Department of Psychology

The Department of Psychology has a long history of graduating majors and minors who make a positive impact on the world through their academic pursuits, professional career, and service to their communities.

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Department Features

  • Expert faculty and diverse offerings. The psychology faculty are researchers and teachers who are committed to excellence in the classroom. They offer courses and student research experiences across all major subfields, including abnormal, cognitive, social, developmental, health, learning & behavior, neuroscience, and personality.
  • Internship program. Gain real-world experience - and course credit - through our internship program. You can spend 120-150 hours in a semester working in a job relevant to your interests in psychology. Students have interned recently at Delaware Speech and Hearing Center, Delaware City Schools, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Maryhaven Delaware, and Helpline, Inc., and other organizations.
  • Research opportunities. Students can design their own research project in collaboration with a member of the psychology faculty or work on an existing faculty research study. Engaging in research is a great way for students to explore new ideas and learn how scientific methods are used to answer questions about psychological concepts.

Available Majors

Psychology Major

The psychology major is designed to enhance and diversify the capabilities of all students. It encourages a breadth of knowledge and challenges students to develop a deep understanding of each major subfield. This curricular model has propelled our graduates into into a wide range of professional careers in the private and public sectors. Major requirements: 3 core courses plus 6 elective courses.

Psychology Major Page

Available Minors

Psychology Minor

Requirements

Complete five classes in the major subfields of psychology.

Psychology Department News

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Meet Our People

OWU is people. Brilliant, engaging, passionate, friendly, genuine people. Meet some of them here.

Vicki DiLillo

Professor in the Department of Psychology

Professor DiLillo studies modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (such as obesity, physical activity, and stress) and health behaviors in college students.

Chelsea Vadnie

Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology

Chelsea joined the faculty at Ohio Wesleyan University in the fall of 2020. Her dissertation focused on using mouse models to understand the role of neurotensin signaling in mania-like behavior. 

Kira Bailey

David O. Robbins Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology; Neuroscience Program Director; Department Chair

"As gamers and eHarmony couples can attest, if we approach our online interactions the same way we have always approached in-person communication, then it will be "authentic" because what makes a relationship work is the people, not the format." Read Professor Bailey's article, "There's Nothing Virtual About Online Connections."

Christopher Modica

Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology

In 2020, Professor Modica published research on the associations between Instagram use, selfie-activities, appearance-comparison, and body dissatisfaction in adult men.

Personal Attention

Psychology faculty, like Professor Vicki DiLillo seen here working with Ares Harper '19, are committed to excellence in the classroom, and they work closely with students. Psychology faculty Vicki DiLillo and Melanie Henderson are past recipients of the Sherwood Dodge Shankland Award, which recognizes faculty members with high potential as teachers.

Summer Research and Video Games

(From left) Dr. Kira Bailey worked with students Lexi Lease '20, Mickey Rice '20, and Malia Walker '19 to research "The Effects of Video Game Exposure on Cognitive Control." Lease says, "Experiences like the SSRP matter because they allow students to transition what they have learned in the classroom to actual concrete practices."

Department Contact Info

Location

Schimmel/Conrades Science Center
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH 43015
P 740-368-3800
F 740-368-3812
E psychology@owu.edu

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Department Contact

Chair: Kira Bailey
David O. Robbins Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology; Neuroscience Program Director
Schimmel/Conrades Science Center 227 | 740-368-3808 | kmbailey@owu.edu

Academic Assistant: Angela Moore
Schimmel/Conrades Science Center 201
740-368-3907 | almoore@owu.edu