Department of Psychology at Illinois State

Department of Psychology at Illinois State Department of Psychology at Illinois State University Jesse W. Fell took up the campaign for Bloomington and obtained financial backing totaling $141,000.

On February 18, 1857, Governor William Bissell of Illinois signed a bill creating a normal school and establishing the Board of Education of
the State of Illinois as its governing body. The bill stipulated that the permanent location would be the place that offered the most favorable inducements. Abraham Lincoln, acting as attorney for the board, drew up the bond guaranteeing the Bloomington citiz

ens would fulfill their financial pledges. Illinois State Normal University was consequently founded as the first public institution of higher education in the state. Established as a teacher education institution, Illinois State has developed into a multipurpose university with degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. The University is one of 12 public universities in Illinois. Its 34 academic departments offer more than 188 fields of study in the Colleges of Applied Science and Technology, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, and Fine Arts, and the Mennonite College of Nursing. The Graduate School coordinates 39 master’s, two specialist, and nine doctoral programs. The University’s academic programs are supported by the services and collections of Milner Library,
which contains more than 3 million holdings and special collections. The University enrolls students from throughout Illinois, 49 states, and 67 countries. Students are mentored by faculty members dedicated to superior teaching, including numerous teacher-scholars recognized at national and international levels for their research and contributions to their field. Conveniently located in Central Illinois, the University is situated at the intersection of three major highways, as well as along the Chicago-St. Louis railroad corridor. Due to its easy access in a region of strong economic growth and its multidimensional profile, Illinois State is able to respond to the varied needs and interests of its constituents and to contribute to the development of its students as responsible citizens.

Dr. Amelia Franck Meyer will give a talk “The Human Need for Belonging” on Thursday, September 17, 2026, in DeGarmo 0551...
09/11/2026

Dr. Amelia Franck Meyer will give a talk “The Human Need for Belonging” on Thursday, September 17, 2026, in DeGarmo 0551 at 3:30 p.m. CDT.

Dr. Franck Meyer is an Illinois State University alumna (B.S. '89/M.S. '95) and a nationally recognized social innovator, thought leader, and systems reformer dedicated to transforming the way communities support children and families. As founder and executive officer of Alia, a leading national nonprofit, she is leading a movement to “UnSystem” child welfare by reimagining outdated practices and advancing solutions that keep children safely with their families. Through a groundbreaking community co-design approach, Franck Meyer partners with parents who have lived expertise, frontline professionals, and visionary leaders to develop innovative strategies that strengthen families, improve outcomes, and promote the well-being of caregivers and changemakers alike.

Her impact has been recognized by multiple universities through distinguished alumni honors, including awards from Illinois State University and the University of Minnesota. Franck Meyer holds a Doctor of Organizational Change and Leadership (University of Southern California), Master of Science in sociology (Illinois State University), Master of Social Work (University of Minnesota), graduate certificates in disability policy and services and in permanence and adoption competency, is certified in American Sign Language proficiency (University of Minnesota), and as a Brené Brown facilitator. Her work continues to inspire bold, evidence-informed change that strengthens families, communities, and systems nationwide.

If you need a special accommodation to participate in this program, please contact the Department of Psychology at (309) 438-8651. Please allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.

If you’re an alumni from the Department of Psychology and would like to share your memories, experiences, and photos fro...
09/08/2026

If you’re an alumni from the Department of Psychology and would like to share your memories, experiences, and photos from the department, we would love to hear from you as we plan for the 60th Anniversary celebration on Alumni Day 2026.

If you have photos or favorite memories of your time in the Department of Psychology you’d like to share with us for our 60th Anniversary Celebration, please email us at: [email protected]

To register for our Homecoming and 60th Anniversary Celebration, please follow the link here:

https://secure.touchnet.com/C20868_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=48&SINGLESTORE=true

We hope you can join us!

Faculty/Staff, graduate students, alumni, and friends enjoyed celebrating the start of the 2026-2027 academic year with ...
09/04/2026

Faculty/Staff, graduate students, alumni, and friends enjoyed celebrating the start of the 2026-2027 academic year with appetizers and good conversation last Friday - thank you to everyone who came out! We hope everyone has a great semester!!

We would like to say thank you to the freshmen, who dropped by the DeGarmo Patio last week for Cookies & Conversations w...
09/02/2026

We would like to say thank you to the freshmen, who dropped by the DeGarmo Patio last week for Cookies & Conversations with faculty/staff in the Department of Psychology - we had a wonderful time meeting all of you and look forward to working with you over the next few years.

Enjoy your first year at Illinois State!

Please join the Department of Psychology as they celebrate Suejung Han and her promotion to full professor at Illinois S...
08/31/2026

Please join the Department of Psychology as they celebrate Suejung Han and her promotion to full professor at Illinois State University.

Dr. Han is a member of the Clinical-Counseling Psychology program in the department, and her research focuses on attachment, emotion, motivation, and cultural factors related to disordered eating; and diversity and identity issues. Her recent work tests theoretical models of eating disorders and intervention programs promoting openness to diversity that she has developed. Her publications have been recognized for their impact through high citation percentile rankings and inclusion in a leading textbook. At Illinois State, she has received the College Pre-tenure Outstanding Scholarly Achievement Award and multiple Impact Awards.

Congratulations again to Dr. Suejung Han!

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) will host its annual Welcome and Awards Program on Monday, August 31, at 2 p.m. i...
08/28/2026

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) will host its annual Welcome and Awards Program on Monday, August 31, at 2 p.m. in the Prairie Room inside the Bone Student Center. The event is free and open to the public. Presentation of awards recognizing outstanding contributions in the areas of research, teaching, and service from the 2025-26 academic year will follow and include the following Department of Psychology faculty:

Dr. Brea Banks, Outstanding College Teacher Award
Dr. Kyla Cary, Outstanding Scholarly Achievement Award for Pre-Tenured Faculty
Dr. Dan Lannin, Janice Witherspoon Neuleib Award for Outstanding Scholarly Achievement for Tenured Faculty

Congratulations to everyone!

As you know, the Illinois State University Department of Psychology is celebrating their 60th Anniversary with a celebra...
08/28/2026

As you know, the Illinois State University Department of Psychology is celebrating their 60th Anniversary with a celebration during ISU Homecoming week and in anticipation, we are offering apparel for sale featuring a design by graduate student, Sydney Auth.

If you would like to submit an order for either a t-shirt, sweatshirt, or pullover hoodie, please use the instructions on the flyer for payment and follow the link below:

https://illinoisstate.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7QZ6RauXGBMnhnE

We look forward to celebrating with everyone on Alumni Day on October 23, 2026!

We would like to welcome the new GA cohorts for our masters and PhD programs here in the Department of Psychology at Ill...
08/26/2026

We would like to welcome the new GA cohorts for our masters and PhD programs here in the Department of Psychology at Illinois State University. Students met on Friday, August 14th, for their orientation/luncheon and break-out sessions with faculty in DeGarmo Hall.

We look forward to working with everyone and getting to know all of you over the coming year. Welcome to Illinois State, !!!

Reminder ...On Thursday, August 27th, we will have our PSY Freshmen Orientation: Cookies & Conversation on the DeGarmo...
08/24/2026

Reminder ...

On Thursday, August 27th, we will have our PSY Freshmen Orientation: Cookies & Conversation on the DeGarmo Patio from 3:30-4:30 p.m. - come out to enjoy some delicious cookies, chat with the faculty & staff from the Department of Psychology, and meet your peers! We look forward to seeing you all!!

Note, in case of inclement weather (extreme heat and/or precipitation), we will be in the Department of Psychology main office on the 4th floor of DeGarmo Hall, Rm. 0435.

The Department of Psychology Summer Newsletter is now available! Please click the link below to navigate to the About pa...
08/21/2026

The Department of Psychology Summer Newsletter is now available! Please click the link below to navigate to the About page of our website in order to read stories about faculty/staff, student and alumni accomplishments over the 2025-2026 academic year:

https://psychology.illinoisstate.edu/about/

Please scroll down to the bottom of the About page to find the link to this year's newsletter, as well as links to past editions.

If you have a story or updates you would like to share in the future, please contact us at [email protected]

Address

Illinois State University Campus Box 4620
Normal, IL
61790

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+13094388651

Website

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