Alumni Profiles

Badgerow, Gwen

Gwen Badgerow' works as a school psychologist with Woodford County, in Illinois. She is a trainer in educational intervention and the supervisor for school psychology practicum and internship students.

Gwen reported that her favorite faculty member was Dr. Mark Swerdlik. "Mark left a lasting impression due to his work ethic and passion for the field of school psychology."

According to Gwen, "Illinois State pushed me into a highly reflective and passionate stage of my life with clear direction. I left with confidence in my knowledge and level of training, and felt prepared to work in a demanding school setting.

Berube, Derek

Derek Berube is employed at Allstate Insurance Company as a Human Resource Consultant. He is responsible for survey organization work and human capital data analysis.

Derek's favorite faculty member was Dr. Eros DeSouza. According to Derek, Dr. DeSouza stressed the importance of time management, and "this established a pattern of behavior that I currently utilize in my professional career." Derek stated that "[he] wouldn't be where I am at now professionally if it wasn't for Illinois State."

Coane, Jen

Jen Coane is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where she teaches courses in introductory psychology, cognitive psychology, and a collaborative research seminar in memory. Jen earned her Ph.D. in cognitive psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

Jen identified several faculty members as her favorite: Drs. Dawn McBride, Scott Jordan, Cooper Cutting, Jeff Wagman, and Thomas Critchfield. "Virtually all [of] the faculty whom I interacted [with] contributed in some way to my personal and professional development."

Jen reported that psychology at Illinois State "prepared me professionally and personally to become an academic and a scholar. I frequently find myself thinking back to the people at Illinois State who first introduced me to the field of academia, and I try to model the lessons they taught me."

Criss, Michael

Michael Criss is an Assistant Professor of Human Development in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla. Michael earned his PhD from Auburn University in Human Development and Family Studies.

According to Michael, his favorite psychology faculty member was Dr. Gary Creasey. "Dr. Creasey never ceased to encourage my research interests or my ability to be a good researcher. His confidence in my abilities was very helpful in my professional development."

Michael also indicated that "the Developmental Psychology graduate program at Illinois State provided an excellent foundation for my professional development, and introduced me to the wonderful world of research.

Fanning, Carla

Carla Fanning is a Professor at Grayson County College in Denison, Tex. She teaches both classroom and online courses, and is the student advisor for the psychology club.

Carla reported that her favorite faculty members were Drs. Laura Berk and Barbara Goebel. "Dr. Berk and Dr. Goebel were two professors that helped to shape my psychological perspectives, professional principles, and teaching philosophy."

According to Carla, psychology at Illinois State prepared her for three different successful careers: Program Director in a private psychiatric hospital setting; a private piano studio instructor using developmental pedagogy principles; and her current position as a professor.

Mavros, Jeff

Jeff Mavros is the Director of Admissions at Illinois State University.

Jeff's favorite faculty members were Drs. Scott Jordan and Marla Reese-Weber. "Dr. Jordan stripped down learning to its most fundamental components, even making us question what it is to learn, and by which processes those entities do learn." According to Jeff, Dr. Reese-Weber facilitated "a spirit of debate between classmates in her seminar courses that made [the classes] memorable."

Jeff reported that his education at Illinois State and within the department helped him "manage time, multitask, and meet diverse challenges."

Reed, Derek

Derek Reed earned his Ph.D. in school psychology from Syracuse University. He is an Assistant Director of Clinical Services-Research and Training at Melmark New England in Andover, Maine. Derek is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Massachusetts-Boston and at Endicott College, Beverly, Mass., where he teaches behavior analysis course sequences.

Drs. Thomas Critchfield, Karla Doepke, and Valeri Farmer-Dougan were Derek's favorite faculty members. "All three of [these] individuals were paramount in shaping current research and clinical interests."

Psychology at Illinois State has allowed Derek to "appreciate multidisciplinary approaches to societal problems, and involvement in Psi Chi prompted [a] development of leadership and supervisory skills."

Scharf, Jessica

Jessica Scharf is a School Services Clinician for Howard Center in Chittenden County, Vt. Her work supports a caseload of students struggling with the impact of mental illness on their school success.

Jessica recalled that her favorite faculty members were Drs. Doug Lamb and Alvin House. "Dr. Lamb's ethics class provided me with a strong basis for clinical judgment, and Dr. House's classes have proven to be directly useful in much of my work.

"I find that my knowledge of subjects and the expanse of my experiences are farther reaching than many of my peers in my current job, and I attribute that directly to the Psychology program at Illinois State.

Walcott, Christy

Christy Walcott is an Assistant Professor of psychology at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. She is affiliated with two program areas: MA/CAS School Psychology training program and the Pediatric School Psychology track of the Health Psychology Doctoral Program. Christy was previously employed as a school psychologist in Beaufort County Public Schools in South Carolina before joining East Carolina University.

Christy's favorite faculty members were Drs. Steven Landau and Mark Swerdlik. "Dr. Landau displayed an enduring commitment to my professional development. He taught me to demand excellence from my work."

According to Christy, the graduate program in School Psychology "provided training in all the latest practices of our field. I appreciated the diverse research and practice specialties. There were substantial opportunities to gain practice, which were instrumental in my professional development."