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Spring 2026 Department of Psychology News & Notes

Roxanne Dubose - Thursday, February 5
 Events   PSYC Newsletter 
Hi [FIRST_NAME],

 

News & Notes

Spring 2026

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
 

In Loving Memory of Pat. 

Photo of Dr. Pat Corrigan

Live stream for Sunday's service: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87886254737?pwd=RTWKXdBabUMkfFBWnfkxVOzDXIMcJK.1 
In-person service information: 
Patrick William Corrigan Psy.D. Obituary (2026) - Skokie, IL - Haben Funeral Home & Crematory 


Hello psychology community and welcome to the Spring 2026 semester! I am extremely excited to join each of you in pursuing your academic goals while developing lifelong memories. Our psychology community continually works together to build solidarity and to provide a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accommodating environment for everyone. During your research and applied psychology training, stay curious, remain genuine, share laughs, and once in a while, get together for board games, music chilling, or other analog activities. If you need anything, contact your instructor, adviser, me, or anyone else in the psychology community. I’d like to share a quote from Thomas Pynchon, “If they get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about answers.” 

Enjoy reading this Spring 2026 Newsletter and learning about our community’s successes! 

Skål! 

Jon

DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Some cool news to share from Fall 2025’s IPRO Innovation Day. Two Dept of Psych led teams dominated with awards this semester and both teams came from the same IPRO class, Rehab Engineering (IPRO 497-969), taught by Prof. Michelle Flores, PT, DPT.

🏆 Pedal to the Future received the 2nd highest score from the judges AND also won both the Audience Choice and Dean's Prize! The team designed a cushion attachment that connects directly to the bike frame and gently holds the legs apart in a comfortable, stable position. 

🏆 Team Bullseye received the top score from the judges. Their product provides automatic, real-time feedback to archers. It uses a microcomputer and a flexible camera to provide a live view of the target that tracks the location of the arrow on the target and will provide audio descriptions of this location using clock directions. 

Every undergraduate student on our campus participates in the IPRO program, so to have the top 2 teams come from one course led by a Psych Instructor and Psych Majors, that is impressive.  

👏👏👏 

Carvalho, L. C., Encantado, J., Moller, A. C., Cornelius, T., Marrouch, N., Johnson, M., Garcia-Romeu, A., Veiga, D., & Teixeira, P. J. (2025). Exploring self-reported health behavior change following naturalistic psychedelic use. Journal of Health Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/13591053251392867 

Teixeira, P. J., Jain, R., Penn, A. D., Cole, S. P., Jain, S., Moller, A. C., Amaro, H., & Raison, C. (2025). Health-related behavioral changes following the use of psychedelics in naturalistic settings. Preventive Medicine Reports. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.103161 

 

The following research posters were accepted for presentation at the Society of Behavioral Medicine Conference in April.  

 

*Coates, S., & Moller, A. C. (2026). Exploring associations between using wearable fitness tracking devices and compulsive exercise behaviors. Poster to be presented at the 47th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, April 22-25, 2026, Chicago, IL.  

*Silber, E., & Moller, A. C. (2026). Views on VR-Enhanced Exposure Therapy: Thematic analysis from online and in-person discussions. Poster to be presented at the 47th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, April 22-25, 2026, Chicago, IL. 

*Zon, C., Moller, A.C., & Haedt-Matt, A. (2026). Self-compassion is associated with disordered eating symptomology, but failed to moderate associations between athletic-ideal internalization and disordered eating symptomology among U.S. student-athletes. Poster to be presented at the 47th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, April 22-25, 2026, Chicago, IL. 

Coates, S. & Moller, A.C. (to be presented, 2026, July). Talk: Illuminating a dark side of wearable fitness trackers: The centrality of appearance motives for tracker use is positively associated with compulsive exercise behaviors (ID: 792). Oral presentation to be presented at the 9th International Self-Determination Theory Conference, June 30 - July 3, 2026, Geneva, Switzerland. 

Kornfield, R., Svoboda, J., Popowski, S., Moon, C., Meyerhoff, J., & Moller, A. C. (To be presented, 2026, July). How can generative AI chatbots meet basic psychological needs? A qualitative analysis of user needs and preferences for AI chat-based mental health support. Oral presentation to be presented at the 9th International Self-Determination Theory Conference, Geneva, Switzerland. 

Moller, A. C., Ohlagart, M., Weinstein, N., & Teixeira, P. (to be presented, 2026, July). Symposium: Psychedelic use, self-determination theory, and health behaviors change (ID: 861). Oral presentation to be presented at the 9th International Self-Determination Theory Conference, June 30 - July 3, 2026, Geneva, Switzerland. 

Returning soon!..

2025 Faculty/Staff Holiday Potluck!

Not pictured: Dr Lindsay Sheehan

Beautiful and delicious spread!

IT's FUN-ology..

Illinos Tech's FUN-ology :)

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