BE UNDERSTOOD

DEPARTMENT OF

Psychology

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY1147 BIOLOGY/PSYCHOLOGY BUILDING4094 CAMPUS DR.COLLEGE PARK, MD 20742

WWW.PSYC.UMD.EDUP 301.405.5862 / F 301.405.5915

The Department of Psychology is one of the College

of Behavioral and Social Sciences’ 10 diverse, interdis-

ciplinary departments and programs, all committed

to investigating and improving the human condition.

www.bsos.umd.edu

AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIESBE EMPOWERED

ANTHROPOLOGYBE CULTURAL

CRIMINOLOGY & CRIMINAL JUSTICEBE JUST

ECONOMICSBE EFFICIENT

GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCESBE GLOBAL

GOVERNMENT & POLITICSBE CIVIL

HEARING & SPEECH SCIENCESBE HEARD

JOINT PROGRAM IN SURVEY METHODOLOGYBE COUNTED

PSYCHOLOGYBE UNDERSTOOD

SOCIOLOGYBE SOCIALPsychology at Maryland

At the University of Maryland’s Department of Psychology,

we’re exploring how people think, behave and interact to

provide new insights about individuals and cultures, improve

diagnoses and treatments, and change lives. Our faculty

and student researchers are discovering new knowledge

about childhood memories, autism spectrum disorders, and

addictions. We are inspiring Maryland pride by serving

our community through clinical outreach and meaningful

service-learning projects.

We’re transforming the student experience by giving

students access to our state-of-the-art Maryland Neuroim-

aging Center, and by forging valuable relationships with

government agencies and research labs. We study terrorism

and advise the government on how best to prevent attacks.

Through partnerships with the National Institute of Mental

Health and with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center,

we help people facing mental health issues, as well as soldiers

returning from combat. Our department turns imagination

into innovation by recommending sound social and health

care policies and developing cutting-edge research tech-

niques, tools and approaches.

Innovative Research >>

Our faculty, students, partners and alumni focus their work in three

main areas:

» Brain, Mind & Behavior

» Mental Health

» Social, Group & Cultural Processes

go.umd.edu/PSYCResearch

THROUGH OUR RESEARCH IN TRADITIONAL AND EMERGING FIELDS OF PSYCHOLOGY,

we advance human understanding. Academic Offerings >>

UNDERGRADUATE OFFERINGS

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Science

go.umd.edu/PSYCUndergraduate

GRADUATE OFFERINGS

Master of Professional Studies in:

» Clinical Psychological Science

» Industrial Organizational Science

Doctor of Philosophy in:

» Clinical Psychology

» Cognitive and Neural Systems

» Counseling

» Developmental Psychology

» Social, Decision and Organizational Science

go.umd.edu/PSYCGraduate

NIA NICKERSON, PSYC ’18 Member, BSOS Dean’s Student Advisory Council; Psi Chi; Black Student Union; Caribbean Student Union

“Child development is one of the most import-

ant, complex fields of study because under-

standing and optimizing the development pro-

cess is key to producing contributing members

of society. My experience at UMD has definitely

prepared me for graduate school and beyond.”

BARBARA VAN DAHLEN, PSYC MA ’87, PHD ’91Founder and President, Give an Hour

“I really believe our lives are structured in

chapters; and the one you’re in right now, live it

to the fullest, drive it as hard as you want—but

be open, because you’re not necessarily going

to know when you’ve turned the page and it’s

time to start a new one.”

Centers, Clinics & More >>

Department of Psychology faculty and students are actively

engaged in a wide range of publicly and privately funded laboratories,

clinics, centers and research projects, including:

» Brain and Behavior Institute

» Maryland Child and Family Development Laboratory

» Maryland Psychotherapy Clinic and Research Lab

» Psychology Clinic

» Social, Decision and Organizational Sciences Program

go.umd.edu/PSYCClinics

Faculty Research Highlights >>

JACK BLANCHARD examines what happens in

the brain to contribute to profound and debilitat-

ing social difficulties faced by people suffering

from mental illnesses. Blanchard and his team

received a significant grant from the National

Institute of Mental Health to apply an innovative

approach to determine factors that contribute

to the profound social impairment and diminished social affiliation

related to psychosis.

How is the brain shaped by experiences? ERICA

GLASPER investigates how experiences modu-

late the structure and function of the adult and

developing brain. Using behavioral, neuronal

and hormonal assessments, she examines to

what extent early life stressors or adult reward-

ing experiences alter neuroplasticity in rodents.

By modeling human behaviors, the research performed in her lab may

lead to a greater understanding of how the brain is both structurally

and functionally organized in response to experience.

TRACY RIGGINS and

ELIZABETH REDCAY are

examining how children’s

brains create and retain

memories. They focus on

the hippocampus, a gate-

way in the brain which

processes information and develops memories. Riggins and Redcay ask

children about recent events, and lead them through memory games.

Then, the researchers take brain scans of the children at UMD’s Maryland

Neuroimaging Center. The researchers have found that as children age

from 4 to 6, the hippocampus becomes more strongly connected to other

areas of the brain, leading to the formation of memories that are more

rich in detail.

ALEX SHACKMAN and his research team are

working to understand the catalysts for patho-

logical anxiety and depression, particularly

among college students. With support from

a grant from the National Institute of Mental

Health, they are using a combination of brain

imaging and smartphone technology to monitor

the feelings, behavior, stress and social support experienced by col-

lege students. The researchers’ ultimate aim is to develop better ways

of treating or even preventing anxiety and mood disorders.

go.umd.edu/PSYCPeople

PSYC Points of Pride >>

OUR AWARD-WINNING FACULTY ARE EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELDS, ARE FREQUENTLY INVITED TO PUBLISH AND LECTURE, AND ARE OFTEN FEATURED BY THE MEDIA.

OUR DEPARTMENT RECENTLY CELEBRATED ITS 80TH ANNIVERSARY, AND OPERATES IN A NEWLY RENOVATED SPACE FEATURING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY.

80OUR PROGRAM IS CONSISTENTLY RANKED AMONG THE TOP 40 IN THE NATION BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT.

OUR LOCATION NEAR WASHINGTON, D.C. ALLOWS FOR EXCEPTIONAL INTERNSHIPS AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.

SHORT- AND LONG-TERM STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS OFFER LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCES.

STUDENTS WORK ALONGSIDE FACULTY ON INNOVATIVE RESEARCH CENTERS AND PROJECTS THAT ADDRESS MAJOR SOCIAL ISSUES.