Gail M. Williamson Distinguished Professor Behavioral and Brain Sciences Program Richard Slatcher is the Gail M. Williamson Distinguished Professor in the Behavior and Brain Sciences area of the Department of Psychology at University of Georgia. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Richmond and his Ph.D. in Social and Personality Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. After graduating from UT, he completed a two-year NIMH post-doctoral fellowship in health psychology at UCLA. Prior to coming to UGA, he was on the faculty of the Department of Psychology at Wayne State University for 10 years, where he chaired WSU's RoBUST program.Understanding the effects of peoples' close relationships on their health and well-being from a social psychological perspective is the central focus of Slatcher's research and teaching. His research has two main facets: basic research on close relationship processes--particularly intimacy processes of self-disclosure and partner responsiveness--and investigations of the links among close relationships, biological processes and physical health. An example of this research is the lab's current projects on the impact of people's smartphone use and social media engagement on their ability (or inability) to be responsive in their face-to-face relationships. Slatcher is the recipient of both the Caryl Rusbult Close Relationships Early Career Award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) and the award for Outstanding Contributions to Health Psychology by an Early Career Professional from the Society for Health Psychology (APA Division 38). Education Education: B.S. in Business Administration, University of Richmond Ph.D in Social and Personality Psychology, University of Texas at Austin Other Information Of note: Dr. Slatcher does not plan to accept a new Ph.D. student for Fall 2025.
