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  • Colleen Sullivan  

    Colleen Sullivan

    Contact Information
    Office Sullivan 241E
    508-929-8803
    colleen.sullivan@worcester.edu

    Education
    Ph.D., University of Maryland
    M.A., University of Maryland
    B.S., Frostburg State University

    Areas of Specialization/Academic Interests
    Educational Context of Development
    First-year College Student Experience and Transition
    Academic and Social Adjustment of First-year Students
    Development of Academic Motivation, Use of Learning Strategies, and Academic Self-regulation
    Educational Interventions at All Age Levels
    Academic Entitlement and Student Consumerism 

    Bio and/or Professional Highlights
    Dr. Sullivan’s primary research interest is in the educational context of developmental psychology. Recent research has focused on student academic motivation, use of learning strategies, and academic self-regulation. She also has an ongoing study with undergraduate research assistants integrating these topics with the concept of academic entitlement. Dr. Sullivan is also interested in educational transitional periods ranging from early elementary school to college. She has investigated and evaluated educational practices, interventions, and programs that assist students who struggle academically and/or who are experiencing changes due to academic transitions, such as the first year in college. For example, Dr. Sullivan conducted qualitative research on the WSU first-year student transition experience in connection to the First Year Experience Program and Peer Mentor Program.

    Throughout her undergraduate and graduate school experience, Dr. Sullivan’s passion for teaching developed through her own interactions with supportive professors and one-on-one research experiences and mentoring. She strives to provide students the same experience that she received at a small state university. Dr. Sullivan and her undergraduate student researchers have presented at local and national conferences, and she hopes to continue this tradition with Worcester State University students.

  • Courses Taught
    • PS 205 – Research Methods
    • PS 210 – Developmental Psychology
    • PS 307 - Applied Research Methods
    • PS 310 – Development of Exceptional Children and Youth
    • PS 355 - Social and Personality Development
    • LC 293 – Peer Mentoring 
    Research
    Selected Publications
     
    Sullivan, C. J. & Baker, L. (in preparation). First-year students’ transition to college: An evaluation of academic self-regulation, college adjustment, and academic performance during the first semester.

    Sullivan, C. J. & Baker, L. (2013). A course to enhance motivation and strategy use. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 17, 43-48.

    Boot, L., Sonnenschein, S., Baker, L., Zhang, D., Gurzick, D., & Sullivan, C. J. (2009). The fieldtrip project. Ubiquitous Learning: An International Journal, 1, 79-88.
    Sullivan, C. J. & Buckner, C. (2005). The effect of perceived role models on college students’ purchasing intention and behavior. Psi Chi Undergraduate Research Journal, 10, 66-71.
    Honors and Grants
    Surgan, S., Ketterer, H., & Sullivan, C. J. (in preparation). Helping students achieve a critical stance through concept mapping. To be submitted to Teaching of Psychology.
     
    Sullivan, C. J. & Baker, L. (in preparation). First-year students’ transition to college: An evaluation of their academic self-regulation, college adjustment, and academic performance during the first semester. To be submitted to Journal of Educational Psychology.
     
    Baker, L., Lattimore, S. L., Ianonne-Campbell, C., Garrett, A. J., & Sullivan, C. J. (in preparation). Effects of access to a response-to-intervention approach on low income children’s language and literacy skills: A pre-kindergarten through grade one longitudinal project. To be submitted to Journal of Education for Students Placed At Risk
     
    Sullivan, C. J. & Baker, L. (2013). A course to enhance motivation and strategy use. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 17, 43-48.

    Boot, L., Sonnenschein, S., Baker, L., Zhang, D., Gurzick, D., & Sullivan, C. J. (2009). The fieldtrip project. Ubiquitous Learning: An International Journal, 1, 79-88.
     
    Sullivan, C. J. & Buckner, C. (2005). The effect of perceived role models on college students’ purchasing intention and behavior. Psi Chi Undergraduate Research Journal, 10, 66-71.

    Conference Presentations

    * = undergraduate student presenter

    Sullivan, C. J., *Jackson, J., *Bliss, A., & *White, E. (2015, March). Analyzing the relation among academic motivation, learning strategies, and academic performance. Poster presented at the annual meeting of Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA.

    *White, E., Sullivan, C. J., & *Jackson, J. (2015, March). Academic entitlement and student consumerism: An analysis of the relation to GPA and academic motivation. Poster presented at the annual meeting of Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA.

    Sullivan, C. J., *Bliss, A., & *Jackson, J. (2014, April). An exploration of the relationship between academic entitlement and academic motivation. Poster presented at the annual meeting of Worcester State University Celebration of Scholarship Day, Worcester, MA.

    Sullivan, C. J., *White, E. & *Bliss, A. (2014, March). Understanding students’ perspectives of a first-year experience program: A qualitative study. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Boston, MA.

    Sullivan, C. J. & Baker, L. (2014, April). The importance of first semester motivation during the college career: A longitudinal study. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA.

    Surgan, S., Ketterer, H.L., & Sullivan, C.J. (2013, August). Helping students achieve a critical stance through concept mapping. Paper presented at the 121st Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Honolulu, HI.

    Sullivan, C. J., Eduljee, N., & Pinkham, K.* (2012, October). Motivational beliefs and use of learning strategies during the first year of college: A longitudinal study. Paper presentation at the annual meeting of the New England Psychological Association, Worcester, MA.

    Sullivan, C. J. & Eduljee, N. (2012, May). First-year college students’ motivational beliefs, use of learning strategies, work status, and academic performance. Poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.

    Sullivan, C. J. & Baker, L. (2012, March). First-year college students’ use of learning strategies and the relation to college adjustment and performance. Poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.

    Baker, L., Sullivan, C. J. & Garrett, A. J. (2011, March). Increasing the odds of reading at developmentally-appropriate levels in grade 1 through a response to intervention (RTI) approach. Poster presentation at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

    Sullivan, C. J. & Baker, L. (2010, March). College students’ learning strategies: What is the impact of first-year experience courses? Poster presentation at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

    Sullivan, C. J., Alam, P.*, & Baker, L. (2010, March). Making the transition to college?: How first generation students compare to their peers. Poster presentation at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

    Sullivan, C. J., Garrett, A. J., & Baker, L. (2009, April). The effectiveness of early identification for reading intervention in pre-kindergarten through first grade. Poster presentation at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Denver, CO.

    Baker, L., Sonnenschein, S., Boot, L., Gurzick, D., & Sullivan, C. J. (2009, April). Engaging adolescents in discussions about their education through an Internet-based multimedia community. Poster presentation at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Denver, CO.

    Boot, L., Baker, L., Sonnenschein, S., Gurzick, D., & Sullivan, C. J. (2008, November). The Fieldtrip Project: Teens’ cellcam films balanced authenticity and expertise to spark online peer discussions to increase engagement in education. Paper presentation at the Ubiquitous Learning International Conference, Chicago, IL.

    Montgomery, J. A., Garrett, A. J., Sullivan, C. J., & Baker, L. (2008, March). Testing the paradigm: Is RTI an effective identification and intervention tool during pre-kindergarten and kindergarten? Poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York, NY.

    Sullivan, C. J. & Cheah, C. S. L. (2007, April). Adolescent mothers’ future education goals: Self-esteem and the moderating role of academic motivation. Poster presentation at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Boston, MA.

    Sullivan, C. J. & Cheah, C. S. L. (2006, March). The influence of stress and social support on Canadian young mothers. Poster presentation at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, San Francisco, CA.

    Sullivan, C. J. & Cheah, C. S. L. (2005, April). The role of ethnicity and self-esteem in the parenting styles of young mothers. Poster presentation at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Atlanta, GA.

    Bradley, M. E., Wilson, J. H., Markel, K., Warren, M., & Sullivan, C. J. (2004, April). Under pressure: Assessment and treatment of test anxiety in grade school children. Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Washington, D.C.

    Sullivan, C. J. (2004, April). The effect of perceived role models on college students’ purchasing intention and behavior. Poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Washington, D.C.