WKU News

Ogden College of Science and Engineering is pleased to announce that Dr. Jennifer Stewart will serve as the next Chair of the Department of Psychological Sciences at Western Kentucky University.

Dr. Stewart grew up in San Diego, California. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of California San Diego, where she played in a pop band called The Straight A’s.

She went on to earn her master’s degree and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, followed by postdoctoral neuroscience training at the University of Arizona and the University of California San Diego. 

After serving as Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at the City University of New York, Dr. Stewart has spent the last seven years in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she served in a joint role as an Associate Professor of Community Medicine at the University of Tulsa and the Director of Training and Mentoring at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research. 

Dr. Stewart has co-authored 130 journal articles focused on identifying biomarkers of depression, anxiety, and addiction using cognitive neuroscience methods (including electroencephalography, EEG, and magnetic resonance imaging, MRI). 

Dr. Stewart has significant experience with National Institutes of Health funding and has served as a Principal Investigator on a five-year grant to identify brain changes during recovery from opioid addiction and as co-administrator on an institutional junior faculty training grant. 

“My vision for the Department of Psychological Sciences is to increase grant writing, applications, and successfully funded awards to promote the valuable research spearheaded by our talented faculty,” Dr. Stewart said.

She enjoys teaching classes and workshops on statistics, clinical neuroscience methods, grant and manuscript writing, and career development. Other hobbies include baking, dance classes, attending concerts, watching classic movies, knitting, and crocheting.

“Dr. Stewart is an outstanding scientist and educator,” said Dr. David Brown, Dean of Ogden College of Science and Engineering. “She will add strength to an already strong department. It's truly an exciting time for Psychological Sciences. I expect to see their research and creative activities keep growing while they continue to deliver outstanding teaching and mentoring to students.”

Dr. Stewart’s appointment as Chair is effective July 1, 2026.