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Department of Psychology
University of Mississippi

Stefan E. Schulenberg

Stefan E. Schulenberg
Clinical Faculty
Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of the Clinical Disaster Research Center, Director of the Interdisciplinary Minor in Disaster Sciences
203 Kinard Hall
(662) 915-3518
 
Stefan E. Schulenberg received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, with a specialization in Clinical-Disaster Psychology, from the University of South Dakota in 2001. He is a licensed psychologist in the state of Mississippi, a Professor in the University of Mississippi’s Psychology Department, and a Logotherapy Diplomate. Dr. Schulenberg is the Director of the University of Mississippi’s Clinical-Disaster Research Center (UM-CDRC), an integrated research, teaching, and training center with emphases in disaster mental health and positive psychology. He is also the Director of the University of Mississippi’s interdisciplinary minor in Disaster Sciences (DSci), a joint effort across the departments of psychology, criminal justice, social work, and sociology. Dr. Schulenberg has authored/co-authored over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters in scholarly texts. He is the editor of Clarifying and Furthering Existential Psychotherapy (2016), the co-editor of Clinical Perspectives on Meaning: Positive and Existential Psychotherapy (2016), and part of the authorship team that producedDisasters that Shaped Emergency Management: Case Studies for the Homeland Security/Emergency Management Professional(2018).Dr. Schulenberg’s research interests include clinical-disaster psychology, positive psychology, and logotherapy, concepts such as perceived meaning, purpose, resilience, posttraumatic stress, and posttraumatic growth. He has conducted research on the effects of Hurricane Katrina, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and other disaster-related events (e.g., tornadoes, flooding). He offers workshops and provides training on disaster preparedness, psychological first aid, disaster response, meaning and purpose in life, resilience, and posttraumatic growth.
Education:
Ph.D., University of South Dakota, 2001
M.A., University of South Dakota, 1998
B.A., University of Houston, 1995

Research Areas:

Meaning/life purpose:

  • Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy
  • Positive psychology
  • Meaning and psychopathology
  • Meaning-enhanced cognitive-behavioral therapy
  • Meaning and mindfulness
  • Meaning and health-promoting behaviors
  • Meaning’s utility in different contexts
    • Veteran populations
    • Forensic environments

Disaster mental health:

  • Disaster mental health response – Training and effectiveness
  • Disaster preparedness
  • Community0based Psychological First Aid
  • Positive psychology and disaster mental health
    • Meaning
    • Resilience
    • Posttraumatic growth
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Psychological assessment:

  • Positive Psychological Assessment
  • Forensic psychological assessment
  • Test construction and validation

Research Link

Clinical Disaster Research Center

Dr. Schulenberg plans to accept a graduate student for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Courses Taught:
PSY 327 – Psychology and law
PSY 417 – Disasters and mental health
PSY 420 – Special topics (research team)
PSY 430 – Positive Psychology
PSY 710 – Cognitive assessment (graduate)

PSY 711 – Personality assessment (graduate)

PSY 759 – Clinical-Disaster Psychology