New Psychology Professor Settles In

Steven Rogers says he enjoys conducting individual psychotherapy and neuropsychological research, but admits his deep passion is working with students. After earning his doctorate, he was a neuropsychology chief fellow at UCLA’s Neuropsychiatric Institute when a full-time teaching job opened up at Westmont. He liked the focus on undergraduate education.

“Coming here is a dream come true,” says Rogers, assistant professor of psychology. He hopes to open a psychological practice in the local area to do some clinical work.

“It’s also exciting to be able to do some research,” he says. “I'm looking forward to working in the field of neuropsychology and conducting psychological testing with older adults. But I’m also interested in integrating psychology and religion, both in and out of the classroom.”

Rogers is originally from Vermont and graduated from Eastern Nazarene College where he met his wife, Christina. He earned master’s degrees in clinical psychology and theology and his doctorate in clinical psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary.

While at UCLA, Rogers worked with patients with aging conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, as well as a variety of neurological conditions, including strokes, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Rogers has done other clinical work for the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System in Tacoma, Wash., the VA Long Beach Healthcare System in Long Beach and a private psychotherapy practice in Pasadena.

His research has been published numerous times. He recently co-authored a book about the connection between estrogen and depression. He also recently had a study of the neuropsychological functioning of people with genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.