Aquinas College :: Psychology

Faculty

Faculty members of the psychology department have varied backgrounds and interests which are complementary but diversified to insure a balanced and comprehensive undergraduate program. Aquinas employs no graduate teaching assistants and all courses and labs are conducted by experienced professional faculty.

Lorraine Straw, Ph.D.
Psychology - Chairperson
(616) 632-2153
strawlor@aquinas.edu

Dr. Straw's doctoral degree is in General Theoretical and Developmental Psychology. She has done research in various areas, primarily involving adjustment issues in adulthood, including:

family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease victims,
normal changes in cognitive functions of adults,
hospice care,
adjustment to widowhood,
identity development in medical professionals, and
orientation and mobility for blind older adults.

She also has worked with children with developmental disabilities, and was involved in the creation of the School of Education's program in Learning Disabilities and the Conductive Education program. Currently, Dr. Straw is the Chair of the Psychology Department, and teaches four courses in Developmental Psychology, as well as Psychology of Personality, and History & Systems of Psychology.

Bruce Frayman, Ph.D.
Psychology
(616) 632-2156
fraymbru@aquinas.edu

Dr. Bruce Frayman earned his Masters and Doctorate in Psychology from University of Notre Dame, and is now in his thirtieth year on the faculty at Aquinas. He applies his expertise in Experimental Psychology in teaching the department's laboratory-based courses, including Introduction to Research & Design, Learning & Memory, Sensation & Perception, and Psychological Tests & Measurement. Dr. Frayman also supervises the Senior Research Projects of Psychology Majors. His own research interests include face recognition, recognition memory, and direct procedures for scaling attitudes and opinions.

Burton Ozarow, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
(616) 632-2155
ozarobur@aquinas.edu

Dr. Burton Ozarow completed his doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at State University of New York at Buffalo, and a postdoctoral fellowship in Behavioral Therapy at Temple University School of Medicine. He teaches Introductory Psychology, as well as Human Motivation, Abnormal Psychology, and Behavior Modification. His areas of interest include sleep and sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, behavioral and cognitive therapies, psychopharmacology, and treatment effectiveness. Dr. Ozarow also oversees the College's chapter of Psi Chi, a national honor society in Psychology.


1607 Robinson Road S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49506-1799 - (616) 632-8900