Rupa Kalahasthi
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Liberal Arts Department
RIT Dubai
Bio
Assistant professor at RIT Dubai and Adjunct professor at RIT New York, I am a New York State Licensed and American Board Certified Clinical Psychologist. I spent 5 years at RIT New York before moving to RIT Dubai, where I currently teach clinical psychology, psychotherapy, research methods, psychopharmacology and other psychology program courses. My research and clinical interests are in severe and persistent mental illnesses across different cultures, mental health prevalence and services in underserved communities, and using digital tools to aid mental health services.
Currently Teaching
GLPH-371
Global Mental Health
3 Credits
This course covers to epidemiology and prevalence of mental health disorders across the globe. It also focuses on the diagnosis of psychopathology across the developmental life-span while considering cultural factors. This course emphasizes specific global mental health concerns and the importance of culturally appropriate screening, diagnosis, assessment and treatment. A major component of this course focuses on the use of technology to overcome barriers and bridge treatment gaps for mental health on a global level while keeping ethical considerations in mind.
PSYC-225
Social Psychology
3 Credits
This course explores topics related to behaviors and mental processes of individuals in social situations. Topics include: methodology, social perception, social cognition, the self, attitudes, prejudice, attraction, social influence, pro-social behavior, aggression, and behavior in groups. Course activities include lecture, class demonstrations, and assignments.
PSYC-250
Research Methods I
3 Credits
This course will serve as an introduction to research methods in psychology, with the goal of understanding research design, analysis and writing. Topics include examining the variety of methods used in psychology research, understanding research ethics, developing empirical hypotheses, designing experiments, understanding statistical concepts, interpreting results, and writing research and review papers in APA style. This is a required course for all psychology majors, and is restricted to students in the psychology program.
PSYC-251
Research Methods II
3 Credits
This course will serve as an advanced research methods course in psychology, and will build on the foundational knowledge presented in Research Methods I. Topics and tasks for this course include designing single and multi-factor experiments, interpreting correlational research, completing statistical analyses appropriate to design, completing and analyzing an IRB application, understanding observational and survey research, and presenting results in APA style. This is a required course for all psychology majors, and is restricted to students in the psychology program.
PSYC-420
Clinical Psychology
3 Credits
This course is intended for students in the clinical track. This course is designed to provide a broad overview of the field of clinical psychology, including the way in which it is similar to and different from other mental health disciplines (psychiatry, social work, school psychology). The course will cover the basic foundations of clinical psychology, training models and graduate programs, clinical assessment, clinical interventions, and subspecialties in clinical psychology (e.g., neuropsychology, child clinical).
PSYC-499
Psychology Co-op
0 Credits
Psychology Co-op
PSYC-501
Senior Capstone Proposal
3 Credits
This course is intended for students in the psychology major to develop experimental research expertise and put into practice some of what is learned in Research Methods I and II. Students will explore topics of interest for further research in psychology. They will develop one research idea that could either form the basis for a senior project in psychology or is a valid test of a research idea. Students will be supervised by the course instructor as they develop a research question, conduct a literature review, write the introduction, and examine questions about control, validity and reliability. This course will culminate in a research proposal. Students going on to Senior Project in Psychology can use this as a proposal course and must find their faculty adviser for senior project before they finish this course. Students who are not planning for Senior Project will practice writing a proposal and the related skills required to critically examine an advanced topic in Psychology.
PSYC-510
Senior Project in Psychology
3 Credits
This course is intended for students in the psychology major to demonstrate experimental research expertise, while being guided by faculty advisors. The topic to be studied is up to the student, who must find a faculty advisor before signing up for the course. Students will be supervised by the advisor as they conduct their literature review, develop the research question or hypothesis, develop the study methodology and materials, construct all necessary IRB materials, run subjects, and analyze the results of their study. This course will culminate in an APA style paper and poster presentation reporting the results of the research. Because Senior Project is the culmination of a student’s scientific research learning experience in the psychology major, it is expected that the project will be somewhat novel, will extend the theoretical understanding of their previous work (or of the previous work of another researcher), and go well beyond any similar projects that they might have done in any of their previous courses.
PSYC-550
Undergraduate Research Experience
0 Credits
Practicum open to psychology students. Gives the student first-hand experience in the field of psychology working on research that matches the student's career objectives. Students are closely supervised by a faculty member, developing relevant skills and learning how to do research first-hand. May count for the equivalent of the psychology co-op experience with prior approval and sufficient time commitment. (3rd or 4th year status). Prerequisites PSYC-101, -250, -251.
Credit 0 (F, S, Su)