Lori Bica

Lori Bica, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. She also holds an affiliation with the Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department (REGSS). Her research focuses on developmental psychology, particularly lifespan changes in physical, cognitive, and social/emotional domains, alongside child nutrition and gender studies.

Dr. Bica earned a B.A. in Psychology from Michigan State University, followed by an M.A. and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from The Ohio State University. She joined UW-Eau Claire in 2000.

Her teaching includes courses such as Introduction to Psychology, Human Development, and Psychology of Women, which also serves as an elective for the LGBTQ Studies certificate. She emphasizes collaborative undergraduate research, mentoring students in projects spanning multiple years. Her research mentorship focuses on teaching fundamentals of research design, including IRB proposals, data analysis, and conference/publishing preparations.

Her scholarship includes evaluating the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program’s impact on children’s dietary habits, as well as studies on visual perception and body image in developmental contexts. She collaborates with students on diverse research topics rooted in their interests, such as proposals from her Psychology of Women course.

Labs/Teams: Works with an undergraduate research team focusing on long-term, individualized learning experiences. Her work bridges psychology, education, and public health, with a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration.