Dr. Evan Jordan Selected as Outstanding Faculty
- Details
- Published: Wednesday, 16 December 2020 11:47
Dr. Evan Jordan was voted by our undergraduate students as this year’s Outstanding Faculty member. Dr. Jordan joined the Department as a Visiting Professor in 2018 and was recently promoted to Teaching Assistant Professor. She teaches courses in Human Sexuality, Psychology of Mass Media, and Experimental Methods. Some of her undergraduate students have said:
“She is an incredible professor who teaches in an interactive way that keeps students engaged and she goes the extra mile to help relate the material to the class in a way it’s better understood.”
“She has a true passion for the subject she teaches. Although some of the material can be awkward or uncomfortable, she presents the information in a way that we can all understand. “
“Dr. Jordan inspired me to make positive change within my community and beyond. “
Dr. Jordan enjoys being able to teach students how to make connections between research and helping people, as it allows her to show students how research fits in with preconceived notions about psychology. Her goal as a professor and mentor of undergraduate students is to help students determine their own career paths, she notes that receiving this award is an indicator that “students appreciate her help.”
Department Head Dr. Thad Leffingwell added “We are so fortunate to have Dr. Jordan among our faculty. She exemplifies outstanding classroom instruction and personifies the student-centered approach that we value in the Department of Psychology.”
Clinical Psychology Program Wins APA Award
- Details
- Published: Wednesday, 16 December 2020 11:40
Oklahoma State University’s Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program recently received the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs 2020 Distinguished Contributions to the Education and Training of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Psychologists Award. The award recognizes training programs that prepare future psychologists to promote optimal development of child and adolescent mental and behavioral health. Specifically, OSU has a long history of training child and pediatric psychologists in evidence-based practices through both in-house and state-wide training opportunities under the mentorship of a core faculty of six clinical child/pediatric psychologists. These education and training opportunities are centered on providing family- and community-centered care and research while taking into account individuals’ cultural backgrounds.
Graduates of our program have gone on to take positions at The Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, Office of Juvenile Affairs, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, among others, uplifting families through direct care, research, and training other professionals. As part of receiving this award, OSU’s Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program has received $1,250. This award will be put towards continuing to provide these strong clinical training opportunities, with a particular emphasis on fostering our departmental value of diversity and cultural humility.
Dr. BJ Boyd Recognized as Distinguished American Indian Alumni
- Details
- Published: Wednesday, 16 December 2020 09:39
On November 5th, 2020, Dr. B.J. Boyd gave a presentation entitled ‘Tending the Fire: Practicing Clinical Psychology in Indian Country’ at a colloquium for the Psychology Department and was awarded the Distinguished American Indian Alumnus award from the Psychology Department at Oklahoma State University to honor his achievements and contributions to American Indian communities across the state of Oklahoma.
Dr. B.J. Boyd III is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and is an alumnus of Oklahoma State University’s Clinical Psychology doctoral program, graduating with his PhD in clinical psychology in 2003. Following completion of his doctoral degree, he pursued a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychopharmacology at Alliant International University, graduating in 2008. He served as a clinical psychologist and the Director of Behavioral Health for the Cherokee Nation from 2003 until 2015, administering mental health and substance abuse programs and providing direct psychological services including diagnostic assessments, individual psychotherapy, and family therapy. Currently, Dr. Boyd serves as the Senior Psychologist for the Chickasaw Nation.
During his presentation, Dr. Boyd discussed the importance of being involved in the American Indian community as a clinical psychologist in Indian country, and how this can allow for improved rapport, increased referrals, and overall improved outcomes for both psychologists and the communities with which they are involved. Further, Dr. Boyd emphasized the importance of preventative care and making it more readily available to American Indian communities. He sees the need for a dramatic shift from crisis-oriented to prevention-oriented behavioral and medical health care delivery to better serve Indian Country. Dr. Boyd closed his presentation by saying, “When you’re spending all of your time putting out fires, you can’t tend to the forest.”