Robin Lightner, PhD

Academic Unit Head

Professor of Psychology

Robin Lightner got her PhD in Psychology and Certificate in Medical Behavioral Science from the University of Kentucky. She teaches Introductory Psychology, Psychology of Personality, Social Psychology and Research Methods. Her primary area of research is the scholarship of teaching and learning. She directs the college's learning and teaching center, offering workshops and leading faculty learning communities. She is a member of UC's Academy of Fellows of Teaching and Learning. 

Grace Auyang, PhD

Professor of Sociology

Dr. Grace Auyang is a Professor of Sociology, Behavioral Science Department, University of Cincinnati, UCBA. She has taught courses in Sociology, Psychology and Criminal Justice for the department. She designed and developed Global Community course, Science, Technology, and Society course, War and Peace course, and Women in the World course and the Criminal Justice Program. She is also an affiliated faculty member of the Women's Studies Department and the Asian Studies Department of University of Cincinnati. Her current research focuses on Global/Peace Education and Teaching Pedagogy (especially PBL and Concept Mapping). Dr. Auyang earned her BA degree from Taiwan University, her MA and PhD degrees from Temple University. She was a post doctoral research fellow at University of Pennsylvania. Her college textbook, Social Psychology, was published by Sam-Ming Publishing Company in Taipei. Her other research papers/articles were published by various edited textbooks and professional journals.

Todd Callais

Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice/Sociology

Todd Callais is an Assistant Professor of Sociology, Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology with a concentration in Public Service at the University of Notre Dame. He earned both his M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology at The Ohio State University. Within the field of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Dr. Callais specializes in the areas of theory, inequality, corrections and correctional procedures, sexual assault, and media depictions of the criminal justice system. In the area of Sociology, he specializes in popular culture, social movements and inequality. He currently serves as Vice-President of the North Central Sociological Association and his work has been published in journals such as Sociological Focus as well as numerous books.

Sarah Cummins-Sebree, PhD

Associate Professor of Psychology

Dr. Sarah Cummins-Sebree, Associate Professor of Psychology, has been at UCBA since 2003 and teaches a variety of psychology courses, including the Research Methods and Statistics sequence. She is currently program administrator for the UCBA A.A. degree in Psychology. Dr. Cummins-Sebree also has a joint appointment with the UC College of Arts and Sciences Psychology Department where she is a member of the Cognition-Action- Perception (CAP) Center and works extensively with the Perceptual-Motor Dynamics Lab (PMDL; http://homepages.uc.edu/~rileym/pmdlab/). Dr. Cummins-Sebree is a Tri-State native, having graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and Associate’s Degree in Psychology from Thomas More College. She earned her Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Georgia where she studied the spatial reasoning development of preschoolers and tool-using skills of capuchin monkeys. Her current research spans multimodal perception, development of postural control, and self-regulated learning and motivation in college students. 

Leslie Elrod, PhD

Associate Professor of Sociology

Dr. Leslie Elrod is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Cincinnati UC Blue Ash. She teaches courses in Organizational Behavior, Introductory Sociology, Deviance, Sociology of Family, Social Psychology, and Sociology of Human Sexuality using a hybrid delivery format. Her primary areas of scholarship are deviance, social psychology, service learning, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Dr. Elrod is currently the social psychology area editor for the American Sociological Associations' TRIALS (Teaching Resources and Innovations Library in Sociology).

Dr. Elrod earned her PhD in Sociology, with emphasis in social psychology and social organization, from the University of Cincinnati after having worked as a market research programmer. She earned her MS in Social and Applied Economics, MA in Applied Behavioral Science, and BS in Urban Affairs from Wright State University.

Diane Feibel, EdD

Professor of Psychology

Debra Frame, PhD

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Dr. Debra L. Frame is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Behavioral Science Department of the University of Cincinnati-UC Blue Ash.  She teaches Introduction to Psychology I and II, as well as Child Psychology, Adolescent Development, and Adulthood and Aging. Her current and past research focuses on the use of technology and its effects on memory and learning. Dr. Frame is also interested in the effects of instructional material design as it relates to academic achievement and student success in the college classroom. Prior to earning her PhD from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Frame earned an MA in Cognitive Psychology from Wayne State University, a BS in Special Education from Ohio University, and a BA in Sign Language Studies from Madonna University in Livionia, Michigan.

Helene Harte

Assistant Professor of Education

Helene Harte teaches courses in Early Childhood Education and Special Education. She holds a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University an MEd in Early Childhood Education from the University of Cincinnati and an Ed.D. in Special Education, also from the University of Cincinnati. Her research interests include family engagement, engagement of young children in inclusive settings and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Marissa Oehlhof

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Dr. Marissa Oehlhof is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Cincinnati UC Blue Ash. She teaches Introduction to Psychology, Child and Adolescent Development, and Psychology of Gender. Her primary area of research looks at the development of eating and body image over the lifespan, more specifically, the development of self-objectification and obesity.

Prior to earning her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Bowling Green State University, Dr. Oehlhof served in the US Army as a field medic and mental health specialist, earned a BS in Psychology and History from Austin Peay State University in Tennessee and an MA in Clinical Psychology from Western Kentucky University.

Don O'Meara, PhD

Emeritus Professor of Sociology

Dr. O'Meara is a Professor of Sociology with an academic research focus in the field of personal relationships. He received his PhD in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame. He has also completed post-doctoral work at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. He teaches Introduction to Sociology, Organizational Behavior and Sociology of the Family. Dr. O'Meara's research interests include friendships between men and women. He has published a conceptual model for researching the challenges and benefits of that type of friendship and has also published in the field of popular culture. He is currently developing a framework for analyzing the meaning and dynamics of the father/adult daughter relationship.

Dr. O'Meara has served UC Blue Ash as Academic Unit Head of the Behavioral Schience Department, as the college's Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and as the college's Interim Dean.  

Lynn Ritchey, PhD

Professor of Sociology

Marilyn Simon, MS

Associate Professor – Educator in Criminal Justice

Professor Marilyn Simon is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati, Blue Ash. She is the Criminal Justice Program Coordinator and Academic Coordinator and Academic Advisor for the Behavioral Sciences Department and teaches all of the Criminal Justice core courses, including Conflict Resolution and Current Issues in Criminal Justice. Most of her courses are in a web-enhanced delivery format. Her primary areas of scholarship are Critical Thinking, Service Learning and Problem-Based Learning.

As a UCBA alumnus, Professor Simon earned her bachelor's degree from UC's College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), and her master's degree from UC's College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services (CECH), School of Criminal Justice. She completed her doctoral coursework from CECH as well. She also has experience in the criminal justice system working with both adults and juveniles.

Professor Simon also enjoys service to the college, the university and the community. Currently, she is chair of the UCBA Alumni Council, a member of UC's Board of Governors and is a member of the Board of Directors for the International Society for the Exploration of Teaching and Learning (ISETL). She also enjoys a strong working relationship with City of Cincinnati's Police Department.

Carman Wakefield, EdD

Associate Professor of Education

Melonie Grosser

Annual Adjunct Instructor of Social Work

Melonie is a licensed mental health provider in private practice in the Cincinnati area and the Clinical Director of the Critical Incident Stress Management Team in the southwestern area of Ohio. Since 2002, Melonie has worked as an adjunct instructor at UC Blue Ash in the Behavioral Science Department. In 2008 she co-authored a chapter in the book titled: Popular Culture in Counseling, Psychotherapy and Play-Based Interventions. In 2008 she graduated from the Leadership Academy for the Association of Play Therapy. She has served as President and Past President of the Ohio Play Therapy Association. In addition to teaching at UC Blue Ash, she offers a variety of Play Therapy workshops associated with her private practice, Serenity Counseling For All Ages, Inc., as well as supervision to therapists who are working toward their Registered Play Therapist credential.

Barbara McMasters, EdD

Annual Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology

Daphne Percy

Annual Adjunct Instructor

Daphne Percy is an Adjunct Assistant Professor-Annual of Education in the Behavioral Science Department at the University of Cincinnati, UC Blue Ash College. As an undergraduate biology major she was trained in forensic anthropology at the College of Mount St. Joseph. At University of Cincinnati she earned a graduate degree in Physical Anthropology and more recently a graduate degree in Education from Xavier University. Currently she teaches education majors Educational Technology and Introduction to Education.

Anna Romero

Annual Adjunct Assistant Professor

Dr. Anna Romero is an Annual Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Behavioral Sciences Department at the University of Cincinnati – Blue Ash. She primarily teaches Introductory Psychology, Child and Adolescent Development, and the Introduction to the Psychology Major. Before joining UCBA in 2011, Anna earned her BA from the University of Oklahoma and her MA and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After completing her doctorate, she conducted her post-doctoral research at Princeton University and New York University. Her previous research focused on the influence of memory on persuasion, and she is currently applying this research to the classroom environment. She has also worked in the private sector as a Market Research Analyst and is the co-author of Psychology Demystified (McGraw-Hill, 2006).

Debbie Thomayer

Administrative Secretary II