Faculty for Psychology Major

Gary Baker

Biography

Dr. Gary A. Baker has a passion for teaching. For over 30 years, he’s been working to guide students toward successful career choices and successful lives. His own scholarly expertise lies in experimental social psychology. He enjoys interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. He likes introducing students to the study of psychology because students gain a practical knowledge of themselves and others that serve them well throughout their lives. He feels that the students who are most successful in college are those who seek an “education”, not just a degree. In addition to teaching psychology, Dr. Baker worked for nine years at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Medical College of Georgia conducting research on addictions and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Professional & Scholastic Affiliation

• American Psychology—Law Society
• Association for Psychological Science
• The Society for Personality & Social Psychology

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Barbara Colombo

Biography

Barbara Colombo, Ph.D., is Professor at Champlain College, USA, where she runs the Behavioral Neuroscience Lab. Her research and writing, deeply embedded in her teaching, is focused on exploring the role of the cognitive reserve and non-invasive brain stimulation in promoting emotional and physical health in different populations (young adults, adults and aging population). Her recent research focuses on the effect of the cognitive reserve as a mediator in different adverse health conditions (sleep disorders, chronic pain, COVID related PTSD). Her passion for health and health equity led to a line of research aimed at reducing health disparities for aging populations living in rural areas as well as aging individuals who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. She has also been exploring the relationship between doctors and patients, with a specific focus on trust and shared decision making, and how this can influence health outcomes.

Dr. Colombo earned two master’s degrees, one from Universita’ Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milano (Social sciences) (Italy) and one from the Open University (Psychology) (London, UK). She earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from Universita’ Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milano, where she worked as tenured assistant professor of Psychology until her move to Champlain in 2014. She also deepened her postgraduate education at Harvard Medical School, focusing on Clinical Research and Biostatistics.

Her passion for applied teaching, service learning, and inclusive education is matched by her academic profile, which consists of 2000 citations on high impact journals, Impact Factor of 24, and more than 100 peer-reviewed publications (many of which with her students as co-authors). She is an editor and reviewer for several high Impact Factor journals.

Her professional expertise includes working in a clinical private practice, in hospitals as clinical neuropsychologists, and running hundreds of workshops focused on health and wellbeing, peer education, professional decision making, and inclusivity.

Publications & Abstracts

Publications & Abstracts

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Melissa McDuffie

Biography

Melissa had had a variety of experiences working in the field of psychology both before and after she started teaching including addictions counselor, working in therapeutic foster care, community mental health counselor, school intervention programs, crisis intervention work and running a campus counseling center. She has been teaching since 2001. Her areas of teaching interest include General Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology and Counseling Psychology.

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Elaine O’Reilly

Biography

Elaine O’Reilly began working at Champlain in November of 2022. She has 30 years of experience in higher education. Her career history includes having been a social worker, therapist, educational programmer, hiking guide, cook, writer, and mostly a lecturer in psychology. She is excited to be where her values in guiding students toward success is a true passion!

Elaine holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Southern Maine, a Master’s in Counseling Psychology and Dance Movement Therapy from Antioch Graduate School, and a Doctorate of Educational Leadership from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has taught psychology classes in General Psychology, Psychology of Adjustment, Psychology Learning Communities, Psychology of Adolescence, Lifespan Development, and History and Systems. She served as the advisor to the Transfer Coalition in NC. She has also developed a side gig of consulting in higher education and wellness, and has written and published a guide for transfer students.

Elaine characterizes all of her work as assisting people to shift their perception so they can become the navigators of their path. She has a grown daughter and takes frequent trips to NC to hang out with her. She has lived in MA, Vermont, Maine, North Carolina, and currently lives in Colchester!

Distinctions & Awards

Faculty Member of the Year

What are your hobbies?

Reading, writing, paining, cooking, hiking and enjoying nature

Favorite local eateries and things to do in Vermont:

I love the nature all around us in Vermont.

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