiety disorders develop; and statistical/methodology issues in anxiety assessment and research.
Dr. Valentiner anticipates admitting a new student in Fall, 2012.
E-mail: dvalentiner@niu.edu
Homepage: http://davidvalentiner.weebly.com/
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of Iowa, 2004
My research program focuses on dimensional models of psychopathology in which symptoms generally exist on a continuum rather than as qualitatively discrete entities. Some of my primary work addresses several issues related to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, such as its assessment and diagnosis, its relations with other phenomena (especially personality and pathological hoarding), and effective treatment using cognitive-behavioral techniques. I also study personality, personality disorders, and relations between the mood and anxiety disorders. My research often uses objective scale construction as one way to address the above issues empirically.
Dr. Wu anticipates admitting a new student in Fall, 2012.
E-mail: kevinwu@niu.edu
Homepage: http://wuniu.weebly.com/
Affiliated Research Faculty do not serve as primary research advisors but can serve as a co-chair or committee member on theses and dissertations.
Director, Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault
Ph.D in Clinical, Northern Illinois University, 1995
My research focuses on understanding the causes and consequences of child physical abuse and intimate partner violence. My recent work focuses on applying social cognitive paradigms as a means of understanding why some parents physically abuse their children. Also, I am conducting research and evaluation projects examining innovative interventions designed to promote positive parenting practices.
E-mail: jcrouch@niu.edu