Social & Behavioral Sciences

Welcome to the division of social and behavioral sciences (SBS)! SBS at Holy Family includes courses in psychology, sociology, criminal justice, and political science. Courses in the social and behavioral sciences focus on understanding human behavior within social, political, cultural, and historical contexts. Our course offerings are diverse and reflect the diversity of interests and experiences of our faculty. We offer minors in all four subject areas and majors in psychology, sociology, and criminal justice.

There are 6 full-time faculty members who teach within the SBS division and we are lucky to also have a staff of adjunct faculty whose work experiences significantly enhance their teaching effectiveness and our curriculum. Our faculty is committed to advising and we look forward to answering your questions about courses, careers, and your future. 

If you would like further information about our programs or would like to speak to someone about SBS, you may contact either the SBS chairman, Dr. Lynn DellaPietra or the Dean of Arts & Sciences, Dr. Regina Hobaugh.    

> Why choose psychology? video

> Keynote address from the Perspectives on Creativity conference held at Holy Family University: Dr. Ellen Winner speaks on myths and realities of gifted children video

Faculty Profiles

Related Links

Faculty
facultyLynn A. DellaPietra, PhD
Title: Associate Professor of Psychology and Chair, Social & Behavioral Sciences Division
Education:
BA in Psychology, Boston College
PhD in Clinical Psychology, subspecialty in Neuropsychology, Hahnemann University
Dissertation title: Metamemory in Parkinson’s Disease
Office: Holy Family Hall 308A
Phone: 215 637-7700, ext. 3328
email: ldellapietra@holyfamily.edu
Courses taught: Physiological Psychology; Child & Adolescent Development; Psychology of Creativity; Research Methods; Advanced Research Methods
Recent Publications/Presentations:
>DellaPietra, L., Grugan, P. & Dominello, N. (2006, October).  Relationships between fluency, flexibility, and creativity.  Presented at the National Academy of Neuropsychology, San Antonio, TX.
>Glosser, G., Cole, L., Khatri, U., DellaPietra, L., & Kaplan, E. (2002).  Assessing nonverbal memory with the Biber Figure Learning Test–Extended in temporal lobe epilepsy patients.  Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 17(1), 25-35.
>Killgore, W.D.S., & DellaPietra, L. (2000).  Using the WMS-III to detect malingering:  Empirical validation of the Rarely Missed Index (RMI).  Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 22(6), 761-771.
Areas of interest: My current area of interest focuses on creativity and the arts and their relationship to psychology.  I am interested, more specifically, in whether creative individuals such as musicians and artists, use their brains in different ways than people who are not considered creative.  I am analyzing data collected on visual artists and plan to extend this project to include musicians.  I also hope to expand the project to explore creativity in children.  When I’m not working, I play the piano and have been the music director for many community theater musicals.  I have a husband, Patrick, and a five year-old daughter, Julia.
Other roles:   I am the faculty advisor for the Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology.  I also conduct the Holy Family Philadelphia Phillies choir.


Stacy A. McDonald, PhD
Title: Assistant Professor of Psychology
Education:
BA in Psychology, Holy Family University
MA in Psychology, University of Delaware
PhD in Psychology (Social Concentration), University of Delaware
Dissertation title: Commitment Processes in Interracial and Intraracial Romantic Relationships: An Extension of the Investment Model
Office: 308B Holy Family Hall
Phone: 215 637-7700, ext. 3549
email: smcdonald1040@holyfamily.edu
Courses taught: General Psychology, Social Psychology, Research Methods, Advanced Research Methods, Statistics
Recent Publications/Presentations:  Direso, S.A., & Gaertner, S.L.  (2007, May).  Relationship processes in normative and non-normative romantic relationships.  Poster presented at the nineteenth annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Washington, DC. 
Areas of interest: I am interested in examining what predicts commitment in marginalized and non-marginalized romantic relationships. 


FacultyStephen E. Medvec, PhD
Title: Associate Professor of Political Science
Education:
BA in History-Political Science, University of Montana
Fulbright Scholar, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
MA in Political Science, University of Montana
PhD in Political Science, Temple University
Dissertation title: Obstacles to Economic Integration in Post Communist East Central Europe: A Case Study of the Czech/Slovak Republics and Poland
Office: Holy Family Hall 304
Phone: 215 637-7700, ext. 3639
email: smedvec@holyfamily.edu
Courses taught: Introductory Politics; American National Government; The Presidency; Introduction to International Relations; American Political Parties; Political Thought; Constitutional Law; Women, Law, & Politics; Comparative Political Systems; Issues in Contemporary American Foreign Policy; International Law & Organization
Recent Publications/Presentations:
>“Is the Death Penalty Cruel and Unusual Punishment under the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution?”  Address given to the National Association of Student Councils (NASC) at the U.S. Constitution Center, Philadelphia, PA, June 27, 2006.
>Keynote speaker on the role of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at Model United Nations, St. Hubert’s High School for Girls, Philadelphia, PA, January 28, 2006.
>“Kennedy and Cuba:  The Unresolved Legacy.”  Paper presented at the conference “The Kennedy Legacy:  A Forty-Year Perspective” at Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, November 21-22, 2003.
Areas of interest: American politics, the presidency, political parties, and constitutional law; the United Nations, international relations, international law, international commercial law, environmental politics, law of the sea; foreign languages (Czech, French, German, Polish); European politics, European Union, former Soviet-bloc states and the transition from communism to democracy and free-market economies.
Other roles: I am the faculty advisor for Pi Gamma Mu, International Honor Society in Social Sciences, and I serve as the Pre-Law Advisor.  I am married to Alexandra, whom I met during my studies in Poland.


FacultyMegan L. Meyer, PhD
Title: Assistant Professor of Psychology
Education:     
BA in Psychology, The College of New Jersey
MA in Experimental Psychology, Temple University
PhD in Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Temple University
Dissertation title: The perception of non-linear apparent motion paths in displays with obstacles: Evidence for a general solidity constraint and object specific motions.
Office: Holy Family Hall 310
Phone: 215 637-7700, ext. 3254
email: mmeyer@holyfamily.edu
Courses taught: General Psychology; Statistics; Sensation and Perception; Learning; Research Methods; Contemporary Issues in Psychology
Recent Publications/Presentations:
>Meyer, M.L. & Shipley, T.F.  (2004, May). The perception of non-linear apparent motion paths in displays with obstacles: Evidence for a general solidity constraint and object specific motions.  Poster presented at the annual conference of the Vision Sciences Society (VSS), Sarasota, FL.
Areas of interest: Teaching interests include Introduction to Psychology, Sensation and Perception, Research Methods, Physiological Psychology, Learning, Statistics.  Research interests include apparent motion (perceived path of motion), biological motion, illusory contours, representational momentum, olfaction and memory, olfactory imagery.
Other roles:   Co-moderator, Social & Behavioral Sciences club; faculty chaperone for Habitat for Humanity alternative Spring Break trip to New Orleans, Louisiana, in March, 2007.


FacultyJenai Murtha, PhD
Title: Assistant Professor of Sociology
Education:
BA in Psychology, Rosemont College
BA in Sociology, Rosemont College
MS in Gerontology, University of Massachusetts, Boston
PhD in Gerontology, University of Massachusetts, Boston
Dissertation title: Social Predictors of Driving Cessation among Older Adults:  Understanding the Driving Continuum
Office: Holy Family Hall 308B
Phone: 215 637-7700, ext. 3443
email: jmurtha@holyfamily.edu
Courses taught: Introductory Sociology; Marriage and The Family; Race, Class, and Gender; Contemporary Issues; Aging in America; Research Methods; Social Theory; Senior Seminar
Recent Publications/Presentations:
>Social Predictors of Driving Cessation among Older Adults: Understanding the Driving Continuum.  Eastern Sociological Society, March 2007.
>Silverstein, N.M., Sullivan, D., Murtha, J., & Jawad, M. (2005).  The value of a gerontology certificate: A survey of Frank J. Manning alumni 1980-2001. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education.
>Careers in Aging: Career Planning for the Undergraduate and Master’s Level Student.  Panel Presentation at the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education conference in Oklahoma City, OK, February 2005.
Areas of interest: Gerontology (older drivers, productive aging, social retirement, adult education), Sociology (stratification & mobility, social theory, qualitative methods).
Other roles: Class of 2009 Student Government Moderator, Social and Behavioral Science Club Co-Moderator, People to People Primary Delegation Leader, Pi Gamma Mu Treasurer, Rostro de Cristo Ecuadorian retreat leader.


FacultyLeanne R. Owen, PhD
Title: Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
Education:
BA in Political Science, University of Kansas
MA in Comparative Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Wales
PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Wales
Dissertation title: Courting Justice In and Out of Court: The Prosecution of Juvenile Offenders in the United States
Office: Holy Family Hall 304
Phone: 215 637-7700, ext. 3550
email: lowen@holyfamily.edu
Courses taught:  Introduction to the Criminal Justice System; Nature of Crime and Delinquency; Victimology; Corrections; Juveniles and the Law; Introduction to Criminal Investigation; Court System and Court Procedure; Advanced Research Methods in Criminal Justice; Seminar in Criminal Justice; Special Topic: Crime and Punishment in Great Britain; Understanding Violence in Schools
Recent Publications/Presentations:
>Guest speaker at the Annual Meeting of the Phi Beta Kappa Association of the Delaware Valley (March 2007), presentation entitled “A Perspective on Juvenile Crime and the Murder Rate in Philadelphia”
>In progress: an entry entitled “Is School Violence Increasing in Frequency and Severity?” for the two-volume encyclopedia entitled Battleground: Controversies in Criminal Justice, edited by Gregg Barak, published by Greenwood Press (December 2006 submission date, 2008 expected publication date)
>Owen, L.(2006). “Prosecuting Juvenile Offenders,” Chapter 15 in Sims, B. and Preston, P.(eds.) The Handbook of Juvenile Justice: Theory and Practice. New York, NY: Taylor and Francis.
Areas of interest: Prosecutorial discretion; juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice; school violence.
Other roles: Mentor in the First-Year Experience Program; faculty moderator of Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honor Society; Study Abroad trip to London with a “Crime and Punishment in Great Britain” theme in May, 2007.


FacultyDanny Pirtle, PhD
Title: Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
Education:
BS in Interdisciplinary Studies, Tennessee State University
MS in Juvenile Justice, Prairie View A&M University
PhD, Department of Juvenile Justice and Psychology, Prairie View, A&M University
Dissertation title:  The Role of Placement in Reducing Juvenile Female Recidivism
Office: Holy Family Hall 315
Phone: 215 637-7700, ext. 3468
email: dpirtle@holyfamily.edu
Courses taught: Introduction to Criminal Justice; Organized and Organizational Crime; Comparative Criminology; Corrections; Probation/ Parole; Juvenile Justice Issues
Recent Publications/Presentations:
>Prairie View A & M University Juvenile Justice and Psychology Symposium (2006).  The Texas Family Code (Juvenile Law)/ What Are My Rights and Obligations When My Child is Arrested?
>Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (2006).  From Slave Ship to Hurricane Katrina’s Superdome: A Case of Conflict Theory.
>Professional Development seminar in gang prevention strategies and identifiers, March 2004.
Areas of interest: Female delinquency, juvenile program evaluation/recidivism, race, gender, and crime issues, and crime policy.  My career purpose is to teach and undertake research in the area of juvenile/criminal justice and criminology.  I do not see a rigid dividing line between research and teaching.  Good teachers need to be at the cutting edge of recent scholarship in order to help students see the vitality of our work.  Social science is not just a collection of facts, but rather an area of puzzling ideas, contradictions, and new areas of inquiry.
Other roles: Criminal Justice Internship Facilitator

Related Links
POLITICAL SCIENCE
American Society of International Law: www.asil.org
American Political Science Association: www.apsa.org
Pi Gamma Mu, International Honor Society in Social Sciences: www.pigammamu.org

SOCIOLOGY
Eastern Sociological Society: www.essnet.org
American Sociological Association: www.asanet.org
Rostro de Cristo Ecuadorian retreat: www.rostrodecristo.org

CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honor Society: www.alphaphisigma.org
Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences: www.acjs.org
American Society of Criminology: www.asc41.com
Victim-Offender Mediation Association: www.voma.org  
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention: ojjdp.ncjrs.org

PSYCHOLOGY
American Psychological Association: www.apa.org
Careers in Psychology: www.apa.org/students/student1.html
Eastern Psychological Association: www.easternpsychological.org
Graduate School in Psychology: www.apa.org/students/student3.html
Habitat for Humanity: www.habitat.org
International Association for Relationship Research: www.iarr.org
Library Handouts: www.holyfamily.edu/library/handouts.shtml
National Academy of Neuropsychology: www.nanolnine.org
Philadelphia Neuropsychology Society: www.pns-pa.org
Social Psychology Network: www.socialpsychology.org/
Society for Personality and Social Psychology: www.spsp.org
The American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology: www.theaacn.org


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