Engagement in service allows me to be more involved in the UTC community at a departmental, college, and institutional level. Service to my profession and community provides an opportunity for me to support my colleagues, translate and share my research with the public, and to help meet the needs of my community. When choosing ways to serve I consider how my role will be mutually beneficial to the organization as well as my own research and teaching.
My excellence in service is evidenced by engagement with and leadership of multiple committees across a variety of areas of responsibility. I have driven several policy changes in our Academic Catalog through my leadership of the Academic Standards committee from 2019 to 2021. I have engaged in meaningful recruitment at the undergraduate and graduate level both for my department and the university at large. I have also led search committees for colleagues in Psychology, a department chair in Communication, and an Associate Dean in CAS and I’ve been invited to serve as a member of many others.
My record demonstrates excellence in service. I have invested my time in these efforts because I care deeply about the mission of this university. I do not consider service activities a burdensome obligation, but instead an important opportunity to create and cultivate an environment where we can all thrive.
Psychology Department Service
Search Committees: I have participated in several search and selection committees as noted below.
2022 - Chair - Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Experimental Psychology
2021 - Member - Visiting Assistant Professor
2020 - Member - Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Industrial-Organizational Psychology
2019 - Member - Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Biological Psychology
2016 - Member - Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Developmental Psychology
2015 - Member - Tenure Track Assistant Professor, Industrial-Organizational Psychology
2014 - Member - Lecturer
Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion Committee (2018 - present): I continue to serve as a member of my department’s RTP Committee. As a part of this responsibility I have served as a mentor to three junior faculty members (Dr. Tomorrow Arnold, Dr. Ruth Walker, and Dr. Ricardo Wilhelm). In the years of their reappointment and/or tenure review, I have generated the draft review letter on behalf of our committee.
Peer Teaching Evaluations (2018 - present): To support my colleagues toward their reappointment, tenure and/or promotion, I have conducted peer-evaluations of teaching for Dr. Ashley Howell, Dr. Kristen Black, Dr. Tomorrow Arnold, Dr. Alex Zelin, and Dr. Dave Ferrier.
Graduate Program Director: Master of Science, Research Concentration (2018 - 2019): In this role I recruited, advised, taught, supported, and retained between 16 and 20 graduate students each year. This involved liaising with departmental faculty to design, implement and assess the course curriculum, and ensure alignment between curriculum and stated learning objectives. I also worked with the coordinator of the Industrial-Organizational concentration, our Department Head, and college administration to identify, and at times develop, scholarships and assistantships to attract and retain scholars. This effort included leading an initiative to harness departmental online fees to create Technology and Pedagogy graduate assistantships. To support current students’ pursuit of transferrable skills, I developed and led a weekly professional development series and I also created a Faculty Profile flyer to support our recruitment priorities. Finally, I partnered with Dr. Chris Cunningham to write our Academic Program Review Self-Study for graduate programs.
Curriculum Committee (2014 - 2019): Along with five other colleagues, I participated in the redesign of the Department of Psychology's undergraduate curriculum. We reviewed all existing psychology courses, revised several courses and submitted the appropriate curriculum proposals, and developed new curriculum proposals to ensure that our course progression coincides with APA recommendations. We generated the check list and clear path documents.
Scheduling Committee (2017 - 2019): This committee examines each semesters' schedule and makes recommendations regarding course offerings, faculty coverage, and overall workload.
Other: Additionally, service to my department includes serving as a representative of the Department of Psychology at UTC Graduate School Fairs, UTC Blue and Gold Days, UTC Majors and Minors Fairs, and various science fair competitions and STEM Career Fairs. I was also responsible for creating a collection of PSY Department Newsletters (excerpts shared below) over four semesters.
COllege and University Service
CAS Tenure and Promotion Committee - Chair (2020 - present)
CAS Executive Committee - Chair (2020 - present)
CAS Graduate Council - Chair (2020 - present)
UT Promise Mentor - one or two students each semester (2020 - 2025)
Operation Move In Volunteer Coordinator: WCH (2025)
Campus Scheduling Policy Task Force - Member (2024)
Search Committee for Department Head of Communication - Chair (2023 - 2024)
Total Organizational Health Task Force - Faculty - Member (2023 - 2024)
Workshop administrator for the UTC Teaching and Learning Institute (2020 - 2023)
Search Committee for Interim Walker Center for Teaching and Learning - Member (2022)
UTC Undergraduate Admissions Committee - Ex-officio for Academic Affairs (2021 - 2022)
UTC Faculty Senate’s Academic Standards Committee - Chair (2019 - 2021)
Search Committee for College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean - Chair (2020)
UTC Faculty Senate’s Committee on Committees - Member (2018 - 2019)
UTC Faculty Senate - Behavioral Sciences representative (2017 - 2019)
UTC Senate Admissions Committee - Member (2016 – 2018)
UTC Institutional Research Board - Member (2014 – 2020)
UTC Departmental Honors Committee - Member (2014 – 2016)
UTC Student Rating of Faculty Committee - Member (2013 – 2014)
UTC College of Arts and Sciences College Council Committee - Member (2012 – 2014)
PROFessional and Community Service
Ad-hoc Reviewer: Journal of Cognition, Clinical Rehabilitation; Consciousness and Cognition; Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition; Biological Psychology; Neuropsychological Rehabilitation. I review conference presentation applications annually for the Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA). I have also served as a SEARCH award reviewers for UTC’s URACE competition.
Evaluation Consultant: I have consulted as a project evaluator for several university and community based grant applications. This type of role involves (1) developing program evaluation instruments and protocols for data collection; (2) working with project personnel from a variety of research areas both within and outside the university setting; (3) securing Institutional Research Board approvals; (4) implementing data collection procedures; (5) organizing longitudinal data management systems; and (6) analyzing data and disseminating it in peer-reviewed publications and conferences.These include:
Providing Research Experiences and Practicum on Cyber-Physical Systems (2019, 2023; PI: Bradley Harris)
Real-world Additive Manufacturing Projects for Underrepresented Participants RAMP UP (2017; PI: Neslihan Alp)
UTChattanooga STEM Education Noyce Scholarship Program (2015, 2017, 2021; PIs: Jennifer Ellis & Billy Elliott)
The Educational Opportunity Center (2016; PI: Cynthia Long)
THEC Veteran Reconnect grant (2015; PI: Linda Orth)
VALOR Center of Excellence (2015; PI: Linda Orth)
Mental Health First Aid (2015; PI: Elizabeth O’Brien)
Providing Advanced, Culturally Competent Care through Clinical Training for Interprofessional Geriatric Care (2012, 2015; PI: Chris Smith)
Chatt Foundation: I volunteer alongside my colleagues in the College of Arts and Sciences approximately once every couple of months at the Community Kitchen (now the Chatt Foundation).
Meeting our newest Mocs!