Psychology
The Bachelor of Science with a Major in Psychology is designed for students who want to make a difference in the lives of others. It provides students with a strong background for graduate studies, as well as entry into leadership positions in community government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and business. It also provides workforce entry into a variety of human service areas.
A strength of the BS in Psychology program is our focus on experiential learning. Students have opportunities to engage in hands-on Service-Learning, research, and internships with local agencies and community partners. Our students also have opportunities to collaborate with program faculty and other students to design, conduct, and present research at regional and national conferences.
This major offers students a uniquely innovative choice of curricula aimed at addressing 21st Century changes in demography, privations, and technology. It offers student-centered instruction and advising by nationally and internationally recognized faculty, with a strong emphasis on research. Contemporary psychology is both a scientific and applied field of study with interdisciplinary roots that provides a strong liberal arts background and pathways to numerous careers.
This degree offers three concentrations: Psychological Science, Community and Organizational Leadership, and Human Services. The Psychological Science concentration will provide students with a rigorous program of study in the science of psychology, including the theory, research, and quantitative methods of both basic and applied psychology. Community and Organizational Leadership is an applied field based in organizational and community psychology and business. Psychology of Human Services is an emerging field at the intersection of psychology, health, and business.
Concentrations in Psychology
The Psychological Science concentration will provide students with a rigorous program of study in the science of psychology, including the theory, research, and quantitative methods of both basic and applied psychology.
Community and Organizational Leadership is an applied field based in organizational and community psychology and business.
Psychology of Human Services is an emerging field at the intersection of psychology, health, and business.
Mariners Present Research at Annual Psychological Conference
You get to have actual conversations with the people who did the research, and ask questions or make suggestions. That was one of the things my students enjoyed. People would read their poster, talk to them about their projects, and make suggestions. It has inspired some to do a follow-up study.
-Dr. Kimberly Mannahan, Professor of Psychology
Making Connections Through Brain Mapping
Understanding the components of the brain is key in psychology while exploring the human mind and its functions. Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Aurora Ramos Nuñez used an interesting activity to help students learn brain mapping.
Dr. Carla Bluhm
Education
Ph.D. Developmental Psychology, Columbia University
Ph.M. Developmental Psychology, Columbia University
ED.M. Developmental, Educational, and Cognitive Psychology, Columbia University
M.A. Developmental Psychology, Columbia University
B.S. Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Bluhm aims to help students complete each course successfully with rigor and support to do their best work. Overall, she embraces both traditional and emergent technology along with other high-impact practices, such as writing and service learning, to engage students in their learning of course material. She developed the country of Portugal for the University System of Georgia Goes Global program that supports the high-impact practice of study abroad for USG students. Her program puts her in Porto for two weeks in the summers to live amongst and help integrate USG student learners in other cultures’ language, music, environment, and people, as they engage in taking 6 academic credits. Dr. Bluhm’s scholarship is usually something she shares with students, and she has presented with students at both the American Psychological Association and Southeastern Psychological Association. As the founder of the College of Coastal Georgia Psychology Club (in 2010) and Ukulele Club (2024), she has worked to support student activities and gotten to know students more informally.
Clyde Brady
Education
BA Land Use Management, Metropolitan State University of Denver
MA Geography, University of Denver
MBA Project Management, Brenau University
Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
I am currently pursuing a certificate in Education Design and Information Technology at the University of Georgia. I am specifically interested in ways to enhance geographical online education with emphasis on regional distributions of cultural aspects associated with poverty and wealth.
Dr. John Brown
Education
Ph.D. in Psychology, City University of New York
M.A. in Psychology, Queens College
B.A. in Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara
Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My research interests are focused on the application of behavior analytic principles in a variety of areas related to the improvement of the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A major area of interest is the development of procedures that can be used to teach socially-relevant skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.
Dr. Drew Cagle
Education
Ph.D. Political Science, University of Alabama (Summer 2023)
Major Field: American Politics; Minor Field: Public Policy, International Relations
Dissertation: “Democratic Expectations: Norm-Breaking, Democratic Hypocrisy, and Accountability in an Age of Identity Politics”
Committee: Nicholas Davis (chair), Joseph Smith, Richard Fording, Cynthia Peacock, Regina Wagner
M.A., University of Alabama (with distinction) (Spring 2021)
B.S., Political Science, University of Tennessee at Martin (December 2017), Magna Cum Laude
Minor in Legal Studies
Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
I am an Assistant Professor of Political Science whose teaching and research focus on American politics, democratic norms, public opinion, and the role of media in shaping political behavior. My teaching emphasizes critical thinking, research design, and the practical application of political science to contemporary democratic challenges, with courses including American Government, Media and Politics, and political methodology. My research examines how citizens respond to norm-breaking, elite misinformation, and accountability in polarized political environments, often using experimental and quantitative methods.
Recent works include:
Cagle, D., and N. T. Davis. 2024. “ Civility norm violations and political accountability.” Social Science Quarterly 105: 832–842. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.13383
Cagle, D. (2025). conflicting norms the case of gerrymandering. Questions in Politics, 11.
Dr. Marci Culley
Education
Ph.D. in Psychology, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Master of Community Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg
B.S. in Psychology, Michigan State University
Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Culley teaches a number of courses in psychology, including Introduction to General Psychology, Psychology of Adjustment, Community Psychology, Environmental Psychology, Psychology of Women, Ethics & Professional Issues in Psychology, and Program Development & Grant-Writing. Dr. Culley’s program of research is focused on individual, community, organizational, and institutional responses to environmental hazards. She specializes in citizen participation in environmental decision-making and the links between individual transformation and larger community and social change processes. In particular, she investigates psychosocial responses to environmental disputes, how citizen participation processes are shaped by power dynamics, and how community psychologists can inform change efforts aimed at the human-caused environmental crises related to global climate change. She has also written about the history and content of the scholarly literature of community psychology. Dr. Culley has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, regularly presents her work in scholarly venues, and has supervised numerous students’ undergraduate research and service learning projects in partnership with community partners. She has also mentored several students in the honors program.
Dr. Kimberly Mannahan
Dr. Mannahan earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from University of Georgia, her master of science in applied psychology from Augusta University, and her Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Arkansas. Her area of expertise is social psychology and her research primarily focuses on retribution and revenge. Dr. Mannahan especially enjoys mentoring students in the research process. Her students present their collaborative research projects at a regional professional conference each year. They also present their work at the Endeavor Conference, the undergraduate research conference held on our campus each spring.
Courses regularly taught:
Introduction to Psychology
Abnormal Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Social Psychology
Experimental Psychology
Psychology and the Law
Dr. Hector Montford
Education
Ph.D. in History (2016), Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
Major Field, U.S. History Since 1865
Minor Fields in Latin American History and U.S. War and Society
Dissertation: “The Best of Friends and Neighbors: U.S. Public Diplomacy in Cuba, 1953-1961”
Certificate in Archival Studies (2011), Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
M.A. in History (2006), University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida
Emphasis in Public History
B.S. in History and Political Science (1998), Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Areas of academic interest include U.S. History Since 1865, U.S. Cold War History, U.S. Diplomatic History, Latin American History, and Public History.
Recent Scholarly Projects and Exhibits:
Coastal African American Historic Preservation Commission Exhibit, 2024
•“More than a Classroom: Segregated Education in Brunswick”
Newcastle Street Revitalization Project, 2023
•Through a fellowship awarded by the College of Coastal Georgia, conducted a series of oral history interviews of local government officials and business owners important to the revitalization of Newcastle Street in Downtown Brunswick. Using these oral histories, along with archival research, developed a digital story map of the history of the topic, highlighting significant projects and initiatives associated with the history of the downtown revitalization.
Coastal Georgia Funeral Programs Digitization Project, 2022
•Working with students, digitized almost two dozen funeral programs of local African Americans and placed their programs online for public viewing. The funeral programs project will be useful for future genealogical research.
Marshes of Glynn Libraries Oral History Project, 2022
•With assistance from students, conducted an oral history project with former staff of the Marshes of Glynn Library to document the organization’s history.
Forward Brunswick “Liberty Brunswick” Project, 2021
•Served as a member of the organization’s “Story Team” to develop historical narratives related to the Brunswick Shipyard in operation during WWII for Forward Brunswick’s effort to plant 99 trees in honor of the ships constructed in the yard during the war. Narratives will be featured with newly planted trees on selected sites around the city.
Gullah – Geechee Archives (Working Title), 2021
•Serve as Co-Chair of a nascent committee tasked with developing a strategy to establish a repository for African American historical materials related to the Brunswick, Georgia, region.
Glynn Environmental Coalition Oral History, 2021
•Conducted oral history interviews of member of the Glynn Environmental Coalition to document organizational history of the group.
Risley High School Digitization Project, 2021
•With the aid of students, digitized photographic collection and historical materials related to the segregated Risley High School in Brunswick, Georgia, to help preserve the history of the school.
•Uploaded digital scans of photographs and materials to an online database to allow public access to the collection.
College of Coastal Georgia Student Veterans Oral History Project, 2020
•Served as the coordinator for a series of interviews between students and College of Coastal Georgia student-veterans, monitoring the interviews and assisting students as they conducted their oral histories.
Brunswick African American Cultural Center Oral History Project, 2020
•With assistance from students, conducted oral history project on the Brunswick, Georgia, African American Community, focusing on events and experiences from the 1950s to the 1970s. Topics include the local Civil Rights Movement, segregation and desegregation of local educational and recreational facilities, and documenting the historically Black neighborhoods of the city.
RECENT PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
Society of Georgia Archivists:, 2024
•Virtual Video Presentation: “The Benefits and Challenges of Using Undergraduate Interns in Local Archives”
Georgia Association of Historians, 2024
•Paper Presentation: “The Newcastle Street Revitalization Oral History Project”
Digital Library of Georgia Workshop, 2023:
•Virtual Presentation: “The Value of Preserving the Past for Students and the Community”
Conference on the Americas Council Annual Conference, 2023
•Paper Presentation: “Stressing Progress: The US Information Agency’s Effort to Explain Segregation and the Civil Rights Movement in the US to the Cuban Public in the 1950s”
Society of Georgia Archivists Annual Conference, 2022
•Paper Presentation: Preserving Local History with the Help of Undergraduate Research
Coastal Scholars Showcase, 2022
•Paper Presentation: “The Value of Local History to Students and the Community”
Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations Annual Conference, 2020 (Meeting canceled due to COVID-19)
•Paper Presentation: “The Meat in the Political Sandwich: Promoting Science, Technology, and Culture in the USIA’s Public Diplomacy Message in Cuba, 1953-1960.”
Recent Community Presentations:
Coastal Georgia Historical Society Brunswick Lecture Series, 2025
•Paper Presentation “Brunswick’s New Deal”
Friends of Jekyll Island Presentation, 2025
•Paper Presentation: “Jekyll Island’s Entertainment Venues in the Early State Period”
Marshes Edge Presentation Community Presentation, 2024
•Paper Presentation: “Prelude to Crisis: US Aerial Reconnaissance Over Cuba Prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis”
Coastal Georgia Historical Society Brunswick Lecture Series, 2024
•Paper Presentation: “By God I’m Going to Brazil: The 1927 Paul Redfern Flight”
Jekyll Island MOSAIC Museum Guest Lecture, 2024
•Paper Presentation: “Jekyll Island’s Entertainment Venues in the Early State Period”
Coastal Georgia Historical Society Brunswick Lecture Series, 2023
•Multimedia Presentation: “The Risley School: Creating Community in a Segregated City”
Dr. Nicole Pankiewicz
Education
Ph.D. in Government, University of Virginia
M.A. in Government, University of Virginia
M.A. in Mass Communications, University of Minnesota
M.L.I.S., St. Catherine University
B.A. in Comparative Literature, University of Minnesota
Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Pankiewicz’s interests include American politics and government; U.S. space program and private space programs; citizenship and rights; political psychology; public opinion and political behavior; political communication; media and politics; media literacy; information literacy; and civic engagement.
“Politics and Science Fiction: How Fantasy Becomes Reality.” Virtual course for the Osher Lifetime Learning Institute at the University of California – Irvine. December 11, 2024.
“Grading for Equity: Implementing Better Grading Practices.” Panel presentation with Dr. Aurora Ramos Nunez and Dr. Ernest Pascoe at the annual meeting of the Georgia Organization for Student Success, St. Simons Island, Georgia, February 9, 2024.
“This Course Uses Science Fiction to Understand Politics.” Published as part of the “Uncommon Courses” series in The Conversation, March 2023.
https://theconversation.com/this-course-uses-science-fiction-to-understand-politics-201074
Dr. Brian Pope
Education
Ph.D. (Biopsychology), University of Georgia
M.A. (General-Experimental Psychology), College of William and Mary
B.A. (Psychology), DePauw University
Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My scholarship is primarily focused on teaching students to do psychological research by having them develop measures of psychological attitudes and/or present visual or audio-visual stimuli and recording participant responses. Research projects are developed in the Research Methods course in the spring semester and further refined in a Supervised Research course the following fall. Students learn to develop measurement scales, perform statistical analyses, and prepare a summary of the research for presentation at a professional meeting (typically the Southeastern Psychological Association).
The following research collaborations with students were presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association meeting in Atlanta in 2025 –
Pope, J.B., & Cordell, E. (2025, April). Musical correlates of ASMR response. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association
Convention, Atlanta, GA.
Pope, J.B., Fromhagen, C., DeJesus, P., Bray, I., & Royal, G. (2025, April). Attitude toward generative AI use in higher education settings. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Convention, Atlanta, GA.
Pope, J.B., & Wegman, B. (2025, April). Measurement of giving and receiving phone snubs. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Convention, Atlanta, GA.
Pope, J.B., & Stoerrle, A. (2025, April). Measurement of work-home attentional shifting. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Convention, Atlanta, GA.
Dr. Aurora Ramos Nunez
Education
Ph.D. in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Houston
M.A. in Developmental Psychology, University of Houston
B.A. in Psychology, San Diego State University
Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Ramos Nunez is an associate professor of psychology at the College of Coastal Georgia. She advises psychology major students and teaches Introduction to General Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Foundations of Brain and Behavior, Research Methods in Psychology, Brain Health in Psychology, and Learning and Behavior. Her research background includes the use of neuroimaging techniques to examine cognitive processes related to language such as speech perception, production, bilingualism, and cognitive control.
Currently, Dr. Ramos Nunez conducts survey research to examine factors related to second language acquisition and collaborates with undergraduate students in their various projects examining behavioral outcomes associated with academic performance, physical activity, and social media use, among others. She is also the Student Success Coordinator, working towards designing and executing initiatives to help with student retention.
Dr. Roscoe Scarborough
Associate Professor of Sociology
Education
Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Virginia
M.A. in Sociology, University of Virginia
B.S. in Criminal Justice and Sociology, Old Dominion University
Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Scarborough’s teaching and research interests include culture, social stratification, the self, media, deviance, theory, and public sociology. He has published in both peer-reviewed journals and popular press publications. As part of Coastal’s Reg Murphy Center for Economic and Policy Studies, he often prepares columns that appear in The Brunswick News.
Gregory Taylor
Education
Ph.D. in Modern American History, University of Mississippi
M.A. in Modern European History, University of Alabama
B.A. in History, Clemson University
Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Teaching Interests: American History, World History
Publications:
Central Prison: North Carolina’s State Penitentiary. Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 2021. (Winner of the 2021 Ragan Old North State Award for Nonfiction, awarded by the North Carolina Literary and Historical Society.)
The North Carolina State Prison (with William G. Hinkle). Columbia, South Carolina: Arcadia Books, 2016.
James Larkin Pearson: A Biography of North Carolina’s Longest-Serving Poet Laureate. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2015.
The Life and Lies of Paul Crouch: Communist, Opportunist, Cold War Snitch. Gainesville: The University Press of Florida, 2014. (Finalist for the 2014 Ragan Old North State Award for Nonfiction.)
The History of the North Carolina Communist Party. Columbia: The University of South Carolina Press, 2009.
J. Paul Vasquez
Education
Ph.D. in Political Science, University of Notre Dame (May 2009)
M.A. in Political Science, Ohio State University (December 1997)
B.A. in Political Science and History, Cum Laude, Mercer University (June 1991)
Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Vasquez’s teaching interests within the social sciences are focused largely on political science, especially regarding international relations as well as American politics and government. His research interests revolve primarily around national and international security policy, military manpower policy, the politics of military veterans, and the intersection of sports and politics.
Lauren Woods
Education
Ph.D. in History (in progress), Liberty University
M.A. in History, Liberty University
B.A. in History, East Carolina University
Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Lauren’s interests include United States History from the Gilded Age and post-Reconstruction South through the Progressive Era, World War I, the interwar period, World War II, and the political, economic, and social development of modern America, with emphasis on Henry M. Flagler.