Dominican’s Psychology Program Celebrates Golden Anniversary

Homecoming weekend served as the perfect backdrop for alumnae/i, faculty and current students alike to gather and celebrate 50 years of psychology at Dominican University.

The event, held last September in Parmer Hall and organized by the Department of Psychology and the Office of University Advancement, drew a crowd of about 120 people, roughly 80 of them former students from across the decades. The evening included opportunities to share memories and tour the psychology classrooms and research labs inside Parmer Hall. Colorful decorations and blue balloons added a festive feel.

Dr. Tina Taylor-Ritzler, Department of Psychology chair, called the night “truly magical.”

“We really wanted to celebrate our ‘birthday’ with our alumni who, together, made this program what it is,” she said. “This isn’t just faculty-driven. We’re a relationship-centered university and the success of the psychology program is in relation to the success of the students.”

The psychology program was established in 1973 through the efforts of Sr. Maristella Goebel, OP. A professor and Rosary College “powerhouse,” Goebel had fostered an interest among students wanting the discipline offered as a major, said Dr. Dan Beach, a Dominican professor for the last 49 years.

Once established, the program grew quickly, according to Beach.

“We went from a new major to one of the most popular majors on campus,” he said. “By the middle of the 1980s, we were the number one major among women on campus.”

In the early 2000s, when Parmer Hall was under development, Beach aided in the design of spaces that would accommodate continued growth in the program and much-needed research labs.

Today, psychology continues to draw an ever-increasing number of students. Currently, around 240 students have declared psychology as their major, Beach said.

“Not only did we become attractive to a larger number of students, but because of the facilities, we have been able to hire outstanding faculty we wouldn’t have been able to attract without our research labs,” he explained. “The psychology department sets a standard now for excellence in arts and sciences.”

Dr. Janine Goldstein ’83, a student during the early years of growth, attended the 50th anniversary event. Seeing the new classrooms and labs up close in Parmer was a great experience, she said, and hearing Beach speak before the crowd was like being back in his class. “I’m truly grateful because if I had not gone to Rosary for undergrad, I wouldn’t be a clinical psychologist today. I’m thoroughly convinced of that,” Goldstein shared. “Having the support and encouragement of the core faculty was something that was invaluable to me.”

The 15th anniversary of Dominican’s neuroscience department was also marked during September’s event, as the two departments are interdisciplinary.

“It was a celebration of the best of what Dominican is and the care that we provide for students,” Taylor-Ritzler noted.