Kathleen Ingram

Kathleen Ingram, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is tenured and actively contributes to the field of Counseling Psychology, focusing on how social connections affect health outcomes. Her work bridges sociology and psychology, emphasizing the role of social support in chronic illness and well-being.

• Ph.D. in Psychology from The Ohio State University (1995)

Dr. Ingram’s research explores the interplay between social interactions and health. She investigates how supportive and unsupportive responses from others influence adjustment in individuals with chronic illnesses like cancer, examining outcomes such as distress, quality of life, and posttraumatic growth. Additionally, she studies the health benefits of human-companion animal relationships, a unique intersection of social and health psychology.

Her recent publications highlight trends in psychosocial oncology, autism parenting dynamics, fertility-related stress, and the development of social interaction scales. These works emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, integrating psychology, sociology, and animal behavior studies.

Kathleen Ingram teaches courses including Applications of Statistics, Contemporary Developments in Counseling Psychology, and Psychology of Women. She maintains a lab website for her research but is not accepting new graduate students for Fall 2023.

Dr. Ingram’s office is located in Room 202 of the Younger House at 919 W. Franklin St., VCU. She can be contacted via email at kingram@vcu.edu or phone at (804) 827-1307.