Faculty Profiles

All regular psychology faculty are engaged in both teaching and research as described below. Adjunct teaching faculty (not described here) are often involved in community practice or research at other institutions.

Andrew Downs, PhD

Email: downs@up.edu  Phone: 503.943.8746

Dr. Downs is a clinical psychologist who studies how psychological assessments and interventions can be utilized to promote positive development and mental and physical well-being. He teaches introductory psychology and upper-division courses that are of interest to students who are considering entering helping professions such as counseling, therapy, teaching, speech & language pathology, occupational therapy, and nursing.

Education: Ph.D. Washington State University | M.A. Washington State University | B.A. University of Notre Dame

Andrew Guest, PhD

Email: guesta@up.edu  Phone: 503.943.7348

Dr. Guest does interdisciplinary work examining human development in diverse socio-cultural contexts. Specific areas of inquiry have included youth development and inequality, extracurricular programs as developmental influences, and sport as an influence on our lives and our communities. He has had a sustained engagement with international work, having served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi, undertaken dissertation research in Angola, and served as a Fulbright scholar in Tanzania. His current scholarly interests center on applied research and program evaluation, building on field research with schools and youth-serving organizations along with assessment work in higher education. He is author of Soccer in Mind: A Thinking Fan's Guide to the Global Game (2022, Rutgers University Press) and is completing a graduate certificate in program evaluation through Michigan State University.

Education: Ph.D. University of Chicago | M.A. University of Chicago | M.S. Miami University | B.A. Kenyon College  

Deana L. Julka, PhD

Email: julka@up.edu  Phone: 503.943.7260

Dr. Julka's area of specialty is social psychology.  She teaches courses in research methods, forensic psychology, social psychology, relationships, aggression, healthy psychology, psychology for sustainability, persuasion and groups. Dr. Julka’s research focuses on juries and forensic psychology, health research, relationships and the intersection of sustainability and psychology. Dr. Julka is the faculty advisor for International Honor Society in Psychology, Psi Chi.

Education: Ph.D. University of Notre Dame | M.A. University of Notre Dame | B.A. Carroll College

Lauren Berger, PhD

Email: bergerl@up.edu  Phone: 503.943.7541

Dr. Berger is a multicultural and cross-cultural psychologist, an approach that considers how a person's cultural background, such as race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and socioeconomic status, influences their mental health and well-being. Her research and program evaluation practices focus on identifying key cultural factors that contribute to understanding and improving community mental health, as well as reducing mental health disparities among ethnic minority populations. She teaches introductory, senior capstone, and upper-division courses that involve the application of psychological science in community-based settings.

Education: Ph.D. University of California - Davis | M.A. University of California - Davis | B.A. University of Notre Dame

Mark Pitzer, Ph.D.

Email: Pitzer@up.edu   Phone: 503.943.7586.

Mark Pitzer is a behavioral neuroscientist and teaches Sensation & Perception, Research Methods: Analysis, and Behavioral Neuroscience. His research has focused on surgical treatments for Parkinson’s disease and gene therapies for Huntington’s disease. More recently, he and his students are investigating the development of a newly discovered group of dopamine neurons that appear to be involved in social behaviors. He trained as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Brain Repair at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and worked as a Staff Scientist at the Oregon National Primate Research Center.

Education: Ph.D. University of Illinois | M.A. University of Illinois | B.A. University of Nebraska

Mercedes Oliva, PhD

Email: oliva@up.edu

Dr. Oliva is a cognitive psychologist focused on studying the cognitive processes that affect our creative thinking and problem-solving abilities. She is particularly interested in considering how these things interact with rising technologies (e.g., How can we use technology to support our creative thinking? When does technology make it harder for us to be creative?). She teaches introductory psychology, upper-division courses, an exploration-level course, and advanced research methods.

Education: Ph.D. University of California – Santa Cruz | M.S. University of California – Santa Cruz | B.A. Wellesley College

Zach Simmons, PhD (Department Chair)

Email: simmonsz@up.edu  Phone: 503.943.7757

Zach is an evolutionary psychologist, an approach that combines the tools of psychology and evolutionary biology to help understand human nature. He teaches courses in the research methods sequence, senior capstone, and a variety of upper-division courses that involve evolutionary thinking. He has done research on the interplay between hormones and the social world, including how testosterone and estrogen influence cognitive systems. His current focus is on the psychology of sickness and injury.

Education: Ph.D. University of California – Santa Barbara | B.S. & B.A. Case Western Reserve University