Department of Psychology

Psychology, the study of human and animal behavior and thought, is a complex subject that utilizes information, tools and ideas from a variety of disciplines.

Some of the topics psychologists examine include how people interact with each other, how they solve problems, how people's personalities differ, how children acquire language, and how emotional and family problems are solved.

One of the larger departments on campus, psychology faculty are involved in research projects as well as their teaching responsibilities. Internship opportunities are available in a variety of areas for students. Knowledge in psychology can be used in almost any career - counseling, research, therapy, medicine, education, social work or human services.

Leader of the Pack

As Dr. Karen Davis stands at the front of the classroom discussing her lifelong dedication to the examination of animal behavior, she draws on one anecdote after another as a researcher, zookeeper, and Wolf Curator. With a master’s degree in neuroscience and a Ph.D. in experimental psychology, her students benefit from her extensive education, research, and life experience.

Forging a Leadership Path

Riley Notarthomas ’23 has taken a range of skills from his time at SUNY Potsdam to positively impact struggling youth in a wilderness therapy program in Vermont, while also being a leader back at SUNY Potsdam where he has returned to teach courses in the wilderness education program.

Forging a Unique Path

As her classmates headed home for the summer, Olivia Krytus ’26 packed her bags for Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for an intensive 10-week boot camp with the Army National Guard. This fall she will be back on campus to continue juggling her studies in business administration and psychology with service in the Army National Guard.

Branching Out

When Joseph Agori ’23 first arrived at SUNY Potsdam, he planned on keeping his head down, going to class, and getting his degree. Instead, he shed an inherently introverted mentality to become a leader on campus. As a resident assistant, peer counselor, student ambassador, and president of the rugby club—he took advantage of every opportunity that came his way.

Cristina Jiménez ’20

After becoming a certified nursing assistant in high school, and helping patients dealing with mental illness at a hospital in Long Island, Cristina Jiménez ’20 realized that she wanted to become a clinical psychologist. She enrolled at SUNY Potsdam to pursue a double major in psychology and Spanish to make a difference in her community.

International Study

Meleknur Alevcan has made the world her classroom. She speaks four languages—Turkish, English, Russian and Swedish—and after growing up in Turkey, she put down her roots in Sweden. Now she’s in the U.S., spending this semester studying psychology at SUNY Potsdam as an international exchange student.