Dr. Stephen Reysen serves as Professor in the Department of Psychology and Special Education within the College of Education and Human Services at East Texas A&M University, where he has held progressively senior positions since 2009. His expertise centers on social psychology with specialized focus on fan communities and identity formation across diverse cultural contexts. His educational foundation includes: Ph.D. in Social Psychology from University of Kansas (2009) M.A. in Psychology from California State University, Fresno (2005) B.A. in Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz (2003) Reysen's research program investigates fanship phenomena through rigorous examination of anime enthusiasts, furries, and bronies (My Little Pony fans), revealing universal psychological mechanisms across seemingly disparate communities. His work on global citizenship explores how transnational identities develop, while his foundational research on collective identity examines its impact on social behavior and attitudes. Methodologically, he employs longitudinal designs and cross-cultural comparisons to uncover deep psychological patterns. Publication analysis shows consistent thematic focus on identity expression within specialized communities, with increasing methodological sophistication from descriptive studies (2016 furry research) to comprehensive theoretical frameworks (2018 global citizenship review) and finally to in-depth community analyses (2019 bronies study). This trajectory demonstrates growing influence in applying social psychology to unconventional cultural domains. His research excellence is recognized through: Chuck Arize Excellence in Research Award (2020) Professor of the Year honor (2017) Dual research awards including Provost Award and Outstanding Researcher (2012) Reysen actively mentors undergraduate researchers through PSY 413 Research Apprenticeship, encouraging early lab involvement. His current longitudinal study on anime fans represents significant grant-funded work through the International Anthropomorphic Research Project, with future expansion planned across multiple fandoms. He teaches core courses including Social Psychology (his specialty), Group Dynamics, and Doctoral Dissertation supervision. He co-directs the International Anthropomorphic Research Project and leads the multi-year anime fan longitudinal study, building collaborative teams that bridge academic research with community engagement in specialized fan cultures.
