Dr. Emily Pica
Assistant Professor
Clement 215-E
931-221-7231
picae@apsu.edu
Originally, I am from Pennsylvania, and after a few minutes speaking with me you will still see I still have that Northern accent! I completed my Bachelor’s degree at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania. I then traveled to Chattanooga, TN where I attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and received my Master’s Degree in Applied Psychology. Traveling, again, was in my future as I completed my PhD in Psychology, with a concentration in Forensic Psychology, at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. When I’m not working, you can find me outside hiking with my dogs or curled up reading a good book.
I joined the faculty at APSU during Fall 2017. I currently teach:
- PSYC 1030—General Psychology
- PSYC 3050—Career Development
- PSYC 3180—Research Methods
- PSYC 4020—Forensic Psychology
- PSYC 4160—Special Topics
Juvenile Court Mentorship
Wrongful Convictions
I also am available to mentor undergraduate research experience and field experience (both traditional and honors). I also am the liaison between Austin Peay State University and the Montgomery County Juvenile Court where we have a partnership for the 20/10 mentoring program. Students are paired with juvenile offenders in a mentorship capacity. Additionally, I also am the liaison between Austin Peay State University and the Montgomery County Veteran's Treatment Court where I oversee graduate assistants who are placed at the treatment court.
Research Interests
My current research interests involve investigating ways in which we can improve eyewitness identification accuracy as it is one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions. Additionally, I examine which factors may be more (or less) influential in jurors’ decision making. More recently, I have furthered my passion for the wrongfully convicted and how they are perceived post-exoneration as well as the unique experiences they face upon release from prison. I always have my research projects taped to my office door and/or the Research Board in the main hallway of the department. If you are interested in helping with any of these you can send me an email!
While I have my own research interests, I also am motivated to help students pursue their own passions, and I have supervised student research that examines the perceptions of mass shooters (students took home first place for undergraduate research poster at a conference) as well as the perceptions of psychedelic assisted therapy in veterans and active military members.