Dr. Michelle Samuels
Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership
Bio
Michelle A. Samuels, Ph.D. is an Professor of Psychology and a faculty member in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) where she has served since 1999. She is an experimental psychologist with an emphasis in behavioral neuroscience (graduated 1997-Colorado State University) and has been conducting inclusion research since 2008. She has developed high-impact, academic, research and service collaborations with community partners including the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind, Craig Hospital for Brain/Spinal Cord Rehabilitation, and most recently Naropa University, a Buddhist-inspired university. Her research focuses on resilience, employability, and inclusion/respect for individuals with disabilities and the value of face-to-face experiences with different types of others to build understanding and inclusivity. For the past two years, she directed the core class, Introduction to Behavioral Sciences for more than 1,000 first-year cadets and has mentored its 12 instructor team. At USAFA, she served as a cross-organizational committee member for the Development and Assessment of Ethics and Respect for Human Dignity. Appointed by the Governor of Colorado, she is serving her second, four-year term as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind. In other external service, she served as Treasurer and President of the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association, a regional division of the American Psychological Association. In addition to her current position at USAFA, she is serving as a Visiting Scholar at Naropa University. She and her husband, Dr. Steven Samuels, enjoy hiking in beautiful Colorado and spending time with family.
Education
Ph.D. Colorado State University; M.A. University of Northern Colorado; B.A Fairfield University
Professional Experience
Dr. M. Samuels has developed high-impact, academic, research and service collaborations with community partners including the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind, Craig Hospital for Brain/Spinal Cord Rehabilitation, and most recently Naropa University, a Buddhist-inspired university. Her research focuses on resilience, employability, and inclusion/respect for individuals with disabilities and the value of face-to-face experiences with different types of others to build understanding and inclusivity. For the past two years, she directed the core class, Introduction to Behavioral Sciences for more than 1,000 first-year cadets and has mentored its 12 instructor team. At USAFA, she served as a cross-organizational committee member for the Development and Assessment of Ethics and Respect for Human Dignity. Appointed by the Governor of Colorado, she is serving her second, four-year term as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind.
Honors & Awards
Visiting Scholar, Naropa University, Fall 2020
Dept. of Behavioral Sciences Team Award, USAFA, Second Quarter: July 2020, Beh Sci 110; Team Lead: Course Leadership post-COVID-19 spring semester 2020
DF-wide Finalist for Excellence in Inclusive Teaching Recognition; USAFA, 2020
Best Research Paper Award, 2016-2017-Dept. of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership, USAFA, Assessing resilience in students who are deaf or blind: Supplementing standardized achievement testing, Journal of Educational Research
President-Rocky Mountain Psychological Association, 2015-2016
Researcher of the Year Award, 2011-2012-Dept. of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership, USAFA, 2011-2012
Distinguished Service Award, Rocky Mountain Psychological Association, Treasurer, 2007
Outstanding Academy Educator Award, 2003, USAFA
Research and Scholarly Interests
Dr. M. Samuels' research focuses on resilience, employability, and inclusion/respect for individuals with disabilities and the value of face-to-face experiences with different types of others to build understanding and inclusivity.
Publications
Butler Samuels, M. A., & Katayama, A. D. (2020). Using resilience testing to supplement standardized assessments in students who are deaf or blind. In P. R. Pettit (Ed.), Deafness: Current Perspectives and Research Developments: Nova Science Publishers.
Butler Samuels, M. A., & Samuels, S. M. (2020). Service academy education: Broad student support to create resilient soldier-citizens. In S. Rawat, O. Boe, A. Piotrowski (Eds.), Military Psychology Response to Post Pandemic Reconstruction. Rawat Publications.
Butler, M. A., Katayama, A. D., Schindling, C., & Dials, K. (2016). Assessing resilience in students who are deaf or blind: Supplementing standardized achievement testing. Journal of Educational Research. DOI: 10.1080/00220671.2016.1264052
Butler, M. A., Corboy, J. R., & Filley, C. M. (2009). How the conflict between American psychiatry and neurology delayed the appreciation of cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis. Neuropsychology Review, Sept. 19(3), 399-410.
Butler, M., & Bennett, T. (2003). In search of a conceptualization of multiple sclerosis: A historical perspective. Neuropsychology Review, 13(2), 93-112.
Retzlaff, P., Butler, M., & Vanderploeg, R. (1992). Neuropsychological battery choice and theoretical orientation: A multivariate analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 48(5), 666-672.
Butler, M. A., Retzlaff, P., & Vanderploeg, R. (1991). Neuropsychological test usage. Professional psychology: Research and practice, 22(6), 510-512 (Thesis).