Dr. Sonya Munsell

Sonya Erin Munsell, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Sociology at Rogers State University.

Sonya won the 2021-2022 Pixley Faculty Excellence in Education Award at RSU. She has presented her research at regional, national, and international conferences and has published her research in numerous peer-reviewed journals.

Sonya’s advisees have won multiple awards including SWPA Undergraduate Research Showcase awards and Psi Chi Regional Research awards. She has also mentored three student researchers who have presented at Oklahoma Research Day at the Capitol.

Sonya received the 2021-2022 School of Arts and Sciences Faculty Service Award at RSU and is a member of the Oklahoma Eating Disorders Association Board of Directors. In Fall 2021, Sonya founded the RSU Chapter of NEDA Campus Warriors, a student organization that supports the mission of the National Eating Disorders Association. She is currently the faculty advisor. Sonya was also the 2022 Tulsa NEDA Walk Coordinator. She has received national recognition from NEDA for her past individual and team fundraising efforts.

Sonya is a member of the American Association of University Women, a member of RSU’s Faculty Diversity Committee, and advisor for the RSU Chapter of Psi Chi Honor Society.

Education

Ph.D., Educational Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
Dissertation: Munsell, S.E. (2015).  In-service teachers’ multicultural teaching competence and teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion.

M.S., Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
M.A., University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
B.F.A., Missouri State University, Springfield, MO

Presentations and Publications

• O’Malley, & Munsell, S.E. (2020).  Photovoice: Using an innovative qualitative method in research and classroom teaching. Educational Research: Theory and Practice, 31(1), 26-32
• Munsell, S.E., & O’Malley, L. (2019). The lived experiences of mothers of children with disabilities. The New Educator, 15(4), 269-280. 
• Vogler, J., Munsell, S.E., Knutson, D. (2019). LOLsquared: When laughing-out-loud and learning-on-line intermingle in a computer-mediated classroom discussion. Computers and Education, 140, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103597
• Munsell, S.E., O’Malley, L., Moon, S., & Suarez, M. (2019, April). College students’ perceptions of parental involvement and academic goal orientation. Poster presentation at the Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Albuquerque, NM.
• O’Malley, L., & Munsell, S.E. (2019, April). Photovoice: Fostering growth and impacting social change.  Paper presentation at the Southwest Psychological Association Conference, Albuquerque, NM.
• Munsell, S.E., Kiselak, S., Hamner, D., & Berry, C. (2019, March). Mindset: A mixed methods approach. Poster presentation at the SHIELD Conference, Claremore, OK.
• Moon, S., & Munsell, S.E. (2018, September). Do you play with your child?  Parents’ perceptions on children’s play.  Poster presentation at the Oklahoma Network for the Teaching of Psychology, Ada, OK.
• Munsell, S.E., & Steeber, M. (2018, April).  Exploring the relationship between self-efficacy and mindset.  Paper presentation at the Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Houston, TX.
• Munsell, S.E., & Steeber, M. (2018, April). Motivation: From theory to application. Poster presentation at the Southwestern Teaching of Psychology meeting during the Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Houston, TX.
• Munsell, S.E., & O’Malley, L. (2017, October). Lived experiences of the parents of children with disabilities. Paper presentation at the Northern Rocky Mountain Educational Association Conference, Boulder, CO.
• Taylor, J., & Munsell, S.E. (2017, October). Through the eyes of children: How does an art project create therapeutic space for healthy childhood development? Paper presentation at the Northern Rocky Mountain Educational Association Conference, Boulder, CO.
• Vogler, J., Kuntson, D., & Munsell, S.E. (2016, December). Humor and language play: Multimodal literacy practices and student learning. Symposium Presentation at the Literacy Research Association Annual Conference, Nashville, TN.
• Vogler, J., Knutson, D., & Munsell, S.E. (2016, August). When laughing meets learning: Insights to enhance the online teaching of psychology. Division 2 Poster Presentation at the American Psychological Association Annual Conference, Denver, CO.
• Vogler, J., Munsell, S.E., & Knutson, D. (2016, April). From ha-ha to ah-ha: When humor and learning intermingle in an online classroom discussion.  Division 35 Roundtable Discussion at the American Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Washington, D.C.
• Munsell, S.E., & Davis, K. (2015). Dance and special education. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 59(3), 129-133.
• Munsell, S.E., Fu, J., & Beswick, C., & Cho, Y.J. (2015, August).  Relationship between home-school dissonance and coping strategies: Mediating role of self-efficacy. Division 15 Poster Presentation at the American Psychological Association Annual Conference, Toronto, Canada.
• Cho, Y.J., & Munsell, S.E. (2015, April). Parental influence and teachers’ approach to classroom instruction: The moderating role of teacher efficacy. Division 15 Roundtable Discussion at the American Educational Research Association Conference, Chicago, IL.
• Vogler, J., Knutson, D., Munsell, S.E., & Lawes, R. (2015, April).  All work and some play: Co-constructing humor within online classroom discussions. Poster presentation at the Southwest Psychological Association Conference, Wichita, KS.
• Munsell, S.E. (2015, April).  Pre-service teachers’ instructional efficacy and views of CLDE learners. Graduate Student Research Symposium Poster Presentation at Council for Exceptional Children Annual Conference, San Diego, CA.
• Munsell, S.E., Knutson, D., Vogler, J., & Lawes, R. (2015, February).  LOL-ing in an online discussion: Humor as a social phenomenon that can support the meaning-making process. Paper Presentation at the Oklahoma State University Graduate Research Symposium, Stillwater, OK. *First place award.
• Munsell, S.E. (2014, December). The landscape of education: Photovoice and the construction of knowledge- Exploring diversity with graduate teaching assistants. Roundtable Discussion at the American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.
• Munsell, S.E. (2014, February). Using movement to build community and meet diverse learners’ needs. Workshop Presentation at the Oklahoma Council for Exceptional Children Annual Convention, Norman, OK.
• Munsell, S.E. (2013, September). Special educators’ descriptions of teaching priorities. Paper Presentation at the International Society for the Scientific Study of Subjectivity, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
• Munsell, S.E. (2013, February). Combining creative movement and English composition for alternative education students. Paper Presentation at the Oklahoma State University Annual Graduate Research Symposium, Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Research Mentoring Activities

• Hamner, D. (2020, April). Is there a correlation between academic motivation and basic psychological needs? Poster presentation at the Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Frisco, TX. Undergraduate Research Showcase Award Recipient
• Punneo, K. (2020, April). The effects of smartphone deprivation on individual levels of anxiety. Poster presentation at the Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Frisco, TX.. Undergraduate Research Showcase Award Recipient and RSU Capstone Award Recipient
• Tackett, B. (2020, April). High school educators’ influence on post-graduation goals. Poster presentation at the Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Frisco, TX. 
• Tilley, C. (2020, April). Exploring the relationship between parenting style and pro-social behavior. Poster presentation at the Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Frisco, TX. Undergraduate Research Showcase Award Recipient and RSU Capstone Award Recipient
• Wilson, R. (2020, April).The impact of the internet on our relationships offline. Poster presentation at the Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Frisco, TX. Undergraduate Research Showcase Award Recipient 
• Suarez, H. (2019, April).  Comparing social anxiety levels in adults based on K-12 education types.  Poster presentation at the Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Albuquerque, NM.
• Farrill, M. (2019, April). Positive feminist attitudes in relation to sex role adherence.  Poster presentation at the Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Albuquerque, NM.
• Robinson, A. (2019, March).  Correlations between music tastes and personality.  Poster presentation at the SHIELD Conference, Claremore, OK.
• Bologna, D. (2019, March). Tobacco and mental health.  Poster presentation at the SHIELD Conference, Claremore, OK. *SHIELD Student Award Winner (3rd place)
• Nunn, K. (2019, March).  Drug court: A path to recovery or a cog in the wheel of addiction.  Poster presentation at the SHIELD Conference, Claremore, OK.*SHIELD Student Award Winner (2^nd place)
• Farrill, M. (2019, March). Exploring the relationship between sex roles and feminism.  Poster presentation at Research Day at the Capitol, Oklahoma City, OK.
• Aubrey, K. (2018, April).  Students’ perceptions of teaching styles influencing students’ intrinsic motivation. Poster presentation at the Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Houston, TX.
• Butler, S. (2018, April).  Perceived mental health counselor bias and LGBTQ mental health service utilization.  Poster presentation at the Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Houston, TX.
• McClellan, M. (2018, April). Anxiety and student performance. Poster presentation at the Student Research Competition: Undergraduate Student Showcase, Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Houston, TX.**Psi Chi Student Award Recipient
• Sherrick, S. (2018, April). Stress and attribution type.  Poster presentation at the Student Research Competition: Undergraduate Student Showcase, Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Houston, TX.**Psi Chi Student Award Recipient
• Anderson, L. (2018, March). Parent and teacher attitudes toward inclusive education. Paper presentation at the Society for Higher Education, Interdisciplinary Learning, and Discovery Conference, Claremore, OK.
• Sherrick, S., Garcia, Y., & Hardesty, H. (March 2017). Home-school dissonance, grit, and academic achievement. Paper presentation at the Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, San Antonio, TX. *Received a Psi Chi International Honor Society Award and $400 Scholarship

Manuscripts In-progress/Under Review

• Vogler, J., Knutson, D., & Munsell, S.E. Unraveling the thread: Humor as socially constructed phenomenon in computer mediated classroom discussion (in progress).