Psychology Department Speakers Series

All events take place at the ATC Auditorium (Room 168) and start at 1 p.m.. 

All presentations are free. Video of all lectures will be posted after each event. 

Questions? 

For more information, contact via email Dr. Kate Christian or phone (616) 234-4405.

Past Psychology Department Speaker Series Videos

Thursday, April 9, 2026

Understanding the Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder Among LGBTQ+ Individuals by Craig Rodriquez-Seijas, Ph.D.

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

The Real World of Forensic Psychology by Dr. Jeff Kieliszewski

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Identifying and Working with First Episode Psychosis by Brandon Goeman, LMSW 

2024-25

• Neural, Hormonal and Sensory Regulation of Parental Behavior with Dr. Kristina O. Smiley
• Living with Adult ADHD: Challenges and Strengths by Dr. Priti Shah
• Everyday Media Literacy by Sue Ellen Christian
• The Science of Choosing a Career: How to Find Success in the Modern Labor Market by Dr. Kevin Hoff. 
• Momentum Center: Creating a Community for Everyone by Barbara Lee VanHorssen

2023-24 

• The Role of Brain Function as a Predictor of Substance Use Behaviors in Adolescent and Emerging Adulthood by Dr. Jullian E.  Hardee
• Humanist Movements of the Early Twentieth Century by Dr. Paul Murphy
• The Anxiety Within: Helping Children Regulate their Nervous System by Jennifer Rapanos, LCSW, RCYT
• Michigan Humanists (sponsored by GRCC Psychology Department) presents A Social Cognition Perspective on the Psychology of Religion by Luke Galen.
• Blue Language: Using body camera footage to understand what goes wrong in police interactions and how to set them right by Dr. Nicholas Camp. 

2022-23

• Toward Trans Allyship: “They” Isn’t Plural and Other Lessons in Gender Diversity

2021-22

• The MMR Vaccine and Autism: The Story of a Medical Fraud with Lessons and Challenges for Today
• Intersectional Scholarship: Resisting the Tendency to Disconnect, Dilute, and Depoliticize

2020-21

• Our Year with Coronavirus: Understanding the Science and Psychology of how COVID-19 has Impacted Our Lives

2019-20

• What Do We Know About Race and Police Use of Deadly Force? Analyses of Real-World and Laboratory Decision Data
• Dating in the Modern Age: What Online Dating and Mobile Apps Can Tell Us about Finding (and Keeping) a Romantic Partner
• Portable Device Use and Learning in the Modern Age
• CANCELED - What Do We Know about the Psychology of Doing "Work" Together?

2018-19

• What is in your suitcase? Addressing Self Awareness with The Tools to Survive
• Gambling: A Behavior Analytic Perspective
• CHARGE Syndrome: The Study of a Rare Childhood Disorder
• What Happens When We Change Ourselves? A Look at Beliefs and Health

2017-18

• Coping with Grief and Loss
• Child Development in the Digital Age: How, and for Whom, Does Mobile Media Use Become Problematic?
• Unmasking the Automatic Mind: Toward a New Understanding of Unconscious Cognition
• Media effects: Can watching T.V. or playing video games really change how you think and what you do?  

2016-17

• The Psychology of Political Affiliation: Are Donkeys and Elephants Really that Different?
• The Emergent Use of Virtual Reality in the Treatment of Psychological Disorders
• Understanding the Neurobiology of Drug Addiction in Humans Through the Study of Animals
• Introduction to Mindfulness: Exploring the Science and Practical Application 

2015-16

• The Real World of Forensic Psychology
• Social Support and Mental Health: It's Not What You Think
• Do Visual Artists See the World Differently?
• No Child is an Island: Integrating Family Systems Perspectives into Children's Mental Health Treatment

2014-15

• Modern Application of Darwinian Theory to Psychology
• I’m Dying to Talk with You
• Art Therapy and the Expressive Arts: Knowing Yourself Through Your Creative Side
• Self-Justification in Everyday Life: What cognitive dissonance theory reveals about cheating, justice, love, war, memory, and the decisions we make 

2013-14

• Do Parents Make a Difference? An Exploration in Raising a Child
• Do sports matter as much to girls as they do to boys? Gender and the Myth of the Blank Slate
• Human Sexuality and Sex Therapy: Yes, our brain is the biggest erogenous zone!
• Stress can destroy a 66 ton bridge; imagine what it might do to you? Understanding and managing stress 

2012-13

• Can Political Psychology Help Us Know What We're Getting When We Vote?
• Anger: Just One Letter Away From Danger!
• Our Connection To Something Bigger: The Archetypes of C.G. Jung.
• Mental Toughness: The X-Factor in Sport and Life 

2011-12

• Will Psychologists Be Replacing Their Couch With A Computer Screen?
• I Didn’t Do Anything To Make You Feel That Way – How We Communicate Without Saying Anything.
• The Human Genome: Will You Be Able To Pre-Order The Sex, Height, and Personality Of Your New Baby?
• The Role of Technology in Our Lives:  The Good, the Bad, and the Scary 

2010-11

• Alzheimer's Disease: One of the Things I'd Like to Forget.
• Things That Go Bump in the Night: An Introduction to Parasomnias
• Finding, Landing, and Thriving in a Job that You Love
• The Roots of Morality: Does Religion Play a Role or is the Tail Wagging the Dog? 

2009-10

• Forensic Psychology: The Real World of CSI
• Animal Psychology: We Do More Than Make Dogs Salivate Or Teach Rats To Run Mazes
• The Psychology Of Love: Do Opposites Attract or Do Birds Of A Feather Flock Together?
• Hypnosis: It's Not Just a Stage Act
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Can’t We Just Give ‘Em A “Chill Pill?”