7 March, 2007

Thank you for taking the time to look over our web site.  I am very proud of the ETSU Department of Psychology and what we have accomplished over the last few years.   Be aware that as you scan our faculty’s pages, you are making the electronic acquaintance of some of the most dynamic, most energetic, and most active psychological researchers throughout the Tennessee Board of Regents system.  But more important than that, our faculty are in all likelihood the nicest people throughout the TBR system to boot.  Why, just recently, Dr. Russell Brown and Dr. Peggy Cantrell won awards from the ETSU College of Arts & Sciences.  Russ earned the college award as outstanding researcher, and Peggy earned the college award for outstanding service.

You may already be aware that we are preparing to launch the newest clinical psychology Ph.D. program in the country, beginning with our inaugural class in Fall, 2007.  Our Ph.D. program adopts the scientist-practitioner model of training common to most rigorous clinical psychology training programs in the US.  But we go one step further and incorporate specialized training in rural behavioral health and practice in the context of integrated primary health care.  Ours is only one of two programs in the country with this focus.  What’s more, our program was designed in collaboration with professional psychologists and rural health practitioners throughout the Upper East Tennessee region.  These practitioners have themselves had to adapt their traditional training experiences to the unique requirements of a rural population.  In fact, the National Health Service Corps thought our training curriculum was so important that it provided funding for us to bring together our community partners to help us design it.

            I am also proud of our undergraduate training programs.  Beginning in Fall, 2004, we began offering specialized training within the psychology major.  Today, ETSU students can not only major in psychology, but they can pursue specialized concentrations within psychology; specifically in behavioral neuroscience, child psychological science, clinical psychological science, and cognitive science.  Presently, about a third of all ETSU psychology majors are pursuing one of our focused programs of study.  I am proud that ETSU is one of only a handful of undergraduate programs in the country that offers such a wide variety of focused study.  Of course, students are also welcome to pursue a more traditional course of study in psychology as well.

            So thank you for visiting our website.  While you’re here, feel free to snoop around and see what we have to offer.  I’m sorry to say that you may run into a few links here and there that say “content under review.”  But that is only because we are undergoing so many exciting and profound changes.  Sometimes it’s just too hard to keep up with so many things going on.

Warmest wishes,

Wallace E. Dixon, Jr.

Chair and Professor