Karen Neal, Ph.D.

Biography

Dr. Karen Neal brings to her teaching and research the influence of experiences in a variety of positions, including director of a military child development center, private practice as a child and family therapist, family advocacy program specialist in spouse and child abuse, in-home therapeutic social worker for children’s county mental health, and child development associate representative for the national non-profit, Child Development Associates. At George Mason University she held both research and teaching assistantships, focusing her research on children’s social, emotional and moral development. Her dissertation focused on Parental Influences on Children’s Propensity to Forgive. Prior to arriving at Queens, she taught in seven other colleges and universities. At Queens, Dr. Neal has served in both the Psychology and Human Service Studies departments, and was previously the head of the Human Service Studies department.

Dr. Neal has published research papers in the Journal of College and Character, Journal of Human Services, and has contributed chapters to The Handbook of Forgiveness and the International Journal of Marriage and Family. She has presented her research to Lily Conference International Teaching and Learning Cooperative, National Organization of Human Services, Society for Research in Child Development, Conference on Human Development, APA’s Conference on Religion and Spirituality, and The Campaign for Forgiveness. Dr. Neal has also presented to the Ukrainian Research Institute of Children and Adolescents Health Care and the Institute of Children and Juveniles Health Protection of the AMSU in Kharkov, Ukraine. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, Developmental and Teaching divisions, the National Association of Young Children and the Society for Research in Child Development.

Education

Ph.D., Psychology, George Mason University
M.S., Child and Family Studies, University of Tennessee
B.S., Home Economics, Carson-Newman College