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Services and Community Outreach

The Department of Psychology provides a wide range of psychological services to our campus community and beyond.

Recent news from the Department of Psychology

Assistant Professor Mark Lescroart.
NSF CAREER Award recipient Mark Lescroart studies mechanisms of attention

$700,000 research project funded to explore neurological disorders and everyday tasks; ‘Perception depends on the goal’

A close photo of two people sitting opposite one another. One has a pen and notebook and is taking notes, while the other is gesturing with their hands.
Clinical Psychology Graduate Program ranked 70th in the country

Rankings provided by U.S. News & World Report put the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno program in the top 100 in the U.S.

Students hold a banner that reads, "ÁùºÏ±¦µä has Pack PRIDE!" at the annual Pride parade in downtown Reno. Many people are dressed in rainbow UNR t-shirts.
How can people who are part of the LGBTQ+ community boost their resilience?

Those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community can use several techniques to boost their resilience in the face of discrimination

Several Poggendorff triangles in blue and purple on a gray background. The Poggendorff triangles are two triangles that appear to share an edge.
Psychology professor’s illusion in top ten for Best Illusion Contest

Vote for the illusion Gideon Caplovitz created with his two daughters by May 27

"I think the deep message of our work is that every voice matters."

Cultural evolution and its applications explored in new PNAS publication

Foundation Professor of Psychology Steven C. Hayes collaborates on new research highlighting the value of prosocial behavior at the individual and group level

Five women stand at the base of a flight of stairs. Three women stand in the front, two in the back.
Researchers work to identify new diagnostic tools for schizophrenia

All-female team of psychology researchers studying how low-cost biomarkers can be used in diagnostics

A person with a black cap with white electrodes and black cables running out of the cap sits in front of a computer. Her head is resting on a device meant to keep her head still, and she is looking at a computer screen with a blue background and a pink circle with vertical blue lines in it.
The link between memory and motor systems

Researchers attempt to better understand our mental landscape and actions we take to interact with it

A representative of Siemens and the University's neuroscience imaging director confer as an fMRI is conducted.
A major milestone in neuroscience research and teaching excellence

$5.3 million, NIH COBRE ‘Phase 3’ award will further advance the mission and impact of the University’s Center for Integrative Neuroscience

A student wearing a ÁùºÏ±¦µä t-shirt leans against a bookshelf in the Knowledge Center with a book in his hands, reading.
Recommended Fall Reads: A well-researched book list

The books featured here were written or edited by faculty, alumni or students in the College of Science

A woman and a man shake hands in front of another woman holding a glass award.
Celebrating the 2022 College of Science Distinguished Alumni

Among the awardees are Las Vegas’s city planner, a globe-trotting fish biologist, a psychologist providing culturally sensitive services and more

The @Reality lab, with multiple people using VR headsets and enjoying the space.
University Libraries to host VR|AR Meet-Up Friday, Oct. 21, 3 p.m.

The Meet-Up is a convening of faculty, students, tech-lovers from eight different University departments presenting on research involving VR and/or AR technology

A woman wearing a mauve shirt smiles, with brick buildings and large trees over green grass in the background.
Pinocchio illusion inspires research into effects of aging

Wilson Award winner Amy Morris tackles questions related to proprioception

A crowd of people blurred in the foreground watch a presentation by a woman standing on a stage.
Celebrating award-winning students in the College of Science

This year, seven students won awards from the Board of Regents or the University.

Two women and a man stand, with the woman in the middle and the man holding plaques. They stand in front of a screen that says "College of Science" on the top line and "Live a life of discovery" on the bottom line in italics. The ÁùºÏ±¦µä Block N is above the words.
Linda Hayes recognized with Distinguished Faculty Award

The psychology professor, who has worked at the University for 32 years, received the award in her final year before retirement.

Steve Hayes at his desk
Professor Steven Hayes receives 2022 NSHE Career Distinguished Researcher Award

Internationally renowned for development of ACT, evidenced based form of psychotherapy

An overhead view of a child sitting on the floor reading a book.
New program aims to improve access to support for children with autism in Kenya

The course will be available to University students this fall

A cross section is highlighted with a dark red, with brighter red spots lined up along the center of the cross section horizontally.
NIH grant-funded research to look at how the brain processes visual stimuli

Researcher Jennifer Hoy hopes to better understand how the brain identifies stimuli as positive or negative, and the behaviors that follow.

A child's hands are shown playing with wooden toys.
Spectrum Learning Center opens on campus to serve community

The center opened early last month to provide services for young children with learning disabilities.

Group photo of DICE Center members
Proporcionando asistencia culturalmente sensible y basada en evidencia científica a la comunidad Latina

La Profesora Asociada Lorraine Benuto capacita a los estudiantes para brindar servicios psicológicos en español

Group photo of DICE Center members
Providing culturally sensitive, evidence-based care to the Latinx community

Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology Lorraine Benuto trains students to deliver psychological services in Spanish

(Left) Headshot of Jena Casas. Top-right: wildland firefighters trudge through challenging terrain in Desolation Wilderness while working on the Caldor Fire. Bottom-right: A hand-made sign for the firefighters on the Caldor Fire reads "Thank you firefighters. You kick ash!".
How can I support wildland firefighters?

From handwritten letters to donating hot meals, postdoctoral fellow and clinical psychology Ph.D. Jena Casas offers advice on how you can support wildland firefighters this challenging fire season.

Psychology professors Trixie and Allen Gardner with Washoe the chimp
Groundbreaking researcher Gardner dies at age 91

Psychology professor Allen Gardner and his wife Trixie earned worldwide acclaim teaching Washoe the chimpanzee American Sign Language

Confocal image of neurons
Journal of Neuroscience cover story features University neuroscience research

Assistant Professor Simon Pieraut’s paper was featured in the May 26 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience

Portrait of Lorraine Benuto
Lorraine Benuto missioned around providing culturally sensitive evidence based care to the Latinx community and other underserved populations

Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology Lorraine Benuto receives this year's Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Leadership Award

Student Jayde Powell builds on a family legacy of community service and engagement

College of Science student receives the Sam Lieberman Regents' Award for Student Scholarship

Portrait of Jena Casas
Jena Casas' evolving research focuses on filling the need for behavioral health services in ÁùºÏ±¦µä

Doctoral student in clinical psychology receives the Sam Lieberman Regents' Award for Student Scholarship

Compilation image of a striped dress that sparked debate on the internet over it's color.
Calibrating Vision, a Discover Science at Home lecture

Foundation Professor and Director of the University’s Center for Integrative Neuroscience Michael Webster discusses the complex adaptations of our visual senses in his March 11 Discover Science virtual lecture.

Woman points at brain scans.
ÁùºÏ±¦µä ENDURE seeks to improve diversity in neuroscience

New program aims to raise interest and opportunities in neuroscience research for individuals who are typically underrepresented in the field.

brains on display
Taissa Lytchenko receives international neuroscience society award

Graduate student recognized for Cognitive Brain Sciences outreach and education for community

Staheli Meyer sits at a table with a young child in the foreground and binders on the table between them.
The Early Childhood Autism Program leaves a legacy of changed lives

The Department of Psychology's Early Childhood Autism Program has served patients, families, students and program founder Patrick Ghezzi.

Brittany Toalson, CNA and Jessica Lamb '12 , RN. (Photo courtesy of Jessica Lamb)
Health care alumni share stories from the front lines

From why they entered the field to what a "regular" shift looks like, these alumni open up about their lives during the pandemic

Davidson Mathematics and Science building
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP) awarded to five College of Science students and one recent graduate

Faculty share congratulations with NSF GRFP recipients and students offer advice for others interested in applying.

A person with both hands on their face
How do I stop touching my face?

Leading researcher and psychologist Professor Steven Hayes reveals a scientifically proven trick for dramatically reducing how often you touch your face

Assistant professor and students calibrate video headset
First-person video dataset aims to catch people looking (at everything)

Three universities collaborating to develop visual archive to be used for research, artificial intelligence development

Four larger black dots surrounding a smaller black dot with a smaller white dot in the center.
Psychology Department professor and team enter the Best Illusion of the Year contest

Voting is open for University Professors Gideon Paul Caplovitz and Jean-Paul Perrotte's illusion entry: the Rotating Circles.

Two people looking at computer image in suite where MRI equipment is operated
Partnership yields new technology for neuroscience research, patient care

Renown Health and the University bring the latest in advanced brain imaging – the ‘gold standard’ for research – to Northern ÁùºÏ±¦µä

Hannah Huntley and Hector Arciniega
Two University students receive 2019 Regents’ Scholar Awards

The College of Liberal Arts is fortunate to have an undergraduate and graduate student as Regents’ Scholar recipients

Seven faculty members view demonstration of a large-size "two-photon" microscope
$11 million grant advances research at the forefront of cardiovascular disease

Biggest Little Research: Significant NIH Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence support builds on molecular and cellular expertise to address the leading cause of death

2 faculty member sitting at desk in office with neuroscience-related images on the computer screens
Institute for Neuroscience to help a multidisciplinary center of excellence become even stronger

James Kenyon named director of University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno institute designed to complement and extend the energy, experience and potential in the neurosciences

Steven C. Hayes
Foundation Professor of Psychology elected AAAS Fellow

University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno Foundation Professor Steven C. Hayes named an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, a coveted recognition among top scientists

Associate Professor Gideon Caplovitz with members of The Caplovitz Vision Lab
Decoding the mind of an octopus

University’s Gideon Caplovitz and a team of researchers set out to learn about the cognitive processes of the octopus with applications to humans and AI with award of new NSF funds

A student rests his head in an Adaptive Optics system
Global community of vision scientists convenes at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno

OSA Vision Meeting presents the latest scientific and clinical advances in understanding human vision; the meeting includes two pre-conference lectures open to campus community

Hector Arciniega and Marian Berryhill are seated as a computer work station; Hector holds a clear 3-D representation of a human head.
Evidence shows electric stimulation improves low working memory

University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno-led research shows promise for potential new application of transcranial direct-current stimulation in older adults

Jamie Palmer, James Albrecht, Guadalupe Escobar, Aaron Hill, Nasia Anam, Tyler Brownlow-Calkin
New Colleagues Join the College of Liberal Arts

The College of Liberal Arts hires 26 new faculty members for the fall semester

Paul MacNeilage scuba diving with VR headset
Virtual reality will soon be able to go underwater

Assistant Professor of Psychology is developing an underwater VR headset as part of grant for NASA

virtual reality lab
Exploring how to make virtual reality more accessible to women

VR sickness to be studied by University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno team

Researcher shines light on a test tube in a darkened lab
Center for Advanced Studies advocates for researchers

Past University research honorees offer faculty community a voice on campus and beyond

2 separate, side-by-side photos of Dr. Chalifoux and Dr. Snow
Chalifoux, Snow named 2018 Regents’ Rising Researchers

Recognized for early successes and discoveries in research fields of chemistry, psychology

Shamik Sengupta in sandbox lab
Cybersecurity Center works to protect ÁùºÏ±¦µä industry, individuals from cyber threats

University uses interdisciplinary, holistic approach to finding solutions

Student Jolene Norton holds up her report titled "Reno Local Food Assessment."
Developing regional solutions through undergraduate research (May 2018)

Through Community-Based Research, students explore problems and offer understanding, tools and ideas to make a difference

Students in @Reality VR Lab
Underwater virtual reality research: Creating astronaut training simulation

Paul MacNeilage and Eelke Folmer working together to bring a virtual space walk to the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno pool

Jacqueline Snow and Michael Gomez
Study finds graspable objects grab attention more than images of objects do

Findings challenge notion that images are appropriate substitute for real objects

Fang Jiang studies fMRI technology images
Lightning Talks provide early-career faculty members opportunity to network, collaborate

Presentations represented a variety of disciplines, including sustainable plant production and street art in virtual reality

Steve Hayes
Foundation Professor Steve Hayes often asked for psychological expertise

WalletHub and Medical News Today are two recent publications highlighting psychology knowledge

University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno students and campus in the fall
Psychology research to help those suffering from severe motion sickness

University assistant professor Paul MacNeilage gets published in Current Biology

Integrative Neuroscience research shows person with HD EEG technology on head
University awarded $10.6 million from NIH to continue neuroscience research

Second phase of funding will expand support for junior faculty and research facilities

Students immerse themselves in virtual reality at @Reality studio inside the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center
@Reality, a virtual reality + augmented reality studio, to open at Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center

@Reality will provide the University community with a dedicated space, equipment, software and expertise to properly support experimentation, exploration of virtual reality and augmented reality mediums

Collage includes artist's rendering of the Switch facility located east of Reno, known as The Citadel Campus, plus a laboratory work space and computer circuit board.
Major, new high-performance computing cluster to advance research and industry

Technology leader Switch provides critical data-ecosystem infrastructure to power Pronghorn, the University's new cluster, and the regional economy

Dan Weigel and Randal Brown looking over reseach in office
University doctoral candidate researches secret behind a happy relationship

Social psychology doctoral candidate Randal Brown finds that positive sexual communication can lead to a happy relationship

Samantha Kutner in the library studying
Grabbing ahold of greatness: University senior reflects on academic career

Samantha Kutner delves into her story of achieving greatness during her academic career at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno

Psychology textbooks stacked on top of each other.
Are behavioral and mental health problems getting worse?

Foundation Professor of Psychology Steven Hayes explains the increase of mental and behavioral issues in the modern world

Psychology EPSCoR Faculty Awardees
NSF awards $2.2 million to advance brain research

Neuroscience researchers have integral role in two multi-institution programs exploring fundamental questions around attention, cognition, learning

Benjamin Young headshot
University philosophy professor and research partner receive three-year grant

Benjamin Young and Ran Hassin awarded grant to research non-conscious human behavior from The John Templeton Foundation

Caplovitz and Harrison posing with the Best Illusion of the Year webpage
Best Illusion of the Year Contest awards the University first place

The 2016 Best Illusion of the Year is awarded to assistant professor of psychology, Gideon Caplovitz, and graduate student, Matthew Harrison

neuroscience
Expanding the frontier of neuroscience

University shows multi-disciplinary strength in rapidly expanding research field

University’s Victims of Crime Treatment Center expands services

Additional funding from State of ÁùºÏ±¦µä allows Center to serve victims of physical abuse

University researchers’ illusion selected as Top 10 finalist

Worldwide voting for the 2015 Best Illusion of the Year to be held June 11 to June 12

Grad schools, programs ranked among the nation’s best

University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno earns four graduate school, 23 graduate program rankings

Earthquake Engineering Lab
Top 10 stories of 2014

2014: Earthquake Engineering's cool building, a student's triumph and renowned Shakespeare expertise

fMRI equipment
University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno and Renown Health announce partnership for brain fMRI research

New functional MRI technology studies human brain function, aims to understand how the brain works

University hosts groundbreaking neuroscience researcher Karl Deisseroth

Deisseroth will speak about the incredible new ways he has developed to study the brain in a free lecture at 7 p.m., Oct. 23

illusion
University’s psychology researchers awarded 2014 best illusion of the year

University tops the international competition with the Dynamic Ebbinghaus illusion

Gardner, Smith are April's Classified Employees of the Month

Both honorees are cited for ability to bring positive attitude, performance excellence to workplace

Terawatt Facility
Grad programs ranked among the nation’s best

University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno earns four graduate school, 24 graduate program rankings

Grant allows University to create externship position with HOPES

University highlights psychology graduates’ work at HOPES clinic during National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day March 10

Brain awareness photo
University's 'Brain Awareness Week' features multitude of activities, March 11-13

Address by world's leading neuroscientist headlines a series of student- and campus-oriented events

University alumna receives President’s Early Career Award

Katherine Iverson recognized for her work researching women’s health and traumatic stress

Professor recognized for work with dialectical behavior therapy

Alan Fruzzetti receives the International Society for Dialectical Behavior Therapy's Outstanding Researcher Award

Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award given to University graduate

Joaquin Borrego is first to receive award for Excellence in Research in Latino/a Psychology

Coping with distress after a tragic event

Honors student receives 2013 National Collegiate Honors Council award

Named a Portz Scholar, Lianne Barnes is one of only three to be recognized in the nation

Gideon Caplovitz lands top 10 finish in 2013 Best Illusion of the Year Contest

International contest attracts best vision scientists in the world for the ninth year

Psychology students receive recognition and support from national associations

Department’s doctoral programs offer students a wide variety of areas of study

Neuroscience research gets big boost – almost $10 million

Grant for a new interdisciplinary center builds infrastructure and supports five rising stars at University

Robert Trivers to speak on deceit, self-deception as part of Discover Science Lecture Series

Renowned evolutionary biologist to make appearance Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.

University Psychology Department reaches out to abused women

Free Intimate Partner Abuse Group Therapy Program offers new, alternative treatment

Wild West Shootout to support University’s Early Childhood Autism Program

Annual high school basketball tournament starts Dec. 14; supports internationally recognized University program

Linda Hayes wins 2011 Global Engagement Award

Psychology professor receives inaugural award for her contribution to global education

Public invited to Dan Ariely presentation, “Predictably Irrationalâ€

New York Times bestselling author discusses how to understand our irrational tendencies and how people act in the marketplace

McReynolds, esteemed psychology professor, passes away

ÁùºÏ±¦µä professor studies structural basis for autism disorders

ÁùºÏ±¦µä's Victims of Crime Treatment Center expands services

Brightest young minds attend summer institute

Research Team Wins Slifka Foundation Award for Autism Research

Budget stress threatens teachers’ health, University offers help

Early Childhood Autism Program gets help from local foundation

Hayes to present at ‘largest gathering ever’ for psychotherapy

2008 Balloon Race scholarship winners named

University psychologists share top award

Three faculty named as 2008 Foundation Professors