April 26, 2024

UMW Psychology Grad Speaks About Veteran Mental Health

September 22, 2022 by
Robyn Shepardson ’05, a clinical psychologist and researcher at the Department of Veterans Affairs, is this year’s psychology graduate-in-residence.

Robyn Shepardson ’05, a clinical psychologist and researcher at the Department of Veterans Affairs, is this year’s psychology graduate-in-residence.

Robyn Shepardson wants more mental health care to be available for veterans.

“They’ve experienced horrors of war that civilians cannot imagine,” said Shepardson, who earned a degree in psychology from the University of Mary Washington in 2005. “As a society, we owe it to those who have served to take good care of them when they leave the military.”

She hoped to impart her message – that integrating mental health into primary care settings is key to increasing access to service for veterans affected by repeated deployments, combat or traumatic brain injuries – during a recent visit to UMW.

This year’s psychology graduate-in-residence, Shepardson delivered a lecture titled “Increasing Access to Mental Health Treatment: Clinical Research Evaluating a Brief Anxiety Intervention for Primary Care Behavioral Health Settings.” The free public presentation took place in the Hurley Convergence Center Digital Auditorium on Thursday, Sept. 15. Read more.

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Liss Study Featured in USA News Hub

April 6, 2022 by
Professor of Psychological Science Miriam Liss

Professor of Psychological Science Miriam Liss

Professor of Psychological Science Miriam Liss had a study featured in an article on USA News Hub, entitled, “Are you anxious, introverted or just a ‘highly sensitive person’?”

One study from the University of Mary Washington in the U.S. examined people’s relationships with their parents and their current mental health. It found that high sensitivity significantly increased the chances of developing depression for those who had grown up with poor parental care. For people in loving homes, however, high sensitivity had no effect at all. Read more. 
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Rettinger Comments on Decrease in Cheating in Online Courses

February 1, 2022 by
Professor of Psychological Science and Director of Academic Integrity Programs David Rettinger

Professor of Psychological Science and Director of Academic Integrity Programs David Rettinger

Professor of Psychological Science David Rettinger, director of Academic Integrity Programs at UMW, was interviewed for a CampusTechnology.com article, “Cheating Concerns in Online Courses Have Eased.”

“The actual belief that their peers are cheating is one of the most important predictors of academic dishonesty,” added David Rettinger, director of academic programs at the University of Mary Washington and president emeritus of the International Center for Academic Integrity. “Being surrounded by cheaters has an almost contagious effect.” Read more. 

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Wilson Interviewed for Vox Article, “The School Shooting Generation Grows Up”

January 26, 2022 by
Associate Professor of Psychological Science Laura Wilson

Associate Professor of Psychological Science Laura Wilson

Associate Professor of Psychological Science Laura Wilson was recently interviewed for a Vox.com article, “The School Shooting Generation Grows Up,” about survivors of the early wave of school shootings in the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s.

Each survivor was trying to make sense of an experience with mass tragedy with a brain that was still developing. They’d spend years processing and reprocessing the trauma as they got older. Experts still don’t have a complete picture of the different ways that brain development can affect the processing of trauma. “As a field, we’re still figuring it out,” said Laura Wilson, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Mary Washington and editor of The Wiley Handbook of the Psychology of Mass Shootings.

Still, the field of psychology has come a long way in understanding how children and teenagers might experience post-traumatic stress. “Young people are in a lot of ways more resilient,” Wilson said, but they also have less life experience to help them make sense of violence, making them more susceptible to destabilizing shifts in their worldview. It might be harder for young people to feel safe again after experiencing a mass shooting. Read more.

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Rettinger Comments on Cheating for Inside Higher Ed Article

December 5, 2021 by
Professor of Psychological Science and Director of Academic Integrity Programs David Rettinger

Professor of Psychological Science and Director of Academic Integrity Programs David Rettinger

Professor of Psychological Science David Rettinger, who is director of Academic Integrity Programs at UMW, weighed in on an article in Inside Higher Ed entitled, “Shades of Gray on Student Cheating”:

When David Rettinger, president emeritus of the International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI), looked over the Student Voice data, he was drawn to the numbers that showed how much students realize certain actions would be considered cheating. “Some of [the unacceptable responses] are a little lighter for sure, but students generally would describe these behaviors as unacceptable,” says Rettinger, a professor of psychological science and director of academic integrity programs at the University of Mary Washington. “Their institutions talk about these things, and students know what they’re supposed to do, yet students cheat a fair bit.”

He can imagine a stressed-out student saying, “I know it’s unacceptable, mostly I don’t do it, but in this situation I’m going to do something I generally don’t believe in.” Read more.

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Rettinger discusses how colleges can contain cheating with Inside Higher Education

November 20, 2021 by
Professor of Psychological Science and Director of Academic Integrity Programs David Rettinger

Professor of Psychological Science and Director of Academic Integrity Programs David Rettinger

Professor of Psychological Science David Rettinger, director of Academic Integrity Programs at UMW, discussed how colleges can contain cheating with Inside Higher Education.

But cheaters are not the enemy, notes David Rettinger, president emeritus of the International Center for Academic Integrity. “Your data shows this as much as anything I’ve seen. Everyone has their price: stress, family pressure, time constraints. Everyone has a breaking point. Most students are able to reach that breaking point over the course of a semester,” says Rettinger, a professor of psychological science and director of academic integrity programs at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. Read more.

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Psychology Alum Shares Renowned Gift

September 22, 2021 by
Rachael Wonderlin ’11, a renowned dementia care consultant and author, returns to UMW as the 2021 Psychology Graduate-in-Residence.

Rachael Wonderlin ’11, a renowned dementia care consultant and author, returns to UMW as the 2021 Psychology Graduate-in-Residence.

Rachael Wonderlin ’11 spent hours as a teen volunteering at a skilled nursing facility. One day, a friend remarked she had a gift for working with older adults.

“I didn’t realize at the time that this was a skill,” said Wonderlin, who channeled her talents into a psychology degree from the University of Mary Washington and a master’s in gerontology.

Now a renowned dementia care consultant and author who has taught her trademarked technique to senior living communities worldwide, Wonderlin has been named the UMW Department of Psychology’s 2021 graduate-in-residence. Last Thursday, she presented a free, public lecture entitled “Everything You Need to Know About Dementia Caregiving Communication” in the Hurley Convergence Center at 4 p.m. Read more.

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Rettinger Discusses Grade Obsession, Cheating with Bakersfield.com

September 14, 2021 by
Professor of Psychological Science and Director of Academic Integrity Programs David Rettinger

Professor of Psychological Science and Director of Academic Integrity Programs David Rettinger

Professor of Psychological Science David Rettinger weighed in on a recent article on Bakersfield.com (California) on how focusing too much on grades can often lead to cheating.

It’s been a rough year for authentic learning. High school and college cheating levels are skyrocketing — or, at least, more professionals are looking for cheating and finding it. “I’ve seen 100-200% increases,” says psychology professor David Rettinger, who is director of academic integrity programs at the University of Mary Washington. “There are a lot more reports of student academic misconduct.”

This is not surprising. When students feel the odds are stacked against them, they do not respond with heartfelt engagement and honesty. “If students don’t think that it’s possible to learn something, or they think the situation is inherently unfair, they say, ‘Well, it’s not reasonable to expect me to do the work fairly because the situation is unfair,’” Rettinger says. Read more.

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Liss Interviewed by WalletHub.com on Women’s Equality

August 25, 2021 by
Professor of Psychological Science Miriam Liss

Professor of Psychological Science Miriam Liss

Professor of Psychological Science Miriam Liss was interviewed for a WalletHub.com article entitled “2021’s Best & Worst States for Women’s Equality.”

The US is currently ranked 87th globally when it comes to the gender gap in health and survival. What is driving this? What should be done to close this gap?

One factor driving this is the fact that health insurance and access to healthcare are contingent on employment. If we had a universal health care system, women who are not working or are underemployed would have better access to healthcare and better health outcomes. Women are much more likely than men to live in poverty and often must make tough choices about paying for healthcare and paying for other needs such as food or diapers for their children. Thus, their own healthcare and well-being often get sacrificed. Other policies that would help close the gap would be universal childcare because women often cannot seek preventative care because they do not have adequate childcare. Read more.

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Rettinger Discusses Contract Cheating on CBS News

August 1, 2021 by
Professor of Psychological Science and Director of Academic Integrity Programs David Rettinger

Professor of Psychological Science and Director of Academic Integrity Programs David Rettinger

Professor of Psychological Science David Rettinger, who oversees Academic Integrity Programs at UMW, was interviewed by CBS News about the rise of contract cheating at colleges and universities, which has resulted in a billion dollar cheating industry based in Kenya, where American students are paying African students to do homework, write essays and in some cases, even complete degrees for them. Watch here.

Cheating American College Students Are Paying Kenyans to Complete Schoolwork That Is So Good Some Contractors Are Asked to ‘Dumb Down’ Their Work (Atlanta Black Star)

As online education grows, the business of cheating is booming (Wink News; Texas News Today)

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