Welcome back, Vikings! Each week, Cleveland State University will profile new faculty members with a “getting to know you” feature called ProfTALK! Learn about your prof’s background, bona fides and how they contribute to the momentum of Engaged Learning. Then get behind the desk and learn a little more about what makes them tick. This week, we dip into everything from psychometrics and cooking, to collecting match books and parental economics. Meet Kathleen Wade Reardon, Ph.D., and Arijit Ray, Ph.D.!

Science Psychology Assistant Professor Kathleen Wade Reardon, Ph.D.

Ph.D., Psychology, Northwestern University, 2019

M.A., Psychology, University of Houston, 2014

B.S., Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, 2010

Dr. Reardon joined the CSU Department of Psychology as a core faculty member in the Clinical Psychology specialization of the Master of Arts degree. She previously spent two years as the Madigan Family Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Family Institute at Northwestern University, working on research with Dr. Erika Lawrence and providing clinical services for children, adolescents, and adults. She completed her APA-accredited pre-doctoral clinical internship at the Stony Brook University Consortium Internship Program. She has “sustained methodological interests in psychometrics, including scale construction and validity” and has research interests include understanding personality-psychopathy intersections, adaptive and maladaptive outcomes, and relational/psychological aggression. Dr. Reardon teaches in the areas of Personality, Clinical Science, Psychopathology, Research Methods, Clinical Assessment and Ethics.

What three words come to mind when you think of Cleveland State University?

Vibrant, connected, innovative.

What is a common question you get from Cleveland State University students?

How to get involved in research and prepare for graduate school!

What do you like most about teaching and why?

I am very excited about attracting bright folks from diverse backgrounds to psychological science, and I think teaching can be a great way to introduce the topics I'm passionate about to a wide range of students.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love to cook, especially new recipes, take long walks with my dog, and read novels.

Where is your favorite place in Cleveland and why?

I love the Cleveland Museum of Art. Such a beautiful place full of interesting things!

What is a “fun fact” about you that many people may not know about you?

I’m almost always listening to music from all different genres and love playing “Name That Tune.”

What is your personal motto/mantra/axiom?

If you never try, you'll never know.

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Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Economics Visiting Assistant Professor Arijit Ray, Ph.D.

Ph.D., Economics, West Virginia University, 2020

M.A., Economics, West Virginia University, 2019

M.A., Economics, Jadavpur University, 2010

B.S., Economics, Calcutta University, 2008

Dr. Ray is clearly zeroed in economics as his focus, but the implications of such study are far reaching for him. With an interest in health- and development economics, his research has largely focused on issues in both developed and developing countries—particularly on children and their parents. Throughout his education and teaching, he has researched conditional cash transfer schemes for female children and sex ratio at birth in India; terrorism and the associated early childhood health outcomes; how best to reduce rural-urban education gaps in India through rural school investment; the effect of prescription-free birth control methods on foster care admission in the U.S. and more. Dr. Ray teaches Principles of both Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, International Trade, and Business/Economics Statistics.

What three words come to mind when you think of Cleveland State University?

A: Research, Diversity, and Downtown.

What is a common question you get from Cleveland State University students?

“How do I best prepare for this exam?”

What do you like most about teaching and why?

I like teaching because it is an opportunity to clearly express my understanding of a subject and incorporate my own research into it. It is a chance to grow and learn something new every time I teach a course.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Depends. If it is a Friday evening, I am probably watching movies. If it one of the other days, I am probably reading something. Sometimes, I cook or take an extra hour of nap.

Where is your favorite place in Cleveland and why?

I am new to Cleveland and have not been around much. So far, I like Edgewater Park a lot.

What are some “fun facts” about you that many people may not know about you?

I used to collect match box covers like some people collect stamps. I still use fountain pens and I am very selective of my choice of fountain pens and inks.? I started photography when I was 9, with a 35-mm vintage film camera. I have had dogs, birds, fish, and snails as pets.

What is your personal motto/mantra/axiom?

I take life slowly, one step at a time.