Bratslavsky, Ellen
Associate Professor
216-987-2312
Department: Psychology
Office Location: Eastern Campus, ESS 2115
Education: B.A., Case Western Reserve University
M.A., Case Western Reserve University
Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University
Catanese, Kate
Professor
216-987-5491
Department: Psychology
Office Location: Western Campus, WSS G226B
Education: Ph.D., Experimental Social Psychology, Case Western Reserve University
About: Kate Catanese holds a Ph.D. in experimental social psychology from Case Western Reserve University and undergraduate degrees in sociology and psychology from John Carroll University.
Since joining Tri-C in 2006, Catanese’s courses have included General Psychology, Social Psychology, Psychology of Personality, Psychology of Human Sexuality, Lifespan Development and Child Psychology. She previously taught at Case Western Reserve University, Florida State University and Saint Leo University. Her specific area of expertise is the social psychology of the self and belongingness.
Catanese is involved with the Carol S. Franklin Social Science Speakers Series, the Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies certificate program, advising board and numerous Faculty Senate and AAUP committees. She is also the former principal investigator and co-director of an NIH Bridges to the Baccalaureate grant.
She lives in Cleveland with her spouse and their child. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gardening, conducting genealogical research and learning Italian.
Gerding, Alan
Assistant Professor
216-987-4563
Department: Psychology
Office Location: Metropolitan Campus, MLA 118C
Education: M.S., Clinical Psychology with a focus on adult clinical therapy and neuropsychology, East Carolina University
B.A., Psychology, Case Western Reserve University
About: Most of Alan Gerding’s clinical experience occurred in the North Carolina prison system, providing therapy to inmates — most of whom were serving a life sentence. He joined Tri-C in 2007 and has taught almost all of Tri-C's psychology course offerings.
Gerding is the faculty advisor for the Alpha Zeta Delta chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. He currently serves as the psychology department counterpart chair and the psychology coordinator of the Metro Campus. In his free time, he runs a tabletop board game company and enjoys the company of his wife and dogs.
Harik-Williams, Nahla
Associate Professor
nahla.harik-williams@tri-c.edu
216-987-5038
Department: Psychology
Office Location: Western Campus, B224
Education: Ph.D., Counseling Psychology, University of Akron
M.A., Counseling Psychology, University of Akron
B.A., Psychology, Case Western Reserve University
About: Nahla Harik-Williams has been teaching at Tri-C since 2000. She typically teaches General Psychology and Abnormal Psychology.
Harik-Williams is an enthusiastic presenter and has lectured on various topics related to psychology, clinical work, diversity, multiculturalism and college students’ education in the Cleveland community and at several national conferences.
She served as the founding faculty advisor of the Tri-C Lambda Gender-Sexuality Alliance and started the Safe Zone Ally training in 2005. She also advised the Western Campus chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for community colleges, for two years.
Her clinical experience centers around working with students at university counseling centers and in private practice, where she has specialized in treating eating disorders. Her areas of clinical expertise include issues involving immigrants and international students, college students in general, the treatment of anxiety, women’s issues and eating and body image concerns.
Her hobbies include reading, gardening, cooking, jewelry making and music. She performed with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus for many years — but recently, her hobbies have taken a back seat to her three children.
Holland, Cynthia
Professor
216-987-5144
Department: Psychology
Office Location: Western Campus, WLA B151
Education: B.A., Case Western Reserve University
M.A., Case Western Reserve University
Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University
Kelley, Courtney
Professor
216-987-2663
Department: Psychology
Office Location: Eastern Campus, ESS 2329
Education: Ph.D., Developmental Psychology, Bowling Green State University
About: Courtney Kelley has been a full-time psychology professor at Tri-C since 2009. Since her junior year as an undergraduate at Wittenberg University, Kelley knew she wanted to teach psychology at the college level. That desire only grew when she taught her first college classes at Bowling Green State University. She takes pride in bringing enthusiasm into the classroom and strives to create an active learning experience for students. From her perspective, nothing is more rewarding than seeing a student grow and develop as a critical thinker. Kelley has taught a variety of psychology classes, including General Psychology, Honors General Psychology, Child Development, Adolescent Development, Lifespan Development, Honors Lifespan Development and the Psychology of Human Sexuality.
Krevans, Julia
Associate Professor, Psychology
216-987-5187
Department: Psychology
Office Location: Western Campus, WLA B220
Education: A.B., University of Michigan
M.A., Case Western Reserve University
Ph.D., The Ohio State University
McLaughlin, Jessica
Associate Professor
216-987-4521
Department: Psychology
Office Location: Metropolitan Campus, MLA 118G
Education: Ph.D., Psychology, Wayne State University
M.A., Psychology, Wayne State University
B.A., Psychology, Grinnell College
About: While living in the Detroit area, Jessica McLaughlin specialized in giving psychological assessments to children from low-income families. She later taught at Montgomery College in Maryland, where she completed the Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship and discovered a passion for incorporating social justice issues into her classroom, with an emphasis on mental health stigma.
McLaughlin has been an associate professor of Psychology at Tri-C since 2019, teaching General Psychology, Child Growth and Development, and Psychopathology. She can be found at the Metro Campus, advising the Active Minds club, helping organize the annual Women’s Summit and working as a member of the Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies certificate program’s advisory committee.
Nicopolis, Michelle
Professor
216-987-5208
Department: Psychology
Office Location: Western Campus, WSS G226E
Education: Ph.D., Urban Education, Counseling Specialization, Cleveland State University
M.A., Counseling and Social Psychology, Ball State University
B.A., Communication, Exercise/Sport Science and Psychology, Hiram College
Professional Certificate in Nutrition for Optimal Health, Wellness and Sports, Thomas Edison State University
About: Michelle Nicopolis is a psychology professor at Tri-C’s Western Campus and was formerly a counseling faculty member from 2006-2018. At Tri-C, Nicopolis teaches General Psychology, Abnormal Psychology and Cross-Cultural Competency for Health Care Providers. Outside the classroom, Nicopolis is a founding and active member of the Help Is Here initiative (suicide prevention/mental wellness), a proud member of the Black American Council (BAC) and the Sexual Orientation and Gender Equality (SOGE) Council, coordinated the Safe Zone program (LGBTQ+ education) and was the faculty advisor to the Lambda Gender-Sexuality Alliance for 12 years.
Nicopolis is an Ohio-licensed psychologist and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC).
Her leisure time is spent with family, friends and dogs, volunteering for organizations such as Make-A-Wish, the Ronald McDonald House, traveling, exercising, going to concerts, baking, working jigsaw puzzles, watching sports, old sitcoms and game shows and listening to ‘80s music.
Paulik, David
Assistant Professor
216-987-5868
Department: Psychology
Office Location: Westshore Campus, SLT 227B
Education:
Ph.D. (ABD), Developmental and Learning Sciences, University of Cincinnati
M.A., Educational Psychology, Kent State University
B.S., Molecular Biology, Kent State University
M.A., Ministry, University of Dubuque Theological Seminary
About: David Paulik is an educational psychologist with broad research interests, including learning strategies, skills and behaviors employed by students during self-regulated study and the cognitive regulation of learning across contexts (e.g., classroom and independent study). Paulik teaches a variety of courses in psychology, including General Psychology, Life Span Development, Educational Psychology, Psychology of Personality and Child Growth and Development. He is passionate about helping students reach their learning goals and conquer challenging topics.
Rittman, Mark
Assistant Professor
216-987-4604
Department: Psychology
Office Location: Metropolitan Campus, MLA 118
Education: B.A., State University of New York, Buffalo
M.A., Kent State University
Ph.D., Kent State University
Souther, Stacey
Professor
216-987-2523
Department: Psychology
Office Location: Eastern Campus, ESS 2322
Education: M.S., Developmental Psychology, University of Toledo
B.S., Biology, Heidelberg University
B.S., Psychology, Heidelberg University
About: Stacey S. Souther has taught psychology at Tri-C since 2004. Previously, she taught psychology at Heidelberg University, the University of Toledo and Owens Community College. Her area of expertise is in cognitive development in infants and children, specifically language and perceptual skills.
Souther is actively engaged in a number of initiatives at Tri-C, including serving as the psychology coordinator at the Eastern Campus and as the Collegewide faculty development coordinator. She serves on several Faculty Senate committees and facilitates workshops on Academic Integrity and Faculty Learning Communities on various faculty development topics. Souther is an ambassador and conference reviewer for the Lilly Conferences on College and University Teaching and serves on the executive board of the National Organization of Student Success (NOSS): Ohio Chapter. She belongs to the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, a division of the American Psychological Association, the Professional Organizational Development Network and the NOSS National and Ohio chapter.
Souther regularly volunteers at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights and enjoys reading, hiking and spending time with her husband, daughter and cats, Prince and Milo.
Thakkar, Bhavna
Associate Professor
216-987-5803
Department: Psychology
Office Location: Westshore Campus, SLT 225B
Education: B.A., Psychology, University of Mumbai
M.A., Personality Psychology, University of Mumbai
Ph.D., Neuropsychology, University of Mumbai
About: Bhavna Thakkar has taught psychology for 37 years at Baldwin Wallace University and for 23 years at Tri-C. She has taught in 19 different fields of psychology, including General Psychology, Life Span Development, Social Psychology, Personality Psychology, Group Dynamics, Health Psychology and Psychology of Religion.
Waugh, Donya
Assistant Professor
216-987-5534
Department: Psychology
Office Location: Western Campus, WBT C225
Education: B.A., Case Western Reserve University
M.A., Cleveland State University