What Is Psychology?

Ellen E. Pastorino (Ph.D. in School Psychology, Florida State University) is a developmental psychologist who teaches psychology classes at Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Pastorino has won numerous teaching awards, including the University of Georgia, Board of Regents Distinguished Professor; the NISOD Excellence in Teaching Award; and Valencia's Teaching and Learning Excellence Award. She also serves as a reviewer for the Journal on Excellence in College Teaching. Dr. Pastorino has authored test banks, instructor manuals, and student study guides, and has published research in the Journal of Adolescent Research and Adolescence. While working as a consultant for IBM Corporation she developed numerous educational materials for teachers and students. Susann M. Doyle-Portillo (Ph.D., social cognition, University of Oklahoma) is professor of psychology at Gainesville College, Dr. Susann M. Doyle-Portillo earned her Ph.D. in Social Cognition from the University of Oklahoma. She holds bachelors degrees in engineering and psychology. She has published articles in the journals Social Cognition and Contemporary Social Psychology, but the main focus of her career is teaching. During her tenure at Gainesville College, Dr. Doyle-Portillo has twice been listed in Who's Who Among America's Teachers. She has supervised independent-study student research at the two-year college level and is the founder of the Division of Social Sciences and Education Annual Research Poster Competition at Gainesville College. She also is the chair of the Scientific Review Committee/Institutional Review Board for the Gainesville College Engineering and Science Fair. She has authored test banks, instructor manuals, and student study guides.