Clinical Psychology Faculty
CORE CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY FACULTY
All core clinical faculty members teach in the doctoral program in clinical psychology; however, not all serve as both research advisors and clinical supervisors. The clinical faculty members available as research mentors are White, Vandenberg, Taylor, Steffen, Peterson, Galovski, and Bruce. Applicants who have an interest in a specific research mentor should include this information as part of their required personal statement.
Kamila White, Ph.D. Dr. White has research interests in three interrelated domains 1) prevention and treatment of anxiety pathology, 2) the relationship between anxiety pathology and physical health (especially pain conditions), and 3) investigation of new methods of assessing and treating anxiety and panic in medical settings. Her clinical interests are in the area of anxiety, panic disorder, and behavioral medicine; she is primarily cognitive-behavioral in her clinical orientation. Dr. White serves both as a research advisor and a clinical supervisor.
Brian R. Vandenberg, Ph.D. Dr. Vandenberg's research focuses on issues in psychology and religion, coping and existential concerns in grief, loss and illness, and Terror Management Theory. He serves as a research advisor but not a clinical supervisor.
Matthew Taylor, Ph.D., Dr. Taylor’s research program focuses on the role of culture in mental health. His primary research focus is on multiracial identity development and the role of culturally-rooted notions of personhood on these processes. An additional research interest relates to predictors and outcomes of alcohol and drug use among ethnic minority adolescents and communities. He teaches the required course in Multicultural Issues in Clinical Psychology, and serves as a research advisor but not a clinical supervisor.
Ann Steffen, Ph.D. Dr. Steffen's research focuses on the development and evaluation of treatments for depression in middle-aged and older women, with an emphasis on family issues in long-lasting terminal illnesses such as Alzheimer's Disease. Her clinical orientation is cognitive-behavioral, and Dr. Steffen functions both as a research advisor and a clinical supervisor. Dr. Steffen is also the Director of Clinical Training (DCT) for the program.
Zoe Peterson, Ph.D. Dr. Peterson has three primary and interrelated research interests—(1) understanding experiences of unwanted, coerced, and nonconsensual sex from the perspectives of both victims and perpetrators; (2) investigating the role of cognitive and emotional ambivalence in individuals’ sexual experiences; and (3) exploring the socially constructed labels that individuals apply to their consensual and non-consensual sexual experiences (e.g., What counts as “sex?” What counts as “rape?”). Dr. Peterson’s research also considers the potentially important influence of gender (or our cultural expectations about gender) within each of these topic areas. Her clinical orientation is a blend of narrative and behavioral approaches. Dr. Peterson serves as both a research advisor and a clinical supervisor.
Robert Harris, Ph.D. Dr. Harris is the Director of the Community Psychology Service. His clinical specialization is children, adolescents, families, and psychological assessment. His clinical orientation is a blend of cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic perspectives. Dr. Harris is a clinical supervisor but not a research supervisor.
Tara Galovski, Ph.D. Dr. Galovski’s research program is located within the Center for Trauma recovery and is focused on the development and testing of Cognitive Processing Therapy within survivors of interpersonal assault. Her research interests also include studying the presentation and expression of anger (currently within the context of traumatic stress) and health-related consequences of stress and anxiety. Dr. Galovski’s clinical orientation is cognitive-behavioral, and she functions both as a research advisor and a clinical supervisor.
Steven Bruce, Ph.D. Dr. Bruce’s research program is located within the Center for Trauma Recovery. His research interests and clinical specializations include the treatment of anxiety and affective disorders, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder. Specifically, Dr. Bruce is interested in conducting translational research incorporating neuroimaging, psychophysiological assessment and genotyping as both predictors and outcomes of treatment response. His clinical orientation is cognitive-behavioral, and Dr. Bruce functions both as a research advisor and a clinical supervisor.