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Explores the intersection of psychology and culture through such topics as the psychological experience of immigration, ethnic conflicts and the impact of violence within communities, and the relationship between individual and collective identity. Is also interested in US-Mexico health, including addressing health disparities.

Examines ways that school psychologists can improve the academic, social-emotional, and behavioral outcomes for young children (i.e., preschool) from minoritized and marginalized backgrounds in early childhood settings.

Studies the effects that acculturation and identity have on discrimination, specifically in those of Arab/Middle Eastern descent and African Americans.

Research focuses on the dissemination and implementation of empirically supported practices (ESPs) for children with disruptive behavior, trauma, anxiety and depression in community settings. Sarah Kate Bearman is not currently accepting new graduate students for Fall 2021.

Interested in statistical models with a focus on deriving and evaluating multilevel model extensions and meta-analysis models for educational, behavioral, social and medical science data.

Dr. Borich is interested in the effectiveness of teaching methods, program assessment and evaluation, and strategies for teaching in a rapidly changing classroom environment.

Focuses on predicting sexual health outcomes, such as unintended pregnancy, among adolescents and young adults using structural equation or hierarchical linear modeling and large longitudinal data sets.

Research interests include college student mental health and suicide prevention, collaborative care models of behavioral health in primary care, and the intersection of mental health and academic success.

Teaches courses focused on human sexuality, intimacy, and relationships.

Active in current healthcare reform endeavors, studies integrated behavioral health, attachment theory, and consultation theories and processes such as home-school partnership and family-centered treatment. Cindy Carlson is not currently accepting new graduate students.

Investigates issues of access and equity for disabled people, with a special focus on systems change, research translation, and assessment.

Interests include the development and dissemination of computerized adaptive testing applications in educational and psychological testing and patient-reported outcome measurements.

Researches themes related to understanding the psychological and environmental factors that impact African American student achievement, and the impact of the impostor phenomenon in academic and mental health outcomes.

Dr. Dodd's research has examined the application of classical mental test theory and item response theory to attitude scaling, academic placement, adaptive testing, and standard settings.

J. Mark Eddy's primary area of expertise is the development, refinement and rigorous testing of culturally informed multimodal preventive and clinical psychosocial interventions to improve physical and mental health outcomes for children and families. This work is done in collaboration with families and professionals from schools and other community-based service systems. Areas of interest include parent-child relationships; intimate partner relationships; family violence; parent management training; couples intervention; youth mentoring; early childhood education and family-based intervention; mothers and fathers involved with the juvenile justice or criminal justice systems and their families; children and families involved with the child welfare system; immigrant families; observational research; social interactional theory; coercion theory; cognitive behavioral therapy; longitudinal growth modeling; survival analysis; the development and refinement of effective communication processes between and among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in order to provide children and families with the most effective preventive and clinical interventions; training and mentoring the next generation of implementation and prevention scientists.

Falbo uses both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to address problems in education and health. She is an internationally recognized expert on only children, including their academic, social, emotional, and health outcomes. Falbo is also an expert on conducting cross-cultural research and research aimed at improving the education of ethnic minorities in the U.S.

Please note: as an Emeritus faculty member, Lucia Gilbert does not actively teach or supervise students for the Educational Psychology department, but welcomes inquiries about past and current work. Lucia Gilbert's research interests center on women's career development in male-dominated fields and the influence of gender processes on career trajectories and work-family balance. Her current research focuses on the experiences and career paths of women in the wine industry.

Supports the clinical training of doctoral students, teaches clinically-focused courses and prepares students for psychology internship training. Jane Gray does not serve as a research mentor for students in the School Psychology program.

Research centers on the integration of career and mental health counseling and the fostering of resiliency in the K-12 and university underserved student population.

Research interests focus on using Bayesian statistical methods to employ hierarchical linear modeling, specifically working with longitudinal and mediation data.

Statistical methods related to psychometrics, such as uni- and multi-dimensional item response theory, response time modeling, cognitively diagnostic assessment, and stochastic test design.

Focuses on the nature and measurement of intelligence, including the validity of tests of intelligence, and understanding variables that influence school learning and academic achievement.

Missing data, Bayesian statistics, multilevel modeling, structural equation modeling, general modeling frameworks, statistical computing, and philosophy of science.

Focuses on identifying factors that hinder or promote the success of children and families from vulnerable and underserved populations.

Studies stress and coping as it relates to professionals in educational settings, health and wellness, and the identification of psychological resources that can help prevent stress.

Focuses on motivation and how individual beliefs and social-contextual factors influence students’ achievement and academic behaviors.

Researches the psychological health benefits of self-compassion, drawing from fields of social and personality psychology, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology; developed an empirically supported training program called Mindful Self-Compassion that is taught worldwide. Kristin Neff is not currently accepting new graduate students.

Supports the clinical training of MA/SSP students, teaches clinically-focused courses, provides supervision for students, and prepares students for MA/SPP internship. Jessica O'Bleness does not serve as a research mentor for students in the School Psychology program.

Focuses on the intersections of gender, sexuality, and behavioral health in topics of men’s health, gender roles, and muscularity; conducts outreach with gender and sexual minority communities; development of mobile health interventions.

Studies predictors of risk for mental health problems in early childhood.

Focuses on the efficacy of different kinds of sexuality education programs: teacher preparation for the sexuality education classroom, anddifferences between evidence-informed and evidence-based programs, and differences between teaching and facilitating within a sex-ed context.

Research focuses on men and traditional masculinity, with a particular emphasis on men's mental health, depression, help-seeking patterns, and their underutilization of counseling services.

Dr. Erin Rodríguez studies family, sociocultural, and contextual influences on children’s development and health outcomes, with a focus on understanding and reducing health disparities affecting low-SES Latinx youth.

Research focus is on the detection of biases in perception, attention, and memory that contribute to depression vulnerability and on the utility of "big picture" thinking for regulating mood.

Studies the application of cognitive-behavioral interventions to behavior problems in schools, and the assessment, treatment, and theoretical models of depression in children and adolescents.

Research interests center around how parent-child relationships, parental involvement, and child socialization shape children's and adolescents' development and learning across cultures and ethnic groups.

Dr. Svinicki's primary areas of research and practice have been the application of principles of learning and motivation to instruction in higher education and the development of faculty and graduate students as teachers. Recent research centered on individual and group goal orientation during group work, innovations in education for medical faculty, and Teaching Assistant training. She is recognized as an expert in theory and research-based instructional design, an interest that is currently being shared through her affiliation with medical education at the Dell Medical School at UT Austin. Dr. Svinicki also has expertise in working with teachers to improve the learning in their classrooms and with students to help improve their strategies for learning. She has published widely about these topics, but her most well known book is McKeachie's Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research and Theory for College and University Teachers. Written in collaboration with Wilbert McKeachie, this book has been used around the world by university teachers interested in learning evidence-based practices in teaching. She has presented and run workshops on these topics to institutions throughout the US and Canada. Svinicki is currently retired, but stays active as a reviewer of research manusripts for education and psychology journals.

Dr. Deborah Tharinger is a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology with a primary role in the APA-accredited School Psychology Program. She is also licensed as a Psychologist by the Texas State Board of Examiners, and operates an independent practice. Her research and areas of interest include therapeutic assessment with children; adolescents and their families; developmental psychopathology; child maltreatment; school-based delivery of health and mental health services; and professional Issues in psychology.

My principal methodological research interest deals with the various facets of model specification, including, but not limited to, model comparison/selection and model modification methods. With the use of simulation techniques, I examine the performance of these different model specification approaches under manipulated conditions. With the use of real data sets, I also provide illustrations and demonstrations of alternative model parameterizations for pedagogical purposes. There are numerous models that may be employed to explain the relationships among variables. I am interested in employing models within the structural equation modeling (SEM), multilevel modeling (MLM), and item response theory (IRT) arenas. My other research interest deals with real-world data applications with these various modeling techniques. This is, in large part, due to requests from applied researchers to help with the methodological aspects of their study given my knowledge in quantitative methods. I enjoy these opportunities to collaborate with researchers in different disciplines because real-world data issues provide me with methodological research ideas as well as interesting examples to use in my courses when I am teaching.

Studies the cognitive underpinnings of learning and instruction (memory & metacognition), integrated with social-psychological processes (motivation & mindset), in direct applications to classroom practices, online instruction, and self-regulated learning.