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Department of Psychology

College of Arts and Sciences

Welcome to the Department of Psychology!

The Psychology program at ISU encourages a spirit of active inquiry and critical thinking, life-long learning and development and social responsibility. The curriculum is based on the premise that any student of psychology, regardless of program goals, should be well-informed about basic principles of behavior. The undergraduate degree in psychology prepares students for graduate studies in psychology and related fields as well as employment in a variety of settings including health services, research, government and business.

Degree Programs

The Department of Psychology offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. Our graduate programs include a Master's (M.A./M.S.) in General Psychology and a Doctoral program (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology.

We also have a Psychology Clinic that provides services to students and members of the Terre Haute community.

Mission statement:

The Department of Psychology assists students to achieve their personal and professional potential through training in scientific methods and discipline-specific knowledge, promoting a spirit of active inquiry and critical thought, and fostering a sense of social responsibility.

Psychology Faculty Spotlight: Rachel Rasley

Rachel Rasley, M.A., graduated from Indiana State University’s Experimental Psychology Master’s Program in 2012 after getting her B.A. in Psychology in 2007. Her thesis research focused on jealousy in romantic relationships from an evolutionary perspective; specifically, it addressed the methodological issue of arousal in physiological studies of jealousy. It was in grad school that Ms. Rasley first taught psychology courses and fell in love with teaching. She stayed in the department after graduating, first working as an adjunct and then accepting a full-time Instructor position. She now works as an instructor and as the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Psychology, which allows her to combine her passion for psychology with her passions for teaching, working with students, and giving students the best possible experience in the psychology major. Off campus, she enjoys spending time with her three creepy children (pictured above) and playing music with her husband.

Photo of Rachel Rasley

Psychology Alumni Spotlight: Raymond Bolk

Raymond Bolk, M.S., is a staff counselor at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology via MINDful College Connections. Raymond has a B.S. in Psychology from Indiana State University and is a recent graduate of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Indiana State. Raymond has over a years’ worth of experience in the clinic setting working with individuals, groups, and families addressing a variety of concerns. Raymond works from a REBT perspective in which the client is seen as having the ability to challenge distorted thoughts and develop healthier ways of thinking. Raymond believes that this process of challenging negative thoughts to create newer, more effective beliefs, can help clients to become more positive and self-sufficient in their lives. Raymond has experience working at Ivy Tech Community College and Indiana State University, where he developed an understanding of the unique needs of college students, and he also developed experience in working with college students during his internship training at Rose-Hulman. These experiences, combined with his background in direct support in the mental health community, led to his interest in working in a college setting. In his free time, Raymond enjoys traveling, working out, playing games, spending time with friends and family, and reading.

Raymond Bolk

Psychology Graduate Student Spotlight: Maham Ahmed

Maham Ahmed is currently in her second year of the PsyD Clinical Psychology program at Indiana State.  She chose ISU for graduate school because it offered tuition remission, which is unusual among PsyD programs, and because she would be able to focus on her primary research and clinical interests in the areas of schizophrenia, cultural factors that contribute to psychopathology, and assessment.  Maham participates in Dr. Bolinskey’s research lab, where she is able to participate in many different research projects, and she is excited to pursue her own research related to schizophrenia, schizoid personality, and schizotypal personality.  Maham’s long-term career goals are to own  a private practice and work with diverse and marginalized communities.  She is originally from Lahore, Pakistan and grew up primarily in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Maham speaks both Urdu and English and enjoys time with her cat, Cooky.

Maham Ahmed

Psychology Undergraduate Student Spotlight: Emma Crowe

Emma Crowe is a psychology major at Indiana State, with minors in counseling and human development and family science.  She is from Greencastle, Indiana and likes attending college close to home.  Emma chose the field of psychology because she is particularly interested in how humans interact with others and how personality develops over time.  She enjoyed gaining hands-on-experience in Dr. Maldonado’s research lab, where she assisted a graduate student doing research on musical training and cognitive load.  She plans to attend graduate school in clinical mental health counseling and wants to make a difference for people who need mental health treatment.

Emma Crowe