News Article
Psychology Club to Host Panel Discussion on Eating Disorders
Posted: Thursday, February 7, 2013
According to the National Eating Disorders Association, 20 million women and 10 million men in the United States suffer from an eating disorder at some time during their lives. To share personal stories about eating disorders and advice from local professionals, the University of Evansville’s Psychology Club will host a panel discussion at 6 p.m. Wednesday, February 13 in Eykamp Hall (Room 252 in the Ridgway University Center). The event is free and open to the community.
Panelists include Mari Plikuhn, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Evansville; Sandy Bowersox, a pediatric psychologist at St. Mary’s Center for Children; Amy Cavanaugh, a staff therapist at the University of Southern Indiana’s counseling center; and Kelsey Horick, a graduate student in clinical psychology at Middle Tennessee State University.
Plikuhn joined the UE faculty in 2010 after receiving her PhD in sociology with a graduate minor in gerontology from Purdue University. She also holds a Master of Science in sociology and a Master of Science in marriage and family therapy, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and clinical psychology. Plikuhn actively involves students in her research on family, education, and aging. She was named the University of Evansville’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 2012.
Bowersox earned her PhD in clinical psychology from Saint Louis University and completed an internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. One of her areas of specialty is the treatment of eating disorders, with a particular interest in family-based treatment of anorexia nervosa. Bowersox has conducted research on topics such as disordered eating, the thin-ideal, body image concerns, and weight-related teasing.
Cavanaugh earned her bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan University, master’s degree in counseling from Ball State University, and a PhD in counseling psychology from Western Michigan University. Her role at USI includes providing individual and couples counseling with a focus on interpersonal violence, sexual violence, body image, eating disorders, and multicultural issues.
Horick, a graduate student in clinical psychology at Middle Tennessee State University and alumna of Southwestern University in Texas, will share her personal experiences and a peer perspective on eating disorders. After struggling with an eating disorder in high school, she now volunteers her time with the Eating Disorders Coalition of Tennessee.