Department of Psychological Science College of Liberal Arts

Education: Ph.D., University of Texas Arlington
Specialization:  Behavioral Neuroscience, Behavioral Pharmacology, Pain Research and Management.

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Perry Fuchs
Professor and Chair
Email: perry.fuchs@utrgv.edu
ELABN 356
Phone: (956) 665-3329
Faculty Profile

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Jesse Acosta
Lecturer I
Email: jesse.acosta01@utrgv.edu
ELABN 357
Phone: (956) 665-7879
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Specialization: Health Psychology
Research Lab: Stress, Sleep, & Health Lab

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Grant Benham
Professor
Email: grant.benham@utrgv.edu
EIEAB 3.208
Phone: (956) 665-2807
Faculty Profile

Education: Psy.D., Alliant International University

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Rizza Bermio-Gonzalez
Lecturer I
Email: rizza.bermiogonzalez@utrgv.edu
BMAIN 1.414 (Brownsville)
Phone: (956) 882-4005
Faculty Profile

Education: M.Ed., University of Texas Brownsville

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Michelle Burkott
Lecturer I
Email: michelle.burkott@utrgv.edu
BMAIN 1.210 (Brownsville)
Phone: (956) 882-5704
Faculty Profile

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Jaime Cano
Lecturer II
Email: jaime.cano@utrgv.edu
BMAIN 1.424 (Brownsville)
Phone: (956) 882-5704
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., Stony Brook University, NY
Specialization: Clinical Psychology, anxiety disorders, depression, domestic violence, clinical training
Research Lab: Intimate Partner Violence/Domestic Violence

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Arthur Cantos
Director of Clinical Training & Professor
Email: arthur.cantos@utrgv.edu
EIEAB 3.209
Phone: (956) 665-5022
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Specialization: Clinical Psychology, Childhood Maltreatment, PTSD, Structural Equation Modeling
Research Lab: ACT Lab

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Ruby Charak
Associate Professor
Email: ruby.charak@utrgv.edu
EIEAB 3.207
Phone: (956) 665-3329
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., University of Madras, India
Specialization: Pain Perception in Children, Electroencephalography (EEG) in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorders

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Grace Francis
Lecturer I
Email: grace.francis@utrgv.edu
ELABN 361
Phone: (956) 665-3325
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., University of Texas at El Paso
Specialization: Social and Personality Psychology
Research Lab: Social Cognition and Personality Lab

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Scott Frankowski
Assistant Professor
Email: scott.frankowski@utrgv.edu
EIEAB 3.233
Phone: (956) 665-7941
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., University of Iowa

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Marcus Galle
Lecturer II
Email: marcus.galle@utrgv.edu
ELABN 201
Phone: (956) 665-2162
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., Fielding Graduate University

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Christelle Garza
Clinical Assistant Professor
Email: christelle.garza01@utrgv.edu
EEDUC 2.202Q
Phone: (956) 665-3325
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., City University of New York
Specialization: Clinical Neuropsychology
Research Lab: Clinical Neuropsychology

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Philip Gasquoine
Professor
Email: philip.gasquoine@utrgv.edu
EEDUC 1.202A
Phone: (956) 665-2155
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., Florida State University
Specialization: Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Neurobiology of Learning, Neural Development and Plasticity
Research Lab: Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience

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Mario Gil
Associate Professor
Email: mario.gil@utrgv.edu
MAIN 1.426 (Brownsville)
Phone: (956) 882-8888
Faculty Profile

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Kathleen Glynn McWhorter
Lecturer III
Email: kathleen.glynn01@utrgv.edu
BMAIN 1.438
Phone: (956) 882-7112
Faculty Profile

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Cynthia Gonzalez
Clinical Associate Professor
Email: cynthia.gonzalez1@utrgv.edu
EFNTP 1.108
Phone: (956) 665-8802
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., Virginia Tech
Specialization: Clinical, trauma, and anxiety disorders
Research Lab: Trauma and Anxiety Disorders

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Michiyo Hirai
Professor
Email: michiyo.hirai@utrgv.edu
ELABN 352
Phone: (956) 665-2638
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., University of Michigan
Specialization: Clinical Psychology, Culture & Mental Health, Suicide Risk & Protective Factors
Research Lab: Behavioral Health Lab
Faculty Webpage: Immigration and Mental Health

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Joseph D. Hovey
Professor
Email: joseph.hovey@utrgv.edu
EACSB 1.124D
Phone: (956) 665-3330
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., Walden University

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Gary Leka
Senior Lecturer
Email: gary.leka@utrgv.edu
ELABN 367
Phone: (956) 665-2162
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., University of Houston
Specialization: Applied quantitative methods and juvenile delinquency

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Nan Li
Assistant Professor
Email: nan.li@utrgv.edu
EIEAB 3.232
Phone: (956) 665-7949
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., University of Texas at El Paso
Specialization: Cognitive
Research Lab: Cognitive Science of Language & Education Lab

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Yu-Cheng Lin
Associate Professor
Email: yucheng.lin@utrgv.edu
ELABN 303
Phone: (956) 665-3825
Faculty Profile

Education: M.A., The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

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Angela Mar
Lecturer II
Email: angela.mar01@utrgv.edu
BMAIN 1.418 (Brownsville)
Phone: (956) 665-3329
Faculty Profile

Education: M.A., The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Specialization: Comparative Psychology
Research Lab: Comparative Psychology Lab

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Claudia Martinez
Lecturer II
Email: claudia.martinez01@utrgv.edu
ELABN 365
Phone: (956) 665-2689
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., Fielding Graduate University
Specialization: Clinical, Latino Mental Health and Treatment Outcomes
Research Lab: Multicultural Clinical Lab

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Alfonso Mercado
Associate Professor
Email: alfonso.mercado@utrgv.edu
EIEAB 3.206
Phone: (956) 665-3320
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., Central University, Caracas (Venezuela)
Specialization: Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Research Lab: BeChildLab

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Cecilia Montiel-Nava
Associate Professor
Email: cecilia.montielnava@utrgv.edu
EIEAB 3.231
Phone: (956) 665-7950
Faculty Profile

Education: M.A., University of Texas - Pan American

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Valerie Neeley
Senior Lecturer
Email: valerie.neeley@utrgv.edu
ELABN 354
Phone: (956) 665-3329
Faculty Profile

Education: M.A., The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

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Marlene Orta
Lecturer I
Email: marlene.orta01@utrgv.edu
ELABN 361
Phone: (956) 665-3329
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Specialization: Rehabilitation Psychology

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Maria G. Romero
Senior Lecturer
Email: maria.romeroramirez@utrgv.edu
ELABN 359
Phone: (956) 665-5354
Faculty Profile

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Miranda Rule
Lecturer I
Email: miranda.rule@utrgv.edu
ELABN 361
Phone: (956) 665-7888
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., The University of Colorado at Boulder

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Manuel Saldivar
Lecturer I
Email: manuel.saldivar@utrgv.edu
BMAIN 1.414
Phone: (956) 882-1910
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., Virginia Tech
Research Lab: Behavioral Health Lab
The Positive Learning Project (PLP)

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Laura Seligman
Professor
Email: laura.seligman@utrgv.edu
EACSB 1.124F
Phone: (956) 665-2866
Faculty Profile

Education: M.A., The University of Texas-Pan American

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Sarah Stegall-Rodriguez
Lecturer I
Email: sarah.stegallrodriguez@utrgv.edu
BMAIN 1.210E
Phone: (956) 882-8297
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin
Specialization: Community Psychology
Research Lab: Behavioral Health Lab

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Liza Talavera-Garza
Assistant Professor
Email: liza.talaveragarza@utrgv.edu
EACSB 1.124C
Phone: (956) 665-2662
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., Carlos Albizu University, San Juan; Ph.D. University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras
Specialization: Health Psychology, Qualitative Inquiry, Developmental Psychology, Clinical Psychology
Research Lab: Qualitative Health Psychology

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Nicole M. Velez Agosto, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor
Email: nicole.velezagosto@utrgv.edu
EIEAB 3.206
Phone: (956) 665-7961
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., Texas A&M University

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Valeria A. Yllades
Clinical Assistant Professor
Email: valeria.yllades01@utrgv.edu
EEDUC 2.202P
Phone: (956) 665-5819
Faculty Profile

Education: Ph.D., Brigham Young University

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Qing Zeng
Lecturer I
Email: qing.zeng@utrgv.edu
ELABN 369
Phone: (956) 665-3325
Faculty Profile