DISTINGUISHED FORMER FACULTY

DOUG WESSEL

Faculty Member 1985-2010
Professor of Psychology

Doug Wessel received his B.A. from Northwest College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Dakota. He is retired as faculty member from Black Hills State University but continues to teach the Psychology of Religion class every other fall semester. He is also retired from the clinical practice of psychology, which included time in a community mental health center and the private practice in a multi-specialty medical clinic. While a full-time professor at BHSU, he taught several other psychology classes, including Abnormal Psychology, History and Systems of Psychology, General Psychology, and Applied Psychology. He also served as instructor for graduate classes in counseling and psychology and as a clinical instructor for a medical school. His scholarly interests include the biological contributions to understanding religious experiences and the history of ideas.

THOMAS COX

Faculty Member 1988-2009
Professor of Psychology

Thomas Cox, Professor of Psychology, received his MA in 1972 from Middle Tennessee State University and his PhD in 1978 from University of Manitoba after earning his BA in 1968 from Eastern Montana College. He began teaching Psychology at Black Hills State University in August of 1988. Dr. Cox’s research areas focused upon the animal behavior. Given his training background, his courses included numerous courses on the biology of behavior as well as principles of learning and conditioning. Prior to Dr. Cox’s arrival at BHSU, the Psychology Department consisted of 2 faculty members trained in the clinical and counseling areas. Dr. Cox introduced the scientific side of the discipline to students in the major and established the first Psychology laboratory at BHSU. His contributions to the Psychology Department during his tenure at Black Hills State University played a crucial role in the establishing the science of psychology for the major through hands-on laboratory experiences. Dr. Cox retired from BHSU in December 2009.

JUDY NEIGHBOURS

Faculty Member 1995-2010
Professor of Psychology

Judy Neighbours, Assistant Professor of Psychology, received her MS in 1977 from California State University at Fullerton and her PhD in 1991 from the Alliance University after earning her BA in 1973 from California State University at Fullerton. She began teaching Psychology at Black Hills State University in August of 1995 first as an adjunct faculty member and then later as a full professor. Prior to that, Judy was in full-time practice of Psychology in Spearfish and the Northern Black Hills and taught graduate courses on a part-time basis for South Dakota State University. Her prior professional experience also included serving as a Community Service Program (Police) Psychologist for 10 years in Orange County, California. Dr. Neighbours retired from Black Hills State University in May 2010 and is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the Oregon Institute of Technology. During her years at BHSU, Dr. Neighbours taught a wide variety of courses ranging from General Psychology to the upper level specialty courses in Trauma and a graduate psychology course in Leadership. Her contributions to the Psychology Department during her tenure at Black Hills State University played a crucial role in the expansion of the internship opportunities and the successful establishment and growth of Psychology as degree at BHSU.

 

SCOTT STOLTENBERG

Faculty Member 2004-2009
Professor of Psychology

Scott Stoltenberg, Associate Professor of Psychology, received his MA in 1992 and his PhD in 1995 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign after earning his BA from Saint John’s University. He began teaching at Black Hills State University in August of 2004. His background in psychology focused upon the influence of genetic variation in neurotransmitter systems on health-risk behaviors such as drinking, gambling, and risky sex. His training included several years as a Research Fellow at the University of Michigan. Upon his arrival at BHSU, Dr. Stoltenberg taught a variety of courses focused upon biological correlates of behavior as well as a variety of laboratory-based courses. Dr. Stoltenberg was heavily involved in research and despite the complexity of his specific research interests, he was successfully able to incorporate many undergraduates into his research team. These collaborations resulted in over a dozen undergraduate presentations at national conferences. Dr. Stoltenberg’s research team quickly developed a reputation for generating opportunities for the students working on that team (e.g., summer internships, graduate school admission). Dr. Stoltenberg took another position at the University of Nebraska in May 2009. His contributions to Black Hills State University and more specifically the Psychology Department played a vital role in the growth of undergraduate research in Psychology at BHSU.