Professor Mike Reich, CHAIR
Iowa State University, PhD (1973)
Iowa State University, MS
St. Mary's College (MN), BA
Dr. Reich was a full-time member of the psychology department from 1985 to 1990 (including being department chair from 1989 to 1990). After having spent several years as Associate Provost, in 1999 Mike returned to a full-time teaching slot as our department's experimental physiological psychologist. Some of Dr. Reich's current course offerings include: General Psychology, Research Methods, Behavioral Statistics, and Physiological Psychology. Mike has also expressed an interest in developing an advanced research methods course. Mike currently serves as the department's physiological expert and teaches courses in General Psychology and Physiological Psychology. Mike is also a faculty coadvisor for Psi Chi, the national honor society in psychology.
michael.j.reich@uwrf.edu

Assistant Professor Melanie Ayres
University of California Santa Cruz, PhD (2008)
University of California Santa Cruz, MS
University of Oregon, BS
Melanie is a developmental psychologist who teaches courses in Child and Adolescent Development, Adult Development and Aging, Psychology of Gender, General Psychology, and Research Methods. Her research is broadly focused on gender development. In specific, she has conducted research examining adolescent girls’ and college women’s experiences of and responses to sexism, gender differences in men’s and women’s communication, and parent-child conversations about discrimination. Most recently, Melanie implemented a research study that investigated the experiences of “simultaneous oppressions” using an intersectional theoretical approach to issues of gender, race, and class. She also examined how parents and peers influenced adolescents’ developing understanding of discrimination and coping strategies. Melanie is also interested in factors that instigate and influence youth’s continued involvement in activism. She is also affiliated with the Women’s Studies program.
melanie.ayres@uwrf.edu

Associate Professor Lisa Isenberg
University of Minnesota, PhD (1992)
Gustavus Adolphus College, BA
Due to her specialized graduate and undergraduate training, Lisa serves as the department's cognitive and quantitative psychologist. Courses that Lisa teaches include: General Psychology, Research Methods, Behavioral Statistics, Sensation & Perception, and Memory & Thinking. Lisa's research interests involve visual perception and the interdependencies of vision and attention. She is also interested in applications of vision research to the challenges of the visually impaired. Lisa has coauthored publications in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance and in Investigative Opthalmology and Visual Science. In addition, she has served as an ad hoc reviewer for JEP:HPP. Lisa is the faculty coadvisor for Psi Chi, the national honor society in psychology and the Psychology Associates Program. Lisa also supervises student research projects, many of which are presented at regional undergraduate research conferences.
lisa.m.isenberg@uwrf.edu

Professor Cyndi Kernahan
University of Missouri - Columbia, PhD (1999)
University of Missouri - Columbia, MS
University of Central Oklahoma, BS
Serving as the department's specialist in social psychology, Dr. Kernahan teaches Social Psychology and the History of Psychology. In addition, she also specializes in the area of race and prejudice, regularly teaching the Psychology of Prejudice and Racism as well as an Introduction to Ethnic Studies course. Dr. Kernahan serves as the Program Coordinator for the Ethnic Studies Minor and her research interests are focused on how students learn best, especially with respect to courses on race and ethnicity. Dr. Kernahan regularly collaborates with students as well as other faculty on research projects, publishing and presenting this work often. Dr. Kernahan was recently honored with the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Faculty Scholarship Award for 2006 as well as with the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award for 2008.
cynthia.kernahan@uwrf.edu

Professor Daniel Linwick
University of Minnesota, PhD (1988)
Western Washington University, MS
Western Washington University, BA
Daniel is an experimental psychologist who teaches General Psychology, Research Methods, Behavior Modification, Learning and Motivation, and Animal Behavior. Daniel maintains a conditioning laboratory that is equipped with a MED Associates interface and several operant chambers. This lab is used in our learning and motivation course to acquaint students with technology that is essential for the investigation of basic psychological processes. It is also used to provide students the opportunity to conduct independent research involving animals. In past years, many undergraduates have performed experiments under Dr. Linwick's supervision and several have gone on to present their findings at undergraduate research conferences. Photos of the lab are available on Daniel's home page, which can be accessed by clicking here. Daniel's research interests focus on three areas: (1) the interaction of classical conditioning and instrumental learning, (2) representational processes in animals, and (3) models of reinforcement value. Dr. Linwick was named an Outstanding Faculty Member in the College of Arts and Sciences for 1999/2000.
daniel.c.linwick@uwrf.edu

Professor Richard Seefeldt
Northern Arizona University, EdD (1984)
Northern Arizona University, MA
University of Wisconsin - River Falls, BS
Rik is a counseling psychologist who teaches courses in General, Abnormal, Personality, and Clinical Psychology. His research interests have focused on addictive behaviors, social cognitive aspects of evaluation and relationships, and the history of madness. Rik is also very involved in study abroad programs. He has taught two semesters in Scotland, is currently a group leader / coordinator of the International Traveling Classroom program, and has developed a summer class in London focusing on areas of scholarship in the UK. Rik has received the the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award in both 1998 and 2009.
richard.seefeldt@uwrf.edu

Associate Professor Travis Tubré
Texas A&M University, PhD (2000)
Texas A&M University, MS
University of Southwestern Louisiana, BS
Travis is an industrial/organizational (I/O) psychologist who teaches General Psychology, Psychological Measurement, I/O Psychology, and Research Methods. He is an active researcher, conducting collaborative research with students and publishing regularly. Travis has presented invited addresses at such locations as the Minnesota Science Museum and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He advises a number of student organizations, including the Psychology Society and UWRF Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse. Travis also provides I/O consulting services to public- and private-sector organizations. Travis has received a number of awards, including College of Arts and Sciences awards for Outstanding Advisor (2003) and Outstanding Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity (2005). In 2006, Travis was named the Outstanding Faculty Mentor for the UWRF McNair Scholars Program. Most recently, he was honored as a 2008 College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teacher, the 2008 UW-River Falls Distinguished Teacher, and the 2009 UW-River Falls Outstanding Advisor.
travis.tubre@uwrf.edu

Assistant Professor Todd Wilkinson
University of Minnesota, PhD (2006)
University of Minnesota, MA
Macalester College, BA
Todd serves as the department specialist for health psychology and teaches courses in Health Psychology, Psychology of Adjustment, Sport Psychology, General Psychology and Research Methods. His research interests include topics related to health and sport psychology and currently include studies examining athletics as both a protective and risk factor for health behaviors and the relationship between personality and gambling. Todd’s program of research involves student collaboration and provides opportunities for presentation at conferences. He also provides sport psychology consulting to teams, coaches and athletes.
todd.wilkinson@uwrf.edu

Emeriti Faculty

Professor Donald Charpentier
University of Minnesota, PhD (1972)
George Peabody College, EdD
Ohio University, MA
Hope College, BA
A long-time UWRF psychology department faculty member, (contributions to UWRF span 5 decades---from the 1960s to the 2000s), Don is best remembered for teaching Social Psychology, Individual and Group Processes, Personality, and our senior History and Systems of Psychology course. In retirement Don keeps busy with family, travel, and gardening.

Charles Stewart
University of Minnesota, MA (1966)
University of Wisconsin - River Falls, BA
A former chair, and 30-year member of the department, Chuck's is now retired. In retirement Chuck continues his love of travel and a fine pint of brew (sometimes homemade). During his time as chair, the department made numerous significant technological improvements and is now able to offer students up-to-date computer and laboratory experiences.