Vita - University of Mount Union

Kristine Schuster Turko, Ph.D.
http://www.mountunion.edu/~turkoks
2234 Shunk Avenue
Alliance, OH 44601
330-257-2909
turkoks@mountunion.edu
Education
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
Ph.D., Cognitive Psychology 2006
Dissertation: Coordination of syntactic and phonological processes in sentence production
M.S., Cognitive Psychology 2003
Thesis: Pervasive word frequency effects during sentence production after familiarization and repetition
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
B.S., Psychology 1995
Honors Thesis: Treatment of word retrieval deficits in Aphasia: Implications of normative data
Teaching Experience
Assistant Professor, Alliance, OH [August 2006 to Present]
Mount Union College
4:4 teaching load currently includes Introductory Psychology, Advanced Research Methods & Statistics, Senior
Research Advisement for 12 students, and Cognition & Marketing. Additional courses taught include Cognitive
Psychology, Sensation & Perception and Psychology of Language.
Assistant Visiting Professor, Easton, PA [August 2003 to May 2006]
Lafayette College
Taught Introductory Psychology, Research Methods, Cognitive Psychology, Psychopharmacology, and Introductory
Research Lab. Advised 5 independent study projects. Served as committee chair for 2 honors theses.
Adjunct Professor, Bethlehem, PA [August 1998 to August 2004]
Lehigh University
Taught Cognitive Neuroscience and Introductory Psychology. Teaching assistant for Experimental Research
Methods and Laboratory and Cognitive Psychology.
Research Experience
Mount Union College, Alliance, OH
Psychology Department
2006-Present: Investigating how language fluency is affected by 1) Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)/Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and 2) cognitive load and surplus. This work utilizes the dual-process
language production model as the framework for investigating how language production is altered in the
aforementioned situations.
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
Psychology Department
2000-2004: Assisted Dr. Padraig O’Seaghdha in studying the effects of phonological competition during speech
repetition tasks. Programmed lab experiments using the experimental software package E-Prime. Assisted with
the implementation of a new coding system that took data recorded to audiocassette tapes, digitized the data on a
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PC, and used sound file editing software, CoolEdit, to take precise measurements for the data of each participant.
Collected and analyzed data. Supervised the work of 5 undergraduate students.
Summer 2002: Assisted Dr. Barbara Malt in studying cross-linguistic categorization of motion. Developed an
experimental method that allowed data for this experiment to be collected on-line, concurrently at three
universities. Developed a complete stimulus set, a group of approximately 75 short movie clips exemplifying
various motions. Created the web pages for the data collection. Supervised the work of 3 undergraduate students
Summer 1998: Assisted Dr. Barbara Malt with a cross-linguistic study that investigated the categorization of
artifacts with persons for whom English is a second language. Recruited participants, while collecting, coding, and
analyzing data.
1999-2000: Collaborated with Dr. Ian Birky and Dr. Bruce Sharkin to investigate the ethical practices of teaching
and research among faculty members of colleges and universities throughout the nation. Developed the on-line
questionnaire, recruited participants, and analyzed data.
1997-2000: Collaborated with Dr. Ian Birky on a series of studies that investigated gender differences,
achievement motivation, personal investment, and goal orientation in collegiate athletes.
1997-1998: Investigated the impact of a dual task on verbal fluency using a verbal picture naming task and a
motor task (i.e., finger taping). The goal of the project was to investigate whether cognitive demands were
lessened, thus improving overall performance, after familiarization of the pictured stimuli. Involved with all facets of
this project from its design to its analysis.
Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA [July 1995 to July 1997]
Attention Research Lab
Studied attention deficits of brain injured persons under a grant from the National Institute of Health. Worked
with patients and families to arrange research schedule and activities. Organized testing materials and schedules
for research participants. Analyzed and recorded test data. Presented project data at weekly lab meetings and
monthly statistic meetings. Handled administrative office duties. Attended and participated in monthly research
colloquia and weekly cognitive hospital rounds.
Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA [March 1993 to July 1995]
Neuropsychology Research Lab
Conducted research with Aphasic and Alzheimer patients. Assisted in the organization of project files.
Participated in the development of testing materials for new research studies. Established tables and spreadsheets
to record project data. Analyzed project data. Arranged and conducted testing sessions for normal control
participants. Transcribed and organized participant data for MossRehab, as well as consortium sites. Prepared
testing materials for experimental studies.
McNeil Consumer Products, Fort Washington, PA [March 1992 to September 1992]
Research and Development
Studied the development and response of new flavors for existing McNeil products. Products included: Children’s
Liquid Tylenol, Mylanta and Sesame Street Vitamins. Surveyed the new products’ appeal by organizing companywide
taste tests. Analyzed survey data and presented results to the research and development and marketing
departments.
Grants
Program Developer & Coordinator of OAM, Alliance, OH [August 2007 to Present]
Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism (CCCA) & Mount Union College
Developed Outreach for Autism at Mount (OAM), an exclusive partnership between CCCA and Mount Union
College. This collaboration provides Mount Union College students with the opportunity to get hands-on
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experience with the latest autism research and treatment methods. The program involves student education at
Mount Union College, as well as internships and community outreach with the CCCA. This program is funded by
a grant secured from a Mount Union College Donor.
Faculty Technology Grant, Alliance, OH [Summer 2008]
Mount Union College
Awarded $3500 to recommend institutional policies and procedures for web-based courses at Mount Union
College. Examined the viability of online course development, completed a comparative analysis of available
course management systems, and aggregated information about institutional policy from peer institutions with
online course policies in place.
Technical Experience
Statistical consultant at Lehigh University:
• Language Production Lab (2000-present)
• Language Categorization Lab (1998-2000)
• University Counseling Center (1997-2000)
Webpage creation and management:
• Personal homepage (current): http://www.muc.edu/~turkoks
• Outreach for Autism at MUC (current): http://www.muc.edu/~turkoks/oam/oam.htm
• Lehigh University Psychology Department (1997-1998)
• Lehigh University Counseling Center (1997-2000)
Database management:
• Designed: Lehigh University Counseling Center’s Patient Database (1997-2000)
• Lehigh University Psychology Department’s Participant Pool Database (1997-1999)
Invited Guest Lectures
2009 March: Stark County Autism Awareness Network (SCAAN) Forum: How the OAM program can help
those in the community looking for ABA tutoring services to help children with Autism
2007 Spring: Mount Union College: The Effectiveness of Treatment for Attention Deficit Disorders: How Do
We Know if Treatment is Working
2004 Fall: Lafayette College: What Can You Do with a Degree in Psychology
2002 Spring: Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute: The Influence of Word Frequency, Experience, and
Phonological Relatedness on Word and Sentence Production
1999, 2000 Spring: Lehigh University (PSYC 176): What are the Executive Functions of the Frontal Lobes
Publications
UNDER REVIEW
Masterson, T., Zammito, R., Knapp, J., Dimitriou, F., & Turko, K. (under review by the Journal of Higher Education).
Internships in the Social Sciences: Advantages, Considerations, and an Illustrative Program.
IN PREPARATION
Schuster Turko, K., & Daily T. (in prep). The assessment of undergraduates’ culminating research projects: A
multifaceted approach.
Schuster Turko, K., & O’Seaghdha, P. G. (in prep). Advance planning and regulation in sentence production:
examining the accessibility of ingredients within prepared sentence plans.
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Schuster Turko, K., & O’Seaghdha, P. G. (in prep). Regulating current and future commitments while speaking:
Syntactic and phonological coordination in sentence production.
Dimitriou, F., Knapp, J., Turko, K., & Masterson, T. (in prep). Establishing an internship program: A partnership
between an applied center-based behavioral education program for individuals with autism and a higher
education institution.
PUBLISHED
Whyte, J.W., Schuster, K., Polansky, M., Adams, J., & Coslett, H.B. (2000). Frequency and duration of Inattentive
behavior after traumatic brain injury: Effects of distraction, task, and practice. Journal of the International
Neuropsychological Society, 6(1), 1-11.
Whyte, J.W., Hart, T., Schuster, K., Fleming, M., Polansky, M., & Coslett, H.B. (1997). Effects of methylphenidate on
attentional function after traumatic brain injury: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. American Journal
of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 440-450.
Published Abstracts
Turko, K., & Knapp, J., (2010, May). ABA in theory and practice: Practical implications of coordinating efforts between
clinics and university internships. Panel discussion presented at the 34 th Annual Applied Behavioral Analysis
International (ABAI) Conference, San Antonio, TX.
Masterson, T., Knapp, J., Turko, K., & Dimitriou, F. (2010, January). Outcomes of an undergraduate internship
program in autism spectrum disorders: A preliminary analysis. Poster presented at the 4 th Annual Autism
Conference of Applied Behavioral Analysis International (ABAI), Chicago, IL.
Dimitriou, F., Knapp, J., Turko, K., & Masterson, T. (2009, October). An applied center-based behavioral education
program for individuals with autism and a higher education institution internship as a pedagogy of hope.
Roundtable discussion presented at the 10 th Meeting of the Curriculum and Pedagogy Conference,
Decatur, GA.
Schuster Turko, K. (May, 2009). Establishing an Undergraduate College-Student Internship Program. Talk presented at
the 34 th Annual Applied Behavioral Analysis International (ABAI) Conference, Phoenix, AZ.
Schuster Turko, K. (2007, August). How treatment for ADHD affects comorbid language deficits. Poster presented
at the 29 th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, Nashville, TN.
Schuster Turko, K. (2007, May). Language production deficits as a function of the level of diagnosis for ADHD. Poster
presented at the 19 th Annual American Psychological Society Conference, Washington, DC.
Schuster, K., & O’Seaghdha, P. G. (2005, March). Ending the isolation of syntactic priming: Orthoganal structure and
content repetition in sentence production. Poster presented at the 18 th Annual CUNY Sentence Processing
Conference, Tucson, AZ.
Schuster, K., & O’Seaghdha, P. G. (2004, November). Balancing commitments in sentence production. Poster
presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Minneapolis, MN.
O’Seaghdha, P. G., Chen, J. Y., Shen, Z. Y., & Schuster, K. (2004, September). The role of the syllable is distinctly
different in Mandarin & English. Poster presented at AMLAP, Provence, France.
O’Seaghdha, P. G., & Schuster, K. (2003, November). Integrated representation of novel spoken compounds. Talk
presented at the 44th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Vancouver, BC.
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O’Seaghdha, P. G., & Schuster, K. (2002, September). Practiced imperfection: Costs and benefits of experience in
word production. Poster presented at AMLAP, Canary Isles, Spain.
O’Seaghdha, P. G., & Schuster, K. (2001, November). Phonological competition as a function of practice. Poster
presented at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Orlando, FL.
Schuster, K., & McRoberts, G. W. (2001, March). Pervasive word frequency effects during sentence production after
picture familiarization and task repetition. Poster presented at the 14th Annual CUNY Conference on
Human Sentence Processing, Philadelphia, PA.
Schuster, K., Birky, I., & Sharkin, B. (2000, November). Evaluating differences in self-disclosure based on methods of
response: Internet response vs. paper-and-pencil response. Paper presented at the 30th Annual Meeting of
the Society for Computers in Psychology, New Orleans, LA.
Birky, I., Schuster, K., Barone, T., & Clark, T. (2000, August). Goal orientation and sport success measures:
Assessment of predictive validity. Poster presented at the 108th Annual American Psychological Association
Convention, Washington, D.C.
Barone, T., Birky, I., & Schuster, K. (2000, April). Personal investment and achievement motivation factors affecting
extra athletic training efforts. Poster presented at the Annual Conference of the Eastern Psychological
Association, Baltimore, MD.
Schuster, K., & McRoberts, G. (1999, November). An alternative method for acquiring vocal reaction times. Paper
presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Computers in Psychology, Los Angeles, CA.
Birky, I., Clark, T., Pealer, M., & Schuster, K. (1999, April). Participation motivation and psyching up of collegiate
athletes differentiated by player status. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwestern
Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
Birky, I., Barone, T., Pealer, M., & Schuster, K. (1999, April). Male and female varsity athletes differentiated by
participation motivation and game preparation. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwestern
Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
Pealer, M., Birky, I., & Schuster, K. (1999, April). Participation motivation in collegiate athletes related to preparation
for playing the game. Poster presented at the Annual Conference of the Eastern Psychological Association,
Providence, RI.
Barone, T., Birky, I., & Schuster, K. (1999, April). Collegiate athletes: Females compared with males differentiated by
participation motivation and methods of psyching up. Poster presented at the Annual Conference of the
Eastern Psychological Association, Providence, Rhode Island.
Clark, T., Birky, I., & Schuster, K. (1999, April). Collegiate athletes: Starters versus non-starters differentiated by
participation motivation and psyching up utilization. Poster presented at the Annual Conference of the
Eastern Psychological Association, Providence, Rhode Island.
Professional Society Involvement
Invited reviewer of conference presentation submissions for the Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science
Society (2008, 2009)
Cognitive Science Society, Member
American Psychological Sciences, Member
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Committee Work At Mount Union College
Human Subjects Committee, Chairperson (Fall 2009 – )
Human Subjects Committee, Member (Fall 2007 – Spring 2009)
Writing Advisory Board (Fall 2008 – Present)
Instructional Technologies Subcommittee (Fall 2008 – Present)
College Athletics Committee, Member (Fall 2007 – Present)
General Education Subcommittee, Member (Fall 2007 – Spring 2008)
Additional Committee Work
Appointed member (2009) of the Ohio Academy of Science’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Teacher Advisor Committee (STEM-TAC). STEM-TAC is an advisory board that was established to aid in the
development of new Ohio science and mathematics education standards.
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