Merry Sleigh

Dr. Merry Sleigh is a Professor of Psychology at Winthrop University's Department of Psychology, within the College of Arts and Sciences. She joined Winthrop in 2003 after completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Indiana University and serving as Director of the Psychology Honors Program at George Mason University. She holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Biopsychology from Virginia Tech (1996) and a B.A. in Psychology and English from James Madison University.

Her research focuses on neonatal development, teaching effectiveness, and undergraduate research mentorship. She has published in journals such as Teaching of Psychology, Developmental Psychobiology, and Journal of Psychological Inquiry, where she serves as an Associate Editor. She also contributed to the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research.

Dr. Sleigh has received numerous awards for teaching and mentorship, including the 2015 Kendra Ogletree Cusaac Outstanding Psychology Professor and multiple Psi Chi recognition awards. Her student collaborators have frequently won regional/national research awards.

She has held leadership roles, including over six years on the Psi Chi Board of Directors and contributions to Winthrop's Psychology Honors Program. Her academic service includes peer-review roles and editorial work in psychological research.