Research and Training

David Arnold, My research interests include: Practical early intervention for disruptive behavior and academic problems in young high-risk children; parenting; preschool teaching; discipline; ethnicity/culture; family influences on developmental psychopathology and early academic development. (E-mail)

Michael J. Constantino, Dr. Constantino's research centers on psychotherapy process, outcome, and integration. More specifically, he is interested in developing and systematizing therapeutic interventions that address pantheoretical principles of clinical change, such as the patient-therapist relationship and the installation of positive expectations. The principal aim of this research is the programmatic development of a set of empirically-grounded skills on which therapists can be trained to negotiate effective therapy relationships and to foster more positive treatment outcomes. (E-mail)

Harold D Grotevant, Hal Grotevant is the Rudd Family Foundation Chair in Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research focuses on relationships in adoptive families, and on identity development in adolescents and young adults. More generally, his interests include child and adolescent development and family dynamics. (E-mail)

Richard Halgin, Richard P. Halgin, Professor (Ph.D., 1976, Fordham University): Issues in clinical training and supervision; psychotherapy integration; ethical issues in professional psychology; teaching of psychology; intervention strategies for high-risk undergraduate students to promote academic success and college adjustment; psychology and sports. (E-mail)

Elizabeth Harvey, Early development of ADHD and disruptive behavior disorders in children; family relationships; parent-child interactions; understanding behavior problems in a variety of social contexts including gender, culture, and work-family variables. (E-mail)

Marian L. MacDonald, My primary research area is Family Child Care, the form of out-of-home care most often chosen by working mothers of children age 0 to 3. Our current study involves determining factors associated with provider drop-out, which is a major problem in the child care industry in general. I am also interested in community psychology, which involves working with underserved populations (the homeless mentally ill, persons in the criminal justice system, people of color, sexual minorities), developing effective mental health interventions for use by community-based paraprofessionals, and addressing the problem of the underutilization of mental health services due to stigma. (E-mail)

Christopher E. Overtree, Christopher Overtree studies psychotherapy effectiveness in a naturalistic setting, as well as more effective methods of service provision in the community mental health system. He is a child/adolescent/adult and family therapist with specialties in anxiety disorders, depression, cognitive-behavior therapy, and family conflict. He is Director of the Division of Clinical Psychology's training clinic for graduate students. He also serves as a consultant to schools regarding bullying/harassment, climate reform, and improving academic outcomes. (E-mail)

Maureen Perry-Jenkins, I am interested in the ways in which socio-cultural factors, such as social class, race, ethnicity, and gender shape the mental health and family relationships of parents and their children. My current research examines the work and family experiences of blue-collar families. This longitudinal study explores the effects of the transition to parenthood and the early return to paid employment on working-class parents' psychological well-being and personal relationships. (E-mail)

Sally Powers, As a developmental psychopathologist, my research investigates the interaction of normal developmental processes and psychopathology in adolescents. (E-mail)

Lisa Raskin, (E-mail)

Rebecca E Ready, Dr. Ready is a geriatric neuropsychologist with research interests in the assessment of mood, quality of life, and well-being in aging populations. I am particularly interested in assessment of these constructs in dementia patients, both from caregiver and patient perspectives. I also am interested in the memory processes that are involved in recall and reporting mood, quality of life, and well-being. (E-mail)

Aline G. Sayer, Dr. Sayer is a developmental psychologist with an extensive background in both child and adolescent development and in quantitative methodology. She specializes in new statistical strategies for studying individual development over time. These include hierarchical linear models and structural equation models. Her current focus is on embedding measurement indicators in growth curve models using both multilevel and covariance structure analysis. She is also interested in models that capture the interdependencies in data obtained from couples and other dyads. (E-mail)

David Scherer, Dr. Scherer earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Virginia in 1989 and has been on the Psychology faculty at UMass Amherst since 2005. Dr. Scherer's research has focused on the ethics and process of adolescent and family decision-making in medical and research contexts. He also has conducted research on and published about psychotherapy for troubled adolescents and their families. Applicants to the Clinical Psychology program who wish to work with Dr. Scherer should contact him via email. (E-mail)

Rebecca Stowe, Rebecca M. Stowe, Ph.D., Lecturer (Ph.D. 1999, University of Massachusetts): Dr. Stowe specializes in child and adolescent clinical psychology. She is particularly interested in disruptive behavior disorders in young children, assessment and treatment of ADHD, parenting issues, parent-child relationships, and the use of cognitive-behavioral interventions with children and families. She is a clinical supervisor in the Division of Clinical Psychology's training clinic. (E-mail)

Susan K Whitbourne, The field of psychology and aging is one of growing concern within the discipline. Work within my laboratory is currently focused on issues related to psychosocial development in midlife and later adulthood, including longitudinal changes through midlife and the relation between physical functioning, cognition, and personality. (E-mail)