Bret Roark

Dr. Bret Roark serves as Chair of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and holds the Ralph and Marie Barby Endowed Professorship in Psychology at Oklahoma Baptist University. He has been teaching since 1992, specializing in Cognitive Psychology and the scientific foundations of Psychology. His research focuses on memory processes, category learning, and psycholinguistics.

Education:

• B.A., Oklahoma Baptist University
• Ph.D., Texas Tech University (Dissertation: "Human and Computer Learning of Linguistic Categories")

Research Interests: Dr. Roark explores cognitive mechanisms underlying memory accuracy, social categorization, and language-based learning. His work bridges theoretical psychology with practical applications in education and computational modeling. Recent efforts emphasize student-led research presentations at professional conferences.

Publications Overview: His work spans memory processes, social categorization, and psycholinguistic modeling. Key themes include verbal information retention, category competition dynamics, and prototype development in art and cognition.

Awards:

• Promising Teacher Award (OBU)
• Ralph and Marie Barby Endowed Professorship

Academic Leadership: Dr. Roark actively mentors students through research projects, regularly presenting their findings at conferences. He teaches courses including Statistics for Behavioral Sciences, Cognition, and Biological Psychology.