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Topic: Sports Psychology

Shawn Worthy

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Shawn Worthy, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Human Services at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Worthy began his career as an instructor at Northern Illinois before working in many clinical settings for behavioral and therapeutic services. He joined MSU Denver in 1995 and received tenure in 2002. Worthy has served as the chair of the Human Service Department, as well as the interim vice president of the Student Services Division and has also worked as the director of Mentoring and Summer Bridge Programs with Student Services at MSU Denver. He currently serves as the MSU Denver NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative. Worthy has also worked as a clinician and psychotherapist at the Children’s Hospital of Denver and The Urban League of Denver.

He has done research and published work extensively about sports psychology on how all levels of skiers cope with fear. Additionally, Worthy has conducted research on domestic violence, teen suicide and other issues related to children and families. He has worked clinically with adults and teens infected with HIV. Worthy has researched, published and presented at many conferences and workshops striving to understand diversity as it pertains to engaging people of color. He currently serves on several community boards and commissions, which focus on youth and violence.

Worthy received his doctorate and master’s in clinical psychology from Northern Illinois University.

Troy Morgan

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Troy Morgan, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences at Metropolitan State University of Denver. His areas of expertise include youth sport development, systems and structures of athlete development, and mental health counseling. He currently teaches Organization and Administration of Sports, Sport in Society, Leadership and Ethics in Sport and oversees student field experience.

Morgan has over fifteen years of experience in the sport development domain, including in athlete mental health counseling, scientific research, and amateur and professional sports player development. He serves on the judicial committee for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee – National Governing Body and is a content expert and policy advisor for youth sport development programs in African refugee camps.

Morgan received his doctorate degree in physical education, sport and exercise science from the University of New Mexico. He received a master’s degree in counseling and development from Kansas State University. He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Kansas.

Harvey Milkman

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Harvey Milkman, Ph.D., is a psychology professor emeritus at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Dr. Milkman is currently the principal consultant for the US-Russia Peer-to-Peer program on working with at-risk youth.

From September 1992 – June 2002, he was author, principal investigator and director of Project Self-Discovery: Artistic Alternatives for At-Risk Youth, a national demonstration model funded by The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. He was the recipient of a Fulbright-Hays Lectureship Award at the National University of Malaysia and has represented the United States Information Agency as a consultant and featured speaker in Australia, Brazil, Iceland, The Netherlands, Peru, Turkey and Yugoslavia. In July, 2016 in Moscow State University, Russia, he delivered master classes at on adolescent problem behaviors.

His coauthored book “Pathways to Self-Discovery and Change: Criminal Conduct and Substance Abuse Treatment for Adolescents” is the principal substance abuse/criminal conduct treatment curriculum used in residential correctional settings for juveniles throughout Oregon, Colorado, Texas and Montana.

Dr. Milkman is the author of numerous scholarly articles and books on the causes, consequences and treatment choices for the broad spectrum of addictive behaviors. His recent coauthored publications include: “Social Responsibility Therapy: A Cognitive-Behavioral Model for Treatment of Substance-Abusing Judicial Clients,” “Forensic CBT: A handbook for clinical practice,” “Pathways to Self-Discovery and Change: Criminal Conduct and Substance Abuse Treatment for Adolescents – Provider’s Guide and Participant’s Workbook” and many others.

Cynthia Erickson

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Cynthia Erickson, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience in the department of psychology at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She teaches a range of topics ranging from social issues such as multicultural psychology to cellular and molecular neurobiology.

Over the years, Erickson has conducted research from coast-to-coast mainly focusing on the neurobiology of visual memory and perception. Most of her research involves studying how the brain changes with learning and subsequently how the aging process alters this ability. Along with MSU Denver undergraduates, Erickson is investigating the relationship between consumption of probiotics and age-associated cognitive impairments in humans. The research has significant implications for development of cost-effective memory aids for an aging population.

With an early passion for psychology, Erickson received her doctorate in Psychology and Neuroscience from University of Arizona, a masters in Psychology and Learning from Emporia State University, and a bachelor’s in Psychology, English and Biology from Nebraska Wesleyan University. She received an Excellence in Teaching Award from the Psi Chi Honorary in Psychology in 2013. Additionally, Erickson has published several articles on her research and expertise in psychology and neuroscience, and held numerous presentations at conventions and conferences.

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