Alumni Honorees

Bieschke, Kathleen J.

2010 Alumna of the Year

Kathleen J. Bieschke received her bachelor's degree in psychology in 1982 and a master's degree in clinical psychology in 1985 from Illinois State. She completed a doctoral degree in counseling psychology in 1991 from Michigan State University.

Dr. Bieschke is a professor of counseling psychology and the Coordinator of the CEDAR Clinic at Pennsylvania State University. According to its website, the CEDAR Clinic provides vocational, personal, and educational counseling to students and "supervised clinical training to counselor education master's students and counselor education and counseling psychology doctoral students." She is an active participant in the Center for Collegiate Mental Health and is particularly interested in sexual and gender minority clients.

Dr. Bieschke is also interested in the education and training of professional psychologists. She is associate editor for Training and Education in Professional Psychology, and a member of the American Psychological Association's Commission Accreditation. According to Dr. Bieschke's curriculum vita, she has more than 100 papers and presentations at state, regional, national, and international associations. She is the co-author of the Handbook of counseling and psychotherapy with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender clients and she has almost 40 publications in journals, including The Counseling Psychologist, Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Journal of Counseling Psychology, and the Journal of College Student Development.

Dr. Bieschke is married to Daryl Gregory, a published novelist, comic book writer, and part-time web programmer. They have two children Emma and Ian. The family resides in State College, Penn

Bridges, Ana

2011 Early Career Award

Ana Bridges received her master's degree in clinical psychology in 2001 from Illinois State and her doctorate in clinical psychology in 2007 from the University of Rhode Island. Ana is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology's Clinical Training Program at the University of Arkansas. According to her Arkansas faculty website, her research "comprise three broad areas: pornography's effects on relationship satisfaction, Latino mental heath and service utilization, and improved clinical decision-making through improved assessment methodology."

Dr. Bridges runs the Interpersonal Systems Laboratory. She and Dr. Timothy Cavell received a large grant to train doctoral students in clinical psychology in "integrated behavioral health care for medically underserved populations.

Coane, Jennifer

2015 Early Career Award

Dr. Jennifer Coane earned her B. A. in psychology from Illinois State University in 2001 and her M. S. in psychology (Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences) in 2004. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Her research interests include false memory, semantic memory, and cognitive aging. Coane is an author and co-author of 19 peer-reviewed publications and a book chapter. She is also a recipient of a $600,000 Scholar Award in Understanding Human Cognition from the James S. McDonnell Foundation to research the integration of new information into pre-existing knowledge.

Coovert, Michael

2012 Alumnus of the Year

Michael Coovert received his M.S. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Illinois State in 1981. He obtained his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, where he studied topics such as artificial intelligence and structural equation modeling. Since completing his Ph.D., Coovert had conducted important research on a wide variety of workplace issues, including stress and health at work. He has authored or edited three books and 25 book chapters as well as having many journal articles published. From 1998-2001, Coovert served as Associate Chair for the Department of Psychology at the University of South Florida, in Tampa, Fla., where he also teaches and founded the Institute for Human Performance, Decision Making and Cybernetics.

Coovert has received many awards in his career, with the most recent being the Presidential Excellence Award from the University of South Florida. He is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and the American Psychological Association. Coovert is also a Trustee for the Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology.

Criss, Michael

2009 Early Career Award

Dr. Michael Criss earned his bachelor's degree in psychology in 1994 and a master's degree in developmental psychology in 1996 from Illinois State. He then went on to earn a doctorate degree in human development and family studies from Auburn University, Auburn, Ala.

Dr. Criss is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla. His teaching assignments include Lifespan Human Development Parenting, and Adolescent Development in Family Contexts, Developmental Contexts of Normative Behavior Problems, and Advanced Research Methods in HDFS. His research interests include parenting, children's relationships with parents, siblings, and peers, antecedents of antisocial behavior, and child resilience.

Cruise, Tracy

2006 Early Career Award

Tracy Cruise received her bachelor's degree in 1991 from Southwest Missouri State University, and her master's degree in clinical psychology in 1994 and her Ph.D. in school psychology in 1998 from Illinois State University. Tracy distinguished herself in both her graduate programs in the classroom, her clinical work, and in her research and writing. She was also a class leader and a favorite with her classmates and faculty alike.

Dr. Cruise is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Western Illinois University in Macomb. She is affiliated with both the school and clinical psychology graduate programs, reflecting the academic roots of her graduate training.

Dr. Cruise has continued her writing and research in the area of child sexual abuse, authoring or co-authoring a number of refereed journal articles. Tracy co-authored a book with her Illinois State faculty mentor, Dr. Connie Horton, Child Abuse and Neglect: The School's Response, which was published by Guilford Publication. Also, in the area of child abuse and neglect, Dr. Cruise has authored or co-authored a number of book chapters, encyclopedia entries, and applied handouts for use by school psychologists who are working with teachers and parents. She has presented over 50 papers at national and state conferences.

Dr. Cruise has also developed a research interest in supervision issues. Tracy has been a leader in the planning of and serving as a trainer for the annual statewide workshops on effective supervisory practices for school psychology internship supervisors.

Dr. Cruise is the first graduate of our doctoral program in School Psychology who has been promoted from assistant to associate professor and received tenure. Dr. Cruise's colleagues credit our department for educating such an effective and valued teacher, scholar, and department colleague. We take great pride in graduates like Tracy Cruise and our department is better because of them.

Dornback, Fred

2005 Alumnus of the Year

Fred Dornback received his B. S. in 1962 and his M. S. in psychology/counseling in 1964 from Illinois State. His career in school psychology spanned over 40 years, both as a practitioner and administrator. Fred's career has been distinguished by the innovativeness of his work and his consistent mentoring of young professionals.

Fred was selected as one of six school psychologists to participate in the first National Department Education Act (NDEA) Institute. Two years later, Fred was chosen as one of 30 nationwide to attend the first NDEA Institute for only school psychologists. On a national level, Fred was one of the original founders of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). He created the organization's logo, which is still used today. Fred served as the first Regional Director for the local area and as the fourth NASP President (1973-74). He was also an Illinois State Board of Education Due Process Hearing Officer and assumed a leadership position. In addition, Fred's long career included supervising and mentoring school psychology interns from Illinois State.

Since his retirement from service in the public schools, Fred has become a Red Cross Disaster Mental Health worker, has run workshops for seniors in his community, and has served as a founding member of the Board of Directors and Board Secretary for the Living Well Cancer Resource Center. A dedicated supporter of Illinois State, Fred and his wife Mary, also an Illinois State alumnus, currently reside in the Chicago area.

England, Christy

2017 Alumnus of the Year - Lifetime Achievement

Dr. Christy England received her degrees from Illinois State University (B.S. Psychology 1994, M.S. Experimental Psychology 2000, Ph.D. Higher Education Administration 2006). She is the proud mother of Miranda, a precocious third grader. Currently, Dr. England is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Research and Policy at the State University System of Florida. She has worked for state and system higher education entities in Illinois, Washington, and New York.

Fienup, Daniel

2018 Alumnus of the Year

Daniel M. Fienup is an Associate Professor of Applied Behavior Analysis at Teachers College, Columbia University. He received his Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis from Southern Illinois University and his Ph.D. in School Psychology from Illinois State University. Dr. Fienup and his students conduct research on instructional design and educational performance. With college students, the lab investigates the translation of basic learning principles to instructional design. With individuals with disabilities, the lab investigates skill acquisition programming and how to tailor instructional methods to learner needs. Dr. Fienup has published numerous articles in behavior analytic journals such as the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and the Journal of Behavioral Education, where he also serves the role of guest Associate Editor and Editorial Board member. He also serves on the editorial board for Behavior Analysis in Practice, Perspectives on Behavioral Science, Psychological Record, and Behavior Development. He serves on the Licensed Behavior Analyst New York state board and is a past board member of the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis.

Gentry, Joseph

2013 Early Career Award

Joseph Gentry, Ph.D., BCBA-D, received his B.S. in Psychology and his Ph.D. in School Psychology from Illinois State University. After completing his fellowships in Boston Mass., he moved to Phoenix Arizona to be the Director of School Consultation Services for a local non-profit agency. He and his wife, Sarah, then opened their own agency where, for the past 5 years, they have specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Dr. Gentry provides expert witnessing services to local and state courts and is also currently part of a team of professionals who are opening the very first Autism specific tuition-free Charter School in the Southwest United States.

Hagglund, Kristofer

2008 Alumnus of the Year

Kristofer Hagglund received his B. A. in 1984 from Illinois State and his Ph.D. in Clinical (Medical) Psychology from the University of Alabama-Birmingham in 1990. Dr. Hagglund is the Associate Dean of the School of Health Professions at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he co-directs the Center for Health Policy, a research and policy-analysis organization committed to improving health care. He oversees projects funded by the Missouri Foundation for Health and the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City to increase health literacy, reduce health care disparities, and expand health-equity collaboration.

Kristofer and his wife, Lori, have been married for 27 years and live in Columbia, MO. In their spare time, they maintain a yard (attributed mostly to his wife) that has been certified as a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. They have one daughter, Lindsey, who is married to husband Cory; they also live in Columbia.

Several accomplishments are notable in Dr. Hagglund's distinguished alumnus. He has authored over 50 peer reviewed publications, served as principal/co-investigator for over 25 grants/contracts, given over 40 invited presentations at national and state conferences, and co-edited a book in 2006, Handbook of Applied Disability and Rehabilitation Research, New York: Springer Publishing. Dr. Hagglund's research focus is on health policy. In addition to addressing programmatic and policy initiatives to improve health literacy and racial/ethnic health policy, Dr. Hagglund and his colleagues are currently evaluating access and quality of health care under the Missouri Medicaid program.

House, J. Daniel

2009 Alumnus of the Year

J. Daniel House received his bachelor's degree in psychology in 1978, and a master's degree in experimental psychology in 1980 from Illinois State. He completed a doctorate degree at the University of Iowa (Iowa City) in 1985 in educational psychology with a focus on instructional technology and measurement statistics. Since 1987, Dr. House has been on staff at Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, Ill.) in the Office of Institutional Research. In 1994, Dr. House was promoted to Director of Institutional Research, a position he currently holds. He has been an adjunct professor in the Department of Educational Technology, and for several summers managed to find time to teach workshops in advanced statistical methods for higher education at UCLA.

Dan has been prolific in the field of scholarly productivity. His vita lists over 75 papers and presentations to regional, state, national, and international organizations. Over 125 publications have appeared in reputable journals including Education, Journal of School Psychology, Psychological Reports, Journal of Genetic Psychology, Educational and Psychological Measurement, Journal of College Student Development, and several others.

Notable is that Dan is originally from Normal and is a graduate of Metcalf Laboratory School and Normal Community High School. During his time at Illinois State, he was a high jumper and a member of Illinois State's men's track team. Dan currently resides in DeKalb, Ill. with his wife Cathy. They have two children: Lindsay and Joe.

Hughes, Jamie

2014 Early Career Award

Dr. Jamie S. Hughes earned her M.S. in Psychology from Illinois State University in 2006 and her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from New Mexico State University in 2010. She is currently an assistant professor at University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

Dr. Hughes' research interests include moral psychology and person perception. She has published a number of papers on attributions about intentional moral action.

Johnson, James

2006 Alumnus of the Year

Dr. James Johnson (or Dr. J as he is affectionately known to his students) was honored for a teaching career that has spanned over 40 years. Dr. Johnson received his bachelor's degree in psychology from Washington University in St. Louis in 1961, his master's degree in school psychology and counseling in 1964 from Illinois State, and his doctorate degree in counselor education, educational psychology, and higher education, in 1955 from Northwestern University. After he earned his master's degree, Dr. Johnson worked as a Psychometrician for the Bloomington Public Schools and the Illinois Gifted Children's Project before starting his doctoral studies.

Dr. Johnson was hired as assistant professor of psychology in 1966 at Illinois State. He enjoyed the work so much that he taught for 36 years before retiring in 2002. However despite retiring, he continues to teach the department's Fundamentals of Psychology course. Over his career, Dr. Johnson has received many awards. One in particular was the award for Outstanding Contributions to the Illinois Psychological Association (IPA). This award recognized Dr. Johnson's 17-year tenure as editor of the Illinois Psychologist (the official newsletter of the IPA. He also served as an IPA Council Representative, and Chair of both the Academic and School Sections of the IPA.

In his role as teacher/professor and as a fan of Redbird Athletics, Jim has contributed to the University in many different ways. He has served as a tutor at the Athletic Study Center and has touched the lives and academic careers of many of Illinois State's athletes. Jim was recently honored as the recipient of the prestigious Stretch Miller Award, presented by the Athletic Department for outstanding contributions to Illinois State's Intercollegiate Athletic Program.

Further evidence of his impact on students included the Herb Sanders Award for Outstanding Academic Advisement in 2002. This award recognized Dr. Johnson's service as our department's Honors Coordinator for 15 years and as an advisor to the Student Psychology Association (SPA), Psi Chi (the national honor society for psychology), and as the faculty advisor to the Golden Key International Honor Society. During his teaching career, Jim was recognized a record six times as the SPA Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year. In 1999, Golden Key recognized Jim as the Advisor of the Year for this region.

Kaiser, Robert

2018 Alumnus of the Year - Lifetime Achievement

Robert (Rob) Kaiser received both his BA (1994) and MA (1998) degrees in Psychology from ISU. Rob is an internationally recognized authority on leadership and executive coaching at Kaplan DeVries Inc., Editor-in-Chief of Consulting Psychology Journal, and is a consultant to Fortune 50 companies. Rob has authored books on leadership assessment, selection, and development, including Executive Selection, *Filling the Leadership Pipeline, The Versatile Leader and Fear Your Strengths.

LeBreton, James

2005 Early Career Award

James LeBreton received his B. S. in 1995 and his master's degree in industrial/organization psychology in 1997 from Illinois State, and his doctorate degree in industrial/organizational psychology from the University of Tennessee in 2002. He is an assistant professor at Wayne State University, In 2006, he will join the faculty at Purdue University, as an associate professor.

In his relatively short academic career, Dr. LeBreton has generated an impressive research vitae. He has published several journal articles and book chapters, presented and chaired conference symposia, and consulted on a variety of federal grant projects. His interests in research methodology and personality psychology combine to fuel cutting-edge research on conditional reasoning methods for assessing aggressive and antisocial counterproductive work styles.

A Normal, Ill. native, James credits the Honors section of Introduction to Psychology taught by Dr. Macon Williams (professor emeritus of psychology) as a profound influence on the course of his education and career. James met his wife Beth (Gerace) LeBreton, counseling psychology, M. S., 1997, while they were in graduate school at Illinois State. James and Beth are the proud parents of a one-year old daughter, Maggie.

Lohman, Brenda J.

2007 Early Career Award

Brenda Lohman earned her bachelor's degree from Augustana College in 1994, her master's degree in developmental psychology in 1996 from Illinois State, and her doctorate degree in human development and family science from The Ohio State University in 2000. Dr. Lohman is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Iowa State University. Brenda was chosen for the early career achievement award because she has amassed a strong scholarship record and was able to obtain a competitive position at a Research 1 University.

Dr. Lohman has secured over seven million dollars in external grant funding for her research in human development. Her research interests include adolescent coping and conflict resolution, family-school connections, urban poverty and adolescent well-being, and child and family policy. She has won numerous awards including Iowa State's VIESHA Outstanding Faculty Award in 2004, and the Society for Research on Adolescence Social Policy Award for Best Journal Article in 2004. She currently has more than 14 journal articles in print including two articles in the nationally-recognized Science journal. Dr. Lohman has presented over 40 papers at national and state conferences.

Miller, Steven

2012 Early Career Award

Steven Miller received his M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Illinois State in 2000, where he did his thesis under the direction of Dr. Sam Catanzaro. After graduating from Illinois State, Miller attended Loyola University in Chicago, Ill., where he received an M.S. in Probability and Statistics and his Ph.D. in Social Psychology. He is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at Argosy University in Chicago.

Thus far in his career, Miller has 20 peer-reviewed publications, given many conference presentations, and was the recipient of several research grants. In 2011, he received the Emerging Scholar Award from Argosy University. Miller has contributed greatly to promoting excellence in quantitative methods applied to psychological Science, through teaching, statistical consultation efforts, and the supervision of numerous graduate students.

Morrison-Rossi, Diane

2001 Alumnus of the Year

Dr. Diane Morrison-Rossi is a 1982 graduate of our Master’s program in school psychology and she earned her Ph.D. in School Psychology from Loyola University Chicago. She is a former school psychologist and administrator of school psychological services with the LaGrange Area Department of Special Education (LADSE) and Director of Support Services for the Northern Suburban Special Education District (NSSED). Dr. Morrison-Rossi was a leader in efforts to implement the alternative service delivery system, the Flexible Service Delivery System, in Illinois leading efforts to mandate this organizational framework for providing intervention services to struggling students as part of general education.

Based on her work in Illinois, she became a national leader in implementing what later became known as Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). She has served on several committees for the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) including the Blueprint Committee that published its third edition of School Psychology: A Blueprint for Training and Practice.

Olley, Rivka

2014 Alumnus of the Year

Dr. Rivka I. Olley received her B.A. in psychology from Hunter College of the City University of New York, her M.A. in school psychology from Illinois State University, and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Michigan State University. She is the Supervisor of Psychological Services for Baltimore City Public Schools, supervising 146 school psychologist and six specialist and pre-doctoral school psychology interns.

Dr. Olley has been a strong advocate for the field of school psychology serving in numerous leadership positions in Vermont and Maryland and at the national level within NASP, including presenting to the Joint Commission on Education in Congress. She is currently Chair of the Communications Matters work group for NASP.

Dr. Olley has served as a practitioner reviewer for several NASP publications and has written for state publications and the Communique. Currently she is involved in a large scale project changing services for pre-K and kindergarten students which resulted in a 50% reduction in inappropriate referrals to special education and a 35% reduction in suspension of students in its first year.

Olson, Michael

2010 Early Career Award

Michael Olson received his bachelor's degree in psychology in 1997 from Illinois State, and his doctorate degree in social psychology in 2003 from Indiana University-Bloomington. He joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee in 2004 as an assistant professor and was promoted in 2010 as an associate professor. His primary research has focused on "the overlapping areas of attitude formation and change, implicit social cognition, racial prejudice, and intergroup relations." He is a Fellow of the Society for Experimental Social Psychology, associate editor of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Dr. Olson has developed an international reputation in social psychological research. He has distinguished himself as one of the preeminent researchers in the scientific study of attitudes. Michael Olson's career accomplishments are emblematic of the high quality education that Illinois State undergraduate students receive in the scientific study of psychology. He represents the realization of what Illinois State-trained students are capable of accomplishing.

Dr. Olson resides with his wife Suzanne, and their two children, Max and Emi, in the Fountain City area of Knoxville, Tenn.

Peterson, Nancy Metzler

2011 Alumna of the Year

Nancy Metzler Peterson received her master's degree in school psychology in 1976 from Illinois State. Nancy's distinguished career is characterized by service, innovation, and relationships. Her work as a school psychologists in the Chicago school district and special education cooperatives spans more tan 30 years. Her contributions the field of school psychology are too numerous to count. She has left a lasting impression through her leadership roles in organizations, by supervising and educating interns, and mentoring future leaders in school psychology.

Nancy was instrumental in founding the Illinois School Psychologist Association (ISPA) and has served as president of that organization as well as chair of numerous committees. For her efforts, she has been recognized by ISPA with their Presidential Award. On a national level, Nancy has been recognized twice with the National Association of School Psychologists/ prestigious Presidential Award. Professionally, colleagues have characterized Nancy as "dedicated to the profession," "a talented leader," and "irreplaceable." Nancy has recently retired and enjoys traveling with her husband Rich.

Raymark, Patrick

2013 Alumnus of the Year

Dr. Patrick Raymark received an M.S. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Illinois State University and a Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University. He is a Professor and the Chair of the Department of Psychology at Clemson University, where he manages a department of 27 faculty, 700 undergraduate majors, and 40 doctoral students. He has published research on the validity of integrity tests, on the assessment of personality for employment purposes, and on factors influencing the judgment process within the employment interview.

Reed, Derek

2016 Early Career Award

Dr. Derek Reed is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science at the University of Kansas where he directs the Applied Behavioral Economics Laboratory. Derek received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Illinois State University and his Masters and Ph.D. in School Psychology from Syracuse University. Derek's research translates the behavioral economics of substance use disorders to novel areas of behavioral addiction, such as texting-and-driving and indoor-tanning.

Reese Weber, Marla

2015 Alumna of the Year

Dr. Marla Reese-Weber earned her B. S. in psychology from Illinois State University in 1992 and her M. S. in psychology (Clinical) in 1995. She is currently a Professor of Psychology and the Associate Dean for Personnel, Budget, and Planning in the College of Arts and Sciences at Illinois State. Her research examines romantic and sexual relationships during the developmental period of emerging adulthood. In particular, her research seeks to determine how relationship milestones relate to the initiation of dating violence. Reese-Weber’s second area of research examines predictors of sexual assault during emerging adulthood including a history of childhood sexual abuse.

Robinson, Greg

2000 Alumnus of the Year

Greg Robinson, our first Psychology Alumnus of the year. He was a 1980 graduate of our school psychology Master’s program and his award was presented in 2000. Dr. Robinson received his Master of Science in School Psychology degree from Illinois State University in 1980 and his Doctor of Philosophy in educational administration at Iowa State University. He is a former school psychologist and a special education teacher. Dr. Robinson was also a former consultant with the Bureau of Special Education of the Iowa Department of Education. He was a coordinating member of the Bureau’s Core committee that facilitated the design and implementation of the Renewed Service Delivery System (RSDS), Iowa’s approach to serving students with special needs in an alternative manner.

Prior to completing a three-year stint at Iowa State University in 2016, as a clinical professor in the Education Administration Program, Greg Robinson retired in 2010 from the Urbandale Community School District, where he had the opportunity to be the Superintendent of Schools for nine years. Prior to that, he was the Associate Superintendent for two years and an elementary principal for eight years also with Urbandale. Dr. Robinson was the recipient of several past awards/recognitions, including the 1998 Iowa Elementary Principal of the Year as well as being recognized by the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the United States Department of Education as a Nationally Distinguished Principal.

Schmitt, Ara

2008 Early Career Award

Ara Schmitt received his doctorate degree in School Psychology from Illinois State in 2001. He completed his post-doctoral residency at Phoenix Children's Hospital with Dr. David Wodrich, his mentor. Dr. Schmitt is an assistant professor of school psychology at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Penn. His notable accomplishments include co-authorship of a Guilford School Practitioner Series book entitled Patterns of Learning Disorders: Working Systematically from Assessment to Intervention. Dr. Schmitt has also published in top school psychology and neuropsychology journals, and has over 15 presentations at national and state conferences.

Dr. Schmitt's research interests include the assessment of empirically-validated interventions for learning disorders, and the manifestations of chronic illness and traumatic brain injuries. Based upon these research interests and his career accomplishments, Dr. Schmitt was selected to participate as an early career scholar in the School Psychology Collaboration Conference sponsored by the Society for the Study of School Psychology in March 2007. Dr. Schmitt has also become actively involved with professional service on the editorial board of the School Psychologist, the newsletter of the APA Division of School Psychology. He has also served as an ad hoc reviewer for Educational Measurement: Issues and Practices.