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Tenure Track Faculty

 

Photo of Shelley EriksenShelley Eriksen, Ph.D.

Department Chair
Associate Professor
Joint appointment in the Sociology Department
Email:  seriksen@csulb.edu
Phone:  562.985.4344
Office:  PSY—205B

Office Hours: By appointment

 

M.A. (1990) and Ph.D. (1998) in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Dr. Eriksen’s research interests are focused on families, gender and health.  Dr. Eriksen’s dissertation examined the closeness, contact and practical care that adult siblings provide each other at various stages of the life course. The adults she interviewed for her dissertation also made her aware of how early troubles among childhood siblings--particularly manifested as conflict or physical violence–left a unique mark on later adult sibling relationships.   Thus, she pursued a parallel inquiry into the nature and character of sibling violence.  More recently, along with her colleague Sara Goering (University of Washington, Seattle), Dr. Eriksen conducted a survey study of cosmetic surgery recipients to assess the social and psychological factors that underpin their decision to seek surgery, and the various ethical positions that recipients and non-recipients take on this human enhancement technology.

Dr. Eriksen continues her research on siblings via a collaborative project with Dr. Beth Manke.  Funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Mental Health, this study focuses on the family and sibling support mechanisms for children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Eriksen teaches HDEV 357I: Approaches to Adulthood and Aging and HDEV 340: Families and Work: Life Course Processes.  Dr. Eriksen also teaches SOC 320: Sociology of the Family and SOC 325: Sociology of Women in the Sociology Department.

Photo of Beth Manke

Beth Manke, Ph.D.
Professor
Email:  bmanke@csulb.edu
Phone:  562.985-2123
Office:  PSY—123

Office Hours: On sabbatical

M.S. (1993) and Ph.D. (1995) in Human Development from the Pennsylvania State University

Dr. Manke’s research focuses on the interplay of children’s familial relationships, broader contextual factors and developmental outcomes.  Her current research project funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health addresses the role siblings play in children’s coping with type 2 diabetes.  Dr. Manke also collaborates with several youth-serving agencies (i.e., tutoring-mentoring programs, character education companies) to complete long-term evaluation studies. Dr. Manke is currently serving as the program evaluator for the CSULB art museum. 

Dr. Manke teaches HDEV 180:  Life Span Human Development, HDEV 307I: Approaches to Childhood and Adolescence, HDEV 470: Seminar and Practicum, and CLA 230:  Home in Comparative Perspective . Dr. Manke is currently developing a new course focused on program evaluation and she regularly teaches as part of the Learning Alliance and Beach Beginnings, small learning communities on the CSULB campus.

 

Photo of Lauren RauscherLauren Rauscher, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Email: rauscher@csulb.edu
Phone:  562.985.9204
Office:  PSY—121

Office Hours: Wed. 11:15 - 12:15 & by appointment

M.A. (1995) in Sociology from The University of Memphis, Ph.D. (2006) in Sociology with a Certificate in Women’s Studies from Emory University

Dr. Rauscher’s research interests focus on gender and racial/ethnic inequality, particularly their intersections and as they relate to the economy, work, and labor markets; health and well-being; and education. She is currently working on a mixed-methods project that investigates how employment affects racial and ethnic differences in women’s mental and physical health. As part of this project, she recently began a case study of commercial food workers in Southern California, which dovetails with local labor organizing efforts for grocery store workers. Dr. Rauscher – in conjunction with undergraduate students – is also beginning a Long Beach site for Girls on the Run, a non-profit organization designed to encourage girls to develop self-respect, healthy living, and positive well-being through weekly lessons and physical activity.

Dr. Rauscher teaches HDEV 320: Research Methods, HDEV 357I: Approaches to Adulthood and Aging, HDEV 340: Families and Work: Life Course Processes and HDEV 470: Seminar and Practicum.  Dr. Rauscher is committed to undergraduate research and facilitates several independent and collaborative research projects with small groups of students (HDEV 499). Dr. Rauscher infuses theory + practice learning, community engagement, and social justice into her classes.

 

Photo of Heather Rae-Espinoza

Heather Rae-Espinoza, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Email:  hre@csulb.edu
Phone: 562.985.4209
Office: PSY-125

Office Hours: Tues. 2 - 4 & Thu. 11 - 12

M.A. (2002) and Ph.D. (2006) in Anthropology from the University of California, San Diego

Dr. Rae-Espinoza’s research centers on an individual’s process of interpreting their experiences and interpersonal relationships in a socio-cultural context of innovation.  Her dissertation research addressed how the children psychologically adapted and socially adjusted to parental emigration. Based on three years of fieldwork in Ecuador (1998, 1999-2001, and 2003-2004) along with exploratory research in Mexico and with the Immigration Museum for New Americans, Dr. Rae-Espinoza has created a typology of children's reactions to situations of possible distress based on cultural context, psychological needs, and social approval. Her future research will evaluate this typology further with other instances of possible distress with diverse cultural contexts.

Dr. Rae-Espinoza teaches HDEV 307I: Approaches to Childhood and Adolescence, HDEV 360: Cultural Foundations in Human Development and HDEV 470: Seminar and Practicum

 

Photo of Pamela RobertsPamela Roberts, Ph.D.
Professor
Email:  proberts@csulb.edu
Phone:  562.985.8530
Office:  PSY—122

Office Hours: Mon. & Wed. 4 - 5, Tues. & Thu. 3:45 - 4:45, & by appointment

M.A. (1977) in Applied Behavioral Analysis (Psychology) from the Western Michigan University, M.A. (1978) in Experimental Psychology from the University of Notre Dame, Ph.D. (1979) in Educational Psychology/ Human Development (specialization in gerontology) from the University of Wisconsin, Madison

In the past few years, most of Dr. Robert’s research has focused on the use of the world wide web in bereavement.  New projects include research on the disposition of cremated remains by individuals with no family history of cremation and the proliferation of In Memoriam signs in automobile windows. Her other research interests include social cognition and aging, as well as gender differences in aging.

Dr. Roberts teaches HDEV 320: Research Methods, HDEV 357I: Approaches to Adulthood and Aging, HDEV 300I:  Death and Dying, and HDEV 470:  Seminar and Practicum.

 

Photo of Judith StevensonJudith Stevenson, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Email: Jsteven4@csulb.edu

Phone:562.985.5914

Office: PSY-124

Office Hours: Wed. 10 - 12

M.A. (1996) in Archaeology from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa; Ph.D. (2005) in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dr. Stevenson’s research focuses on Southern Africa, political economy, globalization, social change and gender.  She researches the contested narratives of globalization and how neo-liberal economic policies and the complexities of globalization processes affect Africa and its people.  Her dissertation describes the current and past experiences of grassroots political activists in a small township in South Africa, and contextualizes their experiences within the global political economy. She examines why grassroots level political activists’ particular notions of social justice, mostly formed during the 1980s and 1990s, have been subsumed by notions of accumulation.  Dr. Stevenson is the incoming Director of the GlobaLink-Africa Curriculum Project, a multimedia, online curriculum resource for critical thinking about globalization and Africa created in the tradition of critical pedagogy, and geared for high school students.  In this capacity she is developing educational, research and policy relevant partnerships with educational institutions both here in the United States and South Africa. 

Dr. Stevenson teaches HDEV 307I: Approaches to Childhood and Adolescence and HDEV 403: Acquisition of Culture: Socialization in Cross-cultural Perspective.

 

Photo of Katherine Van GiffenKatherine Van Giffen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Email:  kvangiff@aol.com
Phone:  562.985.5290
Office:  PSY—126

Office Hours: Mon. 5 - 6 & Wed. 2:30 - 3:30

M.A (1973) and Ph.D. (1980) in Developmental Psychology from the University of Denver.

 

Dr. Van Giffen’s research projects are wide-ranging but all focus on influences in decision making.  She has published work on infant perception as well as humor appreciation.  She was a grant recipient from the DARE program for research on the effects of the full program, and she is currently conducting research on the mentoring experience as well as the role of religion and spirituality on decision making.

Dr. Van Giffen has served as chair and a committee member on theses in Educational Psychology, and as a committee member on theses from Psychology as well as Anthropology and Recreation and Leisure Studies.  She sponsors student research which is presented at the annual meetings of the Western Psychological Association.  She is also a mentor with the Partners for Success program, and was a co-founder of the Learning Alliance at CSULB. In 2007 Dr. Van Giffen was awarded the University Distinguished Teaching Award.

Dr. Van Giffen teaches HDEV/CLA 250: Introductory Statistics, HDEV 402: The Development of Thought, and HDEV 307I: Approaches to Childhood and Adolescence. She also teaches EDP 302: Adolescent Development in Educational Psychology, University 100, and a variety of other related special topics courses.

 

Adjunct Faculty

Photo of Jamie Apostol

Jamie Apostol, M.A.

Lecturer

E-mail:  japostol@csulb.edu         

Phone:  562.985.9297

Office: F02 —223

Office Hours:  Mon. 5:45-6:45pm

M.A. (2007) in Early Childhood Education from CSULB and B.S. (2002) in Child and Family Development from San Diego State University.

 

Prof. Apostol has been in the child development field for 10 years working primarily as a preschool teacher.  She has worked with children and families in the Head Start Program in San Diego and is currently working at the Child and Family Center in the Family and Consumer Sciences Department.  The center is a lab school for students majoring in Child Development and where she mentors fieldwork students and role-models developmentally appropriate curriculum implementation with young children in her classroom.  As an active member of NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children), she regularly attends workshops focusing on current practices, research and policies relating to early childhood education.  She has also presented a workshop in Spring 2008 which focused on curriculum activities within the context of multicultural diversity and equity.

Prof. Apostol currently teaches HDEV 307I: Approaches to Childhood through Adolescence

Photo of Cindy DonhamCindy Donham, Ph.D.
Adjunct Faculty
Email: profdonham@cox.net

Phone: 562.985.4344
Office:  F02 —223

Office Hours: Mon. 4 - 5, Thu. 2:15 - 3:30, & by appointment

 

M.A. (1985) and Ph.D. (1987) in Social Science from University of California, Irvine

Dr. Donham has training (and an undergraduate degree) in cultural anthropology/ studio art from the University of California, Davis. She has a particular interest in the areas of Social Gerontology and cross cultural issues.

Dr. Donham teaches HDEV 357I: Approaches to Adulthood and Aging.  She also teaches in the Sociology Department.

 

Photo of Nicole JafariNicole Jafari, Ed.D

Adjunct Faculty
Email:  njafari@csulb.edu
Phone:  562.985.4344
Office: F02—223

Office Hours: Tue. 3:30 - 4:30, Thu. 9 - 11, & by appointment

MBA (1996), Ed. D (September, 2006) in Education from Argosy University in Orange County, CA

Instructor Jafari is currently finishing her dissertation on the topic of organizational changes and their impact on employee development which offers a different view on the human and cultural aspect of American organizations.   Additionally, in collaboration with several elementary and middle school teachers, she is working on a privately funded research project focused on the transition from elementary to middle school.  Her other research interests are:  the utilization of music and arts as a coping mechanism for ADHD children, and the effect of daycare on infants and toddlers’ development.

Instructor Jafari teaches HDEV 307I: Approaches to Childhood and Adolescence.  She also teaches in the college of Education at CSULB and in the department of Education/ Child and Adolescent Department at the California State University, Fullerton.

Photo of Clyde PentzClyde Pentz, Ph.D.
Adjunct Faculty
Email:  cpentz@csulb.edu
Phone:  562.985.5009
Office:  PSY—211

Office Hours: Tue & Thu. 11 - 12 & by appointment

Ph.D. (1977) in Developmental Psychology from Syracuse University

After completing his doctorate degree, Dr. Pentz completed a post doctoral fellowship at the Pennsylvania State University where he focused on the Cognitive Development of older adults. He currently conducts research on adolescent drug abuse prevention with colleagues at the University of Southern California.

Dr. Pentz teaches HDEV 180:  Life Span Human Development, HDEV 307I: Approaches to Childhood and Adolescence, and HDEV 357I: Approaches to Adulthood and Aging.

Erylene Piper-Mandy, Ph.D.
Adjunct Faculty
Email:  epmandy@comcast.net
Phone:  562.985.4344
Office: F02—223

Office Hours: Tue. 2 - 3:45

MA (1976) in African American Studies from Boston University, MA (1986) and Ph.D. (1990) in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California, Irvine

Dr. Piper-Mandy’s research focuses on three areas.  First, she is interested in the development of cross-cultural competence in social service and public welfare agencies, where she has for the past fifteen years trained numerous public and private agencies in the effectiveness of multiculturalism in the workplace for both clients and staff.  She is also committed to training social workers and psychologists in multiculturalism at the graduate level.  Dr. Piper-Mandy’s second area of interest is in the development of psychological theory and intervention in the African American community.  Recently, she has worked in conjunction with the Southern California Chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists on their project to provide continued support for Hurricane Katrina victims.  Dr. Piper-Mandy’s research is also focused on the association between psychological and spiritual growth systems.  She is currently writing a chapter for a Sage publication on the growth of multiculturalism among spiritual leaders.

Dr. Piper-Mandy teaches HDEV 357I: Approaches to Adulthood and Aging and HDEV 360: Cultural Foundations in Human Development.  She also regularly teaches in the Department of Black Studies.

 

Photo of Rachna SoniRachna Soni, Ph.D.
Adjunct Faculty
Email:  rsoni@csulb.edu
Phone:  562.985.2124
Office: F02—223

Office Hours: Mon. & Wed. 1 - 2 & 5 - 5:30 & by appointment

M.A. (1983), M.H.E. (1986) and Ph.D. (1990) in Human Development from the Pennsylvania State University

Dr. Soni's research interests are personality and social development during adolescence, particularly the role of temperament in adolescent stress and coping.

Dr. Soni teaches HDEV 307I: Approaches to Childhood and Adolescence, HDEV 320: Research Methods in Human Development, and HDEV 357I: Approaches to Adulthood and Aging. Dr. Soni also teaches EDP301: Child Development and Learning in the department of Educational Psychology.

Staff

Wendy M. Lopez
Administrative Support Assistant
Email: wlopez6@csulb.edu
Phone: 562.985.4344

Fax: 562.985.4237
Office:  PSY—205

B.A. (2003) in Business Administration and Finance from California State University, Long Beach

Wendy Lopez has been working with the Department of Human Development since the fall of 2006.  She manages all of the office duties and assists students with their course schedules and paperwork.  Wendy Lopez also assists faculty with course preparation, committee work, purchasing, and event planning.  Wendy previously worked in the Dean's Office in the College of Liberal Arts and served as an assistant for several other CSULB departments including Anthropology, Asian and Asian American Studies and Geography. 

 

Last update: 2/15/09