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Jessica

Cerniak

Jessica Cerniak

Jessica Cerniak

Department Faculty Associate Professor MAP
Biography

Dr. Cerniak is a licensed clinical psychologist whose clinical experience has focused on providing psychological assessment and therapy services to diverse children, adolescents, and their families in a range of inpatient and outpatient settings. She first joined TCSPP in 2006, initially working as the Associate Director and then Director of Training for the Clinical Psy.D. program in Chicago. Dr. Cerniak then transitioned into the position of Associate Professor in the MAP Department. Dr. Cerniak has more than 17 years of experience teaching at the master's and doctoral levels, both online and on campus. She has taught a wide variety of classes, most often in the areas of lifespan development, diversity, personality psychology, trauma and crisis intervention, child and adolescent treatment, and family systems and family therapy. Dr. Cerniak also has completed a range of certificates that inform her teaching, including Global Education for the 21st Century at the UN Mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica, Maternal Mental Health through PSI and 2020mom.org, trauma treatment for children and adolescents, and teaching academic writing throughout the curriculum.

In addition to teaching, writing, and research, she is active in her local and professional communities. Dr. Cerniak was co-chair, representative of health professionals, and voting member on a county board focused on maternal, child, and adolescent health. Dr. Cerniak volunteers at local schools, and she is a mentor in multiple professional mentoring programs serving undergraduate and graduate students, as well as new faculty members. Dr. Cerniak was Editor-in-Chief of e-books for the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (Division 2 of the American Psychological Association), and she is Consulting Editor for APA's Teaching of Psychology journal.

Education History
Degree Institution
Psy.D. Clinical Psychology University of Denver , Denver, CO
M.A. Clinical Psychology University of Denver , Denver, CO
M.A. Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage & Family Therapy Pepperdine University , Malibu, CA
B.A. Psychology & Communication Studies University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI
Professional Memberships
Role Organization
Member American Psychological Association (APA)
Member Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2)
Member Society for General Psychology (APA Division 1)
Registrant National Register of Health Service Psychologists (NRHSP)
Presentations
Title Location Date
Embedding academic advising within a required course in an online psychology degree program Annual Conference on Teaching (ACT), Portland, OR 10/2023
A model to identify, assess, and manage students’ self-disclosure in online and on-ground psychology courses European Society of Psychology Learning and Teaching (ESPLAT), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany 9/2021
A working model to assess and manage online students' self-disclosures: A pilot study American Psychological Association Convention, Washington D.C. 8/2020
A working model to assess and manage online students' self-disclosures American Psychological Association Convention, Chicago, IL 8/2019
Teaching lifespan psychology online American Psychological Association Convention, San Francisco, CA 8/2018
Students’ successful completion of graduate psychology programs 30th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning, Madison, WI 8/2014
The 21st century classroom: Using social media Los Angeles County Psychological Association, Los Angeles, CA 10/2013
Training to train: Learning the role and responsibilities of an academic director of training National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP), San Juan, Puerto Rico 1/2011
Putting the puzzle together: The path to a successful internship match National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP), San Juan, Puerto Rico 1/2011
Community Involvement
Role Organization
Consulting Editor Teaching of Psychology, Official Journal of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology - APA Division 2
Past Editor-in-Chief of e-books Society for the Teaching of Psychology - APA Division 2
Past Associate Editor for e-books Society for the Teaching of Psychology - APA Division 2
Past Co-Chair, Health Professional Representative, and Voting Board Member County Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Advisory Board
Past Editorial Review Board Member, Peer and Ad Hoc Online Learning Journal (OLJ)
Volunteer Spanish immersion elementary school's reading program
Faculty Mentor Society for the Teaching of Psychology - APA Division 2
Peer Faculty Mentor National Center for Teaching and Learning, The Chicago School
Mentor University of Michigan's University Career Alumni Network (UCAN)
Areas of Expertise
Area Expertise
Child & Adolescent Development Adolescence
Parenting Styles
Social Development
Clinical Psychology / Mental Health Trauma/PTSD
Marriage & Family Collaborative Parenting
Family Therapy
Psychology Subdisciplines - Clinical Psychology
Therapeutic/Theoretical Orientation Constructivist/Narrative Theory
Family Systems Theory
Licenses
Licensed Clinical Psychologist , Illinois
Publications
Book

Beyers, A., & Cerniak, J. (Eds.). (2023). A psychology toolbox: Creative class activities that support students' growth and development. : Society for the Teaching of Psychology (Division 2 of the American Psychological Association).

Cerniak, J., Wong, M.S., & Rosen, L. (2021). Teaching psychology online. : Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2).

Wong, M.S., Weiner, L., Cerniak, J., & Yee, L. (Eds.). (2021). Incorporating diversity in classroom settings: Real and engaging examples for various psychology courses (Vol. 2). : Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2).

Wong, M.S., Weiner, L., Cerniak, J., & Yee, L. (Eds.). (2021). Incorporating diversity in classroom settings: Real and engaging examples for various psychology courses (Vol. 1). : Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2).

Chapter

Cerniak, J. (2021). Exploring indicators of child well-being in different cultures. In M.S. Wong, L. Weiner, J. Cerniak, & L. Yee (Ed.) Incorporating diversity in classroom settings: Real and engaging examples for various psychology courses. (Vol. 1) (pp. 117-121). : Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2).

Cerniak, J. (2021). Comparing patterns of cohabitation, marriage and divorce across cultures.. In M.S. Wong, L. Weiner, J. Cerniak, & L. Yee (Ed.) Incorporating diversity in classroom settings: Real and engaging examples for various psychology courses. (Vol. 1) (pp. 140-145). : Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2).

Cerniak, J. (2019). Mentoring women in psychology: Compensation, advancement, and work-life integration. In R. J. Harnish, K. R. Bridges, D. N. Sattler, M. Munson, S. Bridgen, F. J. Slack, & S. M. Smith (Ed.) What I wished my mentor had told me (pp. 74-76). Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2). https://teachpsych.org/ebooks/mentortoldme: .

Cerniak, J. (2018). Leveraging the features of learning management systems (LMSs) in psychology courses. In R. J. Harnish, K. R. Bridges, D. N. Sattler, M. L. Signorella, & M. Munson (Ed.) The use of technology in teaching and learning (pp. 128-141). Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2). https://teachpsych.org/ebooks/useoftech: .

Journal

Newhouse, N., & Cerniak, J. (2016). Student success factors in graduate psychology programs. Online Learning Journal, 20 (1), 70-92.

Professional Skills
life span psychology, online learning at the graduate level, social media in the classroom, clinical training, clinical psychology, introduction to diversity and psychology, mentoring in psychology