Part-time Instructors

2024 Fall Semester Part Time Instructors

Grace Blatt, M.A.	Tanisha Knighton, Ph.D.	Colleen Pinar, Ph.D.
Bethany Cox, M.A.	Alan Kornspan, Ed.D.	Maria Rowlett, M.A.
Sammie L Davis-Dyson, M.Ed., Ed.S.	Jaclyn Merrill, M.A.	Nichole Saunders, Ph.D.
Traci Harmon, Ph.D.	Ryan Muskin, M.A.	Stephen Slane, Ph.D.
Alan Ho, Ph.D.	Kristi Ninnemann, M.A. MPH	Alyssa Tirabassi, M.A.
James Jordan, M.A.	David Paulik, M.A.	Brittany Wishart, M.A.

Grace Blatt, M.A. 

g.blatt@csuohio.edu 

Grace holds a Masters in Psychological Sciences from Cleveland State University. She also obtained her Bachelors from CSU with a major in psychology with a minor in neuroscience. Grace’s research interests include studying the perceptual processes and thresholds of neurodiverse individuals. Grace currently works for the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities as a Good Life Ambassador. In this role she has given over 300 presentations and trainings educating diverse audiences about disability inclusion, accessibility, appreciation and evidenced-based practices to use when interacting with disabled individuals. Grace is also a member of Milestones Autism Resources’ Associate Board and serves on their executive national conference committee. She is currently working towards obtaining the Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator (ADAC) Certification in order to serve as a consultant on ADA Title II matters to businesses.  In her free time, Grace likes to make jewelry, knit, crochet and cuddle with her cat, Phinnigan.

Bethany Cox, M.A. 

b.g.cox48@vikes.csuohio.edu 

Bethany Cox received her B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Mount Union (Alliance, OH) in 2019. She then moved to Cleveland to attend Cleveland State University and pursue her Master’s in the Department of Psychology’s Experimental Research Program. Upon graduating with her first master’s degree, she started the Adult Development and Aging Ph.D. program, a joint program between Cleveland State University and the University of Akron where she is currently a doctoral candidate. As a member of Dr. M^cLennan’s Language Research Laboratory, Bethany’s research interests include the age-related differences in auditory processing related to musicianship, spoken word recognition, and memory. Bethany was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award for Graduate Student Teaching from the CSU College of Graduate Studies in May of 2024. In her free time, she enjoys serving as a member of the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging’s Young Professionals Council, making music, and playing with her dog, Lucy.

Sammie L Davis-Dyson, M.Ed., Ed.S.

s.davis-dyson@csuohio.edu

Education

• Ed. D.  Studies begun Fall 2017, Liberty University, (Community Care & Pastoral Counseling), expect completion in Spring 2022
• (ABD). Cleveland State University, 2002:  class work completed for Ph.D. in Counseling, dissertation not completed
• Ed. S.  Cleveland State University, 1998:  Education Specialist degree in Psychometrics
• M.Ed.  Cleveland State University, 1995:  Master of Education in Community Agency Counseling
• B.A.    Oberlin College, 1991:  Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Religion
   

Professional Experience

• Cleveland State University, Part-time Instructor for Research Methods PSY312
• Cleveland State University, Part-time Instructor for Introduction to Psychology PSY 101, & Research Lab PSY 412
• Adjunct Professor of Psychology, Social Sciences, Lorain County Community College (Introduction to Psychology, Human Growth & Development, Child Psychology, and Abnormal Psychology
• Assistant Professor of Counseling/Tenure Track, Associate of Arts degree program
• Assistant Professor of Counseling/Tenure Track, Focus on Retention, Lorain County Community College
• Assistant Professor and teacher of "Creating Strategies for College Success"
• Supervised internship for Master's degree student at Cleveland State University, employed by Early College High School, (Jenifer Johnson)
• Coordinator of Special Advising, Student Academic Services, Oberlin College
• Teacher in the Oberlin College Experimental College (EXCO) program on various topics related to the Bible 

Traci Jo Harmon, Ph.D.

t.j.harmon52@csuohio.edu

Dr. Harmon has been teaching for over 5 years. Most people call her TJ. She graduated from Cleveland State University with her BS in Psychology and went on to Tiffin, John Carroll, and Liberty University to finish her educational journey. Recently, she has received a PhD in criminal justice. She loves teaching at Cleveland State and also teaches at Lorain County Community College. Dr. Harmon's teaching philosophy is to impart the knowledge needed for a psychology career, while also sending students out to be more compassionate, kind, and understanding of others.

Alan Ho, Ph.D.

a.y.ho@csuohio.edu

Teaching Philosophy: The purpose of higher education should not solely be to obtain a job, but should also be about self-betterment and personal growth. I want students to have the intellectual curiosity to not only learn the course material, but to also motive and challenge those around them to keep exploring, analyzing, and evaluating intellectual ideas. Education is the ticket to autonomy; education helps people make informed decisions about their personal lives and gives confidence to people to challenge the status quo. Thus, students should take ownership of their educational journey and embrace the challenges which they will face. When faced with challenges, students should not let it define who they are but should take something away from it which will make them more resilient and a better person. I will use my education and my experiences as a student to foster an environment that will allow you to thrive in your educational journey. 

Teaching:   This will be my sixth year teaching undergraduate courses in psychology at Cleveland State University. I teach all levels of psychology courses from Introduction to Psychology to 400 level courses. Teaching is a rewarding and exciting job. It is always a tremendous feeling when students come back years later and tell me how they remember my stories from class and how they learned from these stories. To be a part of someone else's success and happiness, no matter how small a part I played, is a great feeling. 

Personal:  Besides my love for teaching, I enjoy rooting for my Pittsburgh sports teams. Growing up in Pittsburgh, I do bleed Black and Gold. However, I do love the city of Cleveland. I enjoy trying out new recipes, new foods, and thoroughly love the restaurants Cleveland has to offer. Cleveland is truly a diverse culinary delight!

James Jordan, M.A.

j.jordan94@csuohio.edu

Mr. Jordan's primary focus is teaching. He obtained his undergraduate degree at Youngstown State University and completed his graduate studies in psychology at Ball State University. Mr. Jordan's research interest is in mental illness in individuals with intellectual disabilities. He also has over 30 years of clinical experience in this field. Mr. Jordan enjoys teaching a wide variety of Psychology courses including Introduction to Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Human Sexuality, Careers in Psychology, Quantitative Methods in Psychology, and Research Methods. Mr. Jordan has taught Clinical Assessment and Research Methods in the Graduate Counseling Program at John Carroll University and teaches a variety of courses at Lorain County Community College where he has been a professor for 30 years.

Tanisha Knighton, Ph. D.

t.knighton@csuohio.edu

Dr. Tanisha L. Knighton is licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in providing psychotherapy services to adolescents, adults, couples, and family.  Her clinical interest areas are suicidality/grief/loss, human trafficking, depression, trauma, sexual abuse, sexual offending behaviors, forensic issues, substance use disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), ethics, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Knighton has a passion for working with those affected by missing persons and human trafficking issues.  She also enjoys serving those in the BIPOC community that are impacted by suicidality and helping those who identify as LGBTQI+ navigate the complexities that may exist in being their authentic selves. 

In addition to private practice, Dr. Knighton has served as a consultant, designed curricula and presented/led hundreds of seminars and workshops on a variety of topics for federal/state grants and grantees, NGOs, CACs and national conferences.  Dr. Knighton has over a two decades of experience working with culturally diverse clients in social service roles and law enforcement roles. 

Dr. Knighton earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Baldwin Wallace College, her master’s degree in forensic psychology from Tiffin University, and her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Walden University.  She is a member of several social and civic organizations in her community.

Alan Kornspan, Ed.D.

Dr. Kornspan is currently a single-term instructor with the Department of Psychology at Cleveland State University. He is currently teaching courses within the undergraduate psychology program.

Dr. Kornspan received his Ed.D. from West Virginia University in Sport Behavior with a concentration in Applied Sport Psychology. In addition, Dr. Kornspan received his master's degree from Michigan State University in physical education and exercise science with a concentration in the psychosocial aspects of sport and his bachelor's degree from Ohio State University. His research interests include the history of sport and exercise psychology, professional and contemporary issues in sport psychology and the history of baseball.

Since 1995, Dr. Kornspan has published 40 articles in refereed journals related to the social science of sport. In addition, Dr. Kornspan has published the book Fundamentals of Sport and Exercise Psychology.  Additionally, Dr. Kornspan has published five book chapters on sport and exercise psychology, three encyclopedia and dictionary entries related to the history of sport and exercise psychology and 12 book sections that provide information related to books and videos in sport and exercise psychology for the past six editions of the Directory of Graduate Programs in Applied Sport Psychology.  

Dr. Kornspan's scholarly work has impacted the field of sport psychology. Specifically, his research on the history of sport and exercise psychology is cited in top sport and exercise psychology textbooks throughout the world.

Jaclyn Merrill, M.A.

j.merrill46@csuohio.edu 

Ryan Muskin, M.A.

r.m.muskin@vikes.csuohio.edu

After obtaining a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Dayton in 2019, Ryan Muskin completed a Master's degree in psychological science at Cleveland State in 2021 before obtaining a position as a clinical research specialist for the University Hospital's psychiatry department. After a year of professional research experience, Ryan returned to Cleveland State to pursue a Ph.D. in the Adult Development and Aging program. Ryan is a long-standing member of Dr. Eric Allard's Aging Cognition and Emotions (ACE) laboratory where he has established a body of research focused on emotional processes and outcomes across the life span. Ryan's research interested include understanding the influence of age characteristics on emotional processes and outcomes. More specifically, how does age affect emotions from young adulthood through old age, and how might these changes over time predict individual outcomes. 

Kristi Ninnemann, M.A. M.P.H.

k.ninnemann@csuohio.edu

Kristi Ninnemann is a part-time psychology instructor at Cleveland State University. She is a Ph.D. Candidate at Case Western Reserve University and works as a Research Associate in the Department of Psychiatry of a local hospital system. In 1999, Kristi earned a master’s degree in Community Counseling. She worked as a mental health practitioner from 1997-2008, specializing in diagnostic and ER-based crisis assessment. Kristi has specialized training and experience in forensic psychology, and she has worked as a Critical Incident Response Team member trained to conduct hostage negotiations and debriefings. Out of a desire to broaden her impact on the care and treatment of persons with mental illness, Kristi returned to graduate school in 2008. She graduated in 2014 with a Master of Public Health from CWRU. She will soon graduate with a Ph.D. in Medical Anthropology. Her dissertation research explores how prior and immediate experiences with psychiatry, psychiatric paradigms, and cultural representations of psychiatry and its treatments intersect and shape the experiences of individuals currently receiving electroconvulsive or ketamine therapy. In all of her work, she strives to understand patient-identified micro and macro-level factors impacting psychiatric illness and care outcomes, working to elevate the voices, experiences, and priorities of those with mental illness.  Kristi has taught courses and lectured at numerous institutions and is passionate about sharing the complexities and nuances of psychiatric illness, disease, healing, and care with others.

David Paulik, M.A. M.A.M

d.paulik@csuohio.edu

David has been a part-time instructor in the psychology department at Cleveland State since 2021. He has taught personality and methods courses for the department. David is also a full-time professor at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland where he teaches a variety of courses including general psychology, development, educational psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, and behavioral statistics.

David is an educational psychologist by training with broad interests in student learning, including strategies that promote meaningful learning, cognitive factors that regulate the learning process, and motivational factors aimed at encouraging students to use effective strategies.

David has a Master of Arts degree in educational psychology from Kent State University, a Master of Arts in ministry degree from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Science degree in molecular biology with minors in chemistry and psychology from Kent State University. He is also finishing his PhD in Developmental and Learning Sciences at the University of Cincinnati with a slated completion in spring 2025.

David is passionate about teaching and helping students achieve their long and short-term academic and professional goals.

Colleen Pinar, Ph.D. 

c.pinar@csuohio.edu

Dr. Colleen Pinar has a PhD in Educational Psychology, MS in Exercise and Sports Psychology, two MM in Music Education (Instrumental; Kodaly), and a BFA in Music Education. She is passionate about psychological techniques to improve human performance, learning, and teaching. She has taught 14 years at the university level and 11 years in public schools. She has presented at the National Association for Music Education (21 papers); American Educational Research Association (20 papers); Gender Research in Music Education-International Consortium on Equity in Music Education; American Psychological Association; Association for the Education of Young Children (15 papers) and workshops in sixteen states. Also, Dr. Pinar has published two books for young teachers and articles in eight journals.

Positions held include:

• NAfME Gender and Sexuality SRIG Chair
• AERA Social and Emotional Learning SIG Newsletter Editor
• Online Journal GEMS (Gender, Education, Music, and Society) Editor 2013-2015

Maria Rowlett, M.A.

m.rowlett@csuohio.edu

Maria has been a part-time instructor at Cleveland State University since August of 2008.  Maria specializes in the area of survey/questionnaire construction, statistical analysis, research design, and interpretation, as well as report writing.  She brings expertise based on academic research and professional experience.  Maria has published numerous journal articles in the Behavioral Sciences and has supervised many students in the completion of research projects, journal articles, theses, and dissertations. She has also been selected as a disciplinary mentor for the McNairs Scholar Program numerous times.   In addition, Maria has been involved in project-based data coding, analysis, and summarization for presentation to clients for a mid-west based research company serving for-profit and not-for-profit companies.  

Research Interests: Extensive research experience on Job Satisfaction, Vocational Interests, Time Perception, and Personality. Additional skills include survey questionnaire construction, scoring, report writing, and data analysis.  

Teaching Areas:

• PSY 217/317: Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences 
• PSY 312: Research Methods 
• PSY 412: Psychology Lab 
• PSY 415: Evaluating Psychological Research

Professional Affiliation: Midwest Psychological Association

Recent Professional Presentation: "Time Perception and Personality." Midwest Psychological Association (Chicago, IL; May, 2015).

Nichole Saunders, Ph.D.

n.e.saunders@csuohio.edu 

Stephen Slane, Ph.D.

s.slane@csuohio.edu

Professor Emeritus:

• Department of Psychology
• Areas of Interest/Specialization: Social Psychology, Statistics, Research Design

Research interests: Time perception and behavior

Education:

• University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Ph.D. (Psychology)
• Idaho State University, B.S., M.S. (Experimental Psychology)
• Employment and Positions Held at Cleveland State University:
• Previous Interim Director School of Health Sciences
• Previous Interim Director, School of Social Work
• Previous Associate Dean (for faculty), College of Science
• Interim Chair, Department of Speech and Hearing, 2005-2006
• Interim Chair, Department of Health Sciences, 2003 to 2006
• Chairperson, Department of Psychology, 1988 to 1995

Peer-Reviewed Publications (select):

• Rosman, J., Slane, S., Dery, B., Vogelbaum, M., Cohen-Gadol, A., & Couldwell, W. (2013). Is there a shortage of neurosurgeons in the United States? Neurosurgery 73(2), 354-366.
• Sikand, K., Slane, S., & Shukla, G. (2009). Intrinsic expression of host genes and introns miRNAs in prostate carcinoma cells. Cancer Cell International, 9: 21.
• Rakos, R., Steyer, K., Skala, S., & Slane, S. (2008). Belief in free will: Measurement and conceptualization innovations. Behavior & Social Issues, 17, 22-30.

Alyssa Tirabassi, M.A. 

a.m.tirabassi81@csuohio.edu 

Brittany Wishart, M.A.

bwishart@csuohio.edu  

Brittany Wishart is a 2006 graduate of the University of Dayton, where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She went on to Walsh University and in 2010 graduated with two Masters of Arts degrees-one in Mental Health Counseling and the other in School Counseling. She received licenses in both disciplines and began her career as a Child and Adolescent therapist at the Nord Center in Lorain, Ohio. After two years, she moved to Denver, Colorado, and started a private practice of her own. For 5 years she treated children and adults who struggle with mental and emotional disorders. She also worked part-time as a subject matter expert for the University of the Rockies. Brittany created 9 graduate courses to meet CACREP standards in order to revitalize the graduate counseling program.  Brittany enjoyed creating courses so much that in 2017, she moved back to Ohio and began to pursue a teaching career in the field of Psychology. Brittany currently holds instructor positions at Cleveland State University and Lakeland Community College, and she is currently a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in the state of Ohio.

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