The psychology department at the University of Missouri-Rolla will bring three guest lecturers to campus this fall. The presentations are free and open to the public.

The series will begin on Friday, Oct. 20, with Dr. Laura Ford, senior scientist with Human Resources Research Organization in Louisville, Ky. Ford, a 1984 UMR graduate, will present “The Application of Psychology in Organizational Settings: Lessons Learned” from 2-3 p.m. in Room G-7 in the Humanities and Social Science building. Ford has more than16 years of experience in educational assessment, task and job analyses, performance measurement, training evaluation, training development, experimental design, data analysis, database management and technical writing.

Other lecturers to be featured in this fall series include:

• Dr. Jack Darkes, noon to 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6, in Room 120 of Butler-Carlton Civil Engineering Building. Darkes, director of interventions at the Alcohol and Substance Use Research Institute at University of South Florida, will present “What did you expect? The role of anticipated effects in alcohol use.” He has authored numerous publications, chapters, and conference presentations addressing issues of learning, memory, and cognition regarding alcohol use. He has also been a pioneer in designing novel new approaches for the prevention of alcohol abuse in college students. The UMR office of undergraduate and graduate studies is co-sponsoring this event.
• Dr. Bleske-Rechek, 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, in the Missouri-Ozark Room of Havener Center. Bleske-Rechek, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, will present “Adult Cross-Sex Friendships in Young Adulthood: The Primacy of Human Mating.” Bleske-Rechek’s research focuses on individual differences, human mating strategies, and friendship. Her lab currently is engaged in various research projects that bridge these domains, including investigations of familial similarity in adult romantic attachment, physical attractiveness and perceptions of rivalry between same-sex friends, and forms and implications of deception between young adult cross-sex friends.

For more information on any of these lectures, contact the UMR psychology department at (573) 341-4956.