Campus Life

UWF Department of Psychology becomes School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences

The University of West Florida Department of Psychology has a new identity. It is now called the UWF School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences. University officials believe the new name more accurately represents the complex operations and functions that the unit offers.

“Psychology as an academic discipline has experienced a national trend in renaming academic units to emphasize their science aspects,” stated Jane Halonen, dean of the UWF College of Arts and Sciences. “The new name helps faculty function at the cutting edge of the discipline.”

The array of activities undertaken by the faculty in the psychology unit has produced a complex academic structure, justifying its designation as a school. The new unit continues to offer a robust undergraduate majoralong with three graduate programs at the master’s level. Through innovative teaching and research, the School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences challenges and inspires undergraduate and master’s students to apply psychological science to everyday life.

Embedded in the new school is the Center for Applied Psychology, a community-oriented center of excellence that offers a variety of services, including additional professional training through workshops and conferences. The research of the faculty in the School emphasizes applied concerns, particularly in the areas of health psychology, industrial/organizational psychology and developmental psychology.

Laura Koppes, director of the School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, indicated the faculty voted unanimously for this change after a year of discussion.

“We are grateful for the support of the administration as recognition for the hard work faculty have contributed to make the psychology enterprise one that stands out both on the campus and in the community.”

For more information, visit uwf.edu/psychology or contact Koppes at (850) 474-3493 or e-mail lkoppes@uwf.edu.

By Lauren Smith, University Marketing Communications