What is Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Selected topics include but are not limited to: human nature, the nature of knowledge, perception, thinking, consciousness, language, learning and education, intelligence, memory, emotions, relationships, sexuality, development (social, emotional, cognitive, moral, spiritual), self concept, self esteem, motivation, aggression, personality (individual differences and similarities), prejudice, beliefs and attitudes, abnormal behavior, mental illness, adjustment, psychotherapy, evolution, heredity, hormones, brain-behavior relationships, dreaming and states of consciousness, and human and animal behavior.
History of Our Psychology Department
The founding of the Psychology Division occurred September 1, 1967 as part of the revised structure of the Education Department. Dr. Bertram Vogel served as its first chairperson. Following Dr. Vogel’s tragic and unexpected death on September 30, 1967, Dr. Robert Roth was appointed as his successor.
After two years of functioning within the Education Department, an independent Psychology Department came into existence on September 1, 1969, and Dr. Roth was elected to be its first chairperson. Succeeding Dr. Roth as elected chairpersons have been Drs. Adella Youtz, Sol Schwartz, Herbert Samenfeld, Bonnie Kind, Martin Harris and Suzanne Bousquet. In the past 40 years, the School of Psychology has grown exponentially with an undergraduate enrollment of over 1500 majors.
At the graduate level, the department had offered two Masters of Arts (Psychology and Educational Psychology) and two Professional Diplomas (School Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy). In September of 2009, the first cohort of doctoral students was admitted to the Psy.D. in Combined School and Clinical Psychology. At that time, the Department of Doctoral Studies in Psychology was established with Dr. Frank Gardner appointed as its first chairperson. The School of Psychology contributed to the establishment of other departments in Kean’s evolution including Nursing and Occupational Therapy.
In 2010, the Department of Psychology became the School of Psychology and Dr. Suzanne Bousquet was named the first Executive Director of the School. As of July, 2012, Dr. Paula Avioli has assumed the role as Executive Director. As of Sept, 2016, Dr. Verneda HammBaugh has assumed the role as Executive Director.
