معرفی
Joan Wertz serves as Associate Dean of Student Success and Professor of Psychology at Monmouth College, where she has been a faculty member since 2001. Her academic work centers on the Department of Psychology within this liberal arts institution.
Her educational background includes:
- B.S. from Allegheny College (1991)
- Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh (2002)
Professor Wertz's research investigates substance abuse mechanisms with particular focus on drug craving dynamics. She examines how anticipation of drug use opportunity influences cognitive processing and emotional states during craving experiences, bridging biological psychology with health outcomes. Her work explores risk factors for substance use while addressing broader physical and psychological health implications through rigorous experimental paradigms.
Her publication record from 2001-2007 reveals consistent focus on craving mechanisms in smokers and drinkers, employing experimental methods to analyze attentional biases and cue reactivity. These studies predominantly utilize self-report measures and controlled laboratory settings to dissect the psychological architecture of addiction across multiple substances.
Her scientific contributions have earned significant recognition:
- Alumni Impact Award: Distinguished Service (2022)
- Hatch Faculty Award for Distinguished Teaching (2010)
- Hatch Faculty Award for Distinguished Service to the Institution (2005)
As an educator, Professor Wertz teaches core psychology courses including Biopsychology, Health Psychology, and advanced research methods. She mentors students through research seminars and independent studies, developing the next generation of psychological scientists. Her sustained research output indicates successful cultivation of internal institutional support despite the absence of externally documented grant funding.
No dedicated research laboratories or large collaborative teams are mentioned in available materials; her work appears conducted within the intimate framework characteristic of small liberal arts colleges.
