Meredith E. Kneavel, Ph.D.

Interim Dean, School of Nursing and Health Sciences
Administration, Public Health

Dr. Kneavel earned her Ph.D. in biopsychology from The Graduate Center of the City University of New York where she studied the effects of chronic stress on learning and memory in genetic models of diseases. Following this, she did post-doctoral study in a neurology lab at Columbia University evaluating the effects of torsin deletions on movement behavior. She then obtained a faculty appointment in the Psychology department at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia where she served as chair of the undergraduate program from 2005 to 2017.

Her current research expands broadly across three main areas: stress, concussions, and pedagogy. In the area of stress research, her initial work focused on the effects of stress on biochemistry and correlated behavioral deficits and moved to gender differences in stress reactivity and social support. She has also evaluated the effectiveness of an active intervention, written emotional expression, in reducing negative health outcomes. In the concussion field, she has worked with a colleague to create a peer concussion education intervention designed to improve concussion reporting among athletes. This work also led to the development of a Center for Concussion Education and Research on which she serves as the Director of Assessment and Research. This work has expanded to understand the socio-ecological context of concussion reporting and thus includes coaches’ and athletic trainers’ understanding and knowledge of concussions as well as perceptions of headgear use in women’s lacrosse among all stakeholders. Her pedagogical research focuses on understanding effective techniques in the classroom and particularly ways to enhance learning and understanding in statistics and research methods.

Areas of Expertise

  • Biopsychology
  • Concussions
  • Statistics
  • Qualitative Research
  • Research Design and analysis
  • Assessment
  • Gender Differences
  • Stress
  • College Athletes
  • Psychology

Education

  • Ph.D., Psychology with a concentration in Biopsychology, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 2001
    DISSERTATION: Effects of Chronic Restraint Stress on Cognitive Function in Catechol-O- Methyltransferase and Calbindin-D28K Knockout Mice
  • B.A., Psychology, Loyola University, Baltimore, MD, 1996

Honors/Awards

  • NCAA/DoD Mind Matters Challenge Award, 2015
  • Honors Convocation Speaker, Chestnut Hill College, 2015
  • Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, 2014
  • Robert L. Thompson Award for Research Excellence at Hunter College of CUNY, 2001

Teaching

Undergraduate

  • Quantitative Methods
  • Statistics
  • Research Methods
  • General / Introduction to Psychology
  • Senior Seminar
  • Theories of Learning
  • Motivation and Emotion
  • Brain and Behavior
  • Drugs and Behavior
  • Physiology of Behavior
  • Health, Stress, & Coping
  • Research Methods
  • Methods and Design
  • Senior Seminar
  • Abnormal Psychology
  • Motivation and Emotion
  • Psychological Measurement

Graduate

  • Statistical Applications
  • Dissertation Mentoring
  • Cognitive and Affective Bases of Behavior

Manuals

Select Publications

  • Kneavel, M. & Ernst., W. (2021) Cognitions that Support Concussion Reporting in Collegiate Athletes: An Analysis of a Worksheet Activity. Health, Education, & Behavior, DOI: 10.1177/10901981211046535
  • McCarthy, K.M., Kneavel, M., Ernst, W. (2021) Psychometric Properties of Concussion Knowledge and Cognitive Mediators of Reporting Measures. Brain Injury, org/10.1080/02699052.2021.1959064
  • Kneavel, M., Ernst, W., & McCarthy, K. (2020) Moderating Effects of Gender among Collegiate Student-Athletes receiving a Novel Peer Concussion Education Program. Health, Education, and Behavior, 1-11, org/10.1177/1090198120977128
  • Diemer, G, Kim, JW, Kneavel, M. (2020). Statistical Anomalies Associated with NBA Scorekeepers: A Bootstrap Investigation. Journal of Prediction Markets, 14(1), 49-68.
  • Kneavel, M. (2020). Relationship between Gender, Stress, and Quality of Social Support. Psychological Reports, doi: 10.1177/0033294120939844
  • Kneavel, M., Ernst, W., McCarthy, K., (2020). Randomized Controlled Trial of a Novel Peer Concussion Education Program in Collegiate Athletes, 55(5), Journal of Athletic Training. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-0182.19.
  • Ernst, W., Kneavel, M. (2020). Development of a Peer Education Program to Improve Concussion Knowledge and Reporting in Collegiate Athletes, 55(5), Journal of Athletic Training. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-212-19.
  • Kneavel, M, Ernst, W., Brandsma, L (2019). Collegiate Athletes’ Perceptions of the Culture of Concussion Reporting: Results from a Focus Group. Journal of American College Health, 1080/07448481.2019.1679816
  • Kneavel, M.E., Fetterman, J.D., Sharp, I.R. (2019). Making Operational Definitions Come Alive with Aggression. Teaching of Psychology, http://teachpsych.org/E-xcellence-in-Teaching-Blog/6980590

Book Chapters

  • Fetterman, J.F., & Kneavel, M.E., (2020). Getting More Mileage Out of Class Activities: “Sneaky Teaching.” In N. J. Ciarocco, M. Sawhney, & J. E. Westfall (Eds.), Essays from E-xcellence in Teaching (Vol. 20, pp.  1-4). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology Web site: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/eit2021/index.php
  • Fetterman, J.F., & Kneavel, M.E. (2020). Engaging Students in Statistics: The Power of Manipulatives. In A.M. Beyer & J. Peters (Eds.). For the Love of Teaching Undergraduate Statistics. To be retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/
  • Kneavel, M. (2019). The sweet side of Chi-Square: Using chocolate to demonstrate goodness of fit. In H. Scherschel & S. Baker (Eds.) Teaching Tips: A Compendium of Conference Presentations on Teaching, 2018-19. (pp. 241-244). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/teachingtips4 Teaching Tips: A Compendium of Conference Presentations on Teaching 2018-2019
  • Kneavel, M. (2017). Please turn on your cell phones: Using technology students are comfortable with to augment teaching, In S. Baker (Ed.) Teaching Tips: A Compendium of Conference Presentations on Teaching 2017-2018. Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks.

Select Presentations

  • Madden, M., Kneavel, M., Ernst, W. (2021). You’re the Expert! Collegiate Coaches’ Perceptions of the Athletic Trainer’s Role Regarding Concussion. Canadian Athletic Therapists Association Research Foundation
  • Kneavel, M., Bowman, T. Kelshaw, P. Rainone, C. (2021). Attitudes of Headgear Safety Among NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Stakeholders. Canadian Athletic Therapists Association Research Foundation
  • Kneavel, M., Madden, M., Bowman, T. (2021). Surviving or thriving? The paradoxical nature of athletic training during a global pandemic, American Public Health Association, Denver, CO
  • Madden, M., Kneavel, M., Ernst, W. (2021). You’re the Expert! Collegiate Coaches’ Perceptions of the Athletic Trainer’s Role Regarding Concussion. National Athletic Trainers Association Clinical Symposia and Athletic Trainers Expo
  • Kneavel, M., Bowman, T. Kelshaw, P. Rainone, C. (2021). Attitudes of Headgear Safety Among NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Stakeholders. National Athletic Trainers Association Clinical Symposia and Athletic Trainers Expo
  • Kneavel, M. (2020). Toss to Learn Correlation. Society for the Teaching of Psychology Annual Conference on Teaching, Pittsburgh, PA (cancelled due to covid)
  • Kneavel, M. & Fetterman, J. (2020). Pedagogical Research: Engaging Students, Surprised Researchers/Professors Society for the Teaching of Psychology Annual Conference on Teaching, Pittsburgh, PA (cancelled due to covid)
  • Mancinelli, J. & Kneavel, M. (2020). Qualitative Analysis of Graduate Student Clinical Experiences: Findings of Incivility and Intimidation, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, San Diego, CA (cancelled due to covid)
  • Kneavel, M, & Ernst, W., McCarthy, K (2020). Gender Differences in Discussions and Reporting about Concussions, National Athletic Trainers Association Clinical Symposia and Athletic Trainers Expo, Atlanta, GA (virtual presentation)
  • Ernst, W. & Kneavel, M. (2020) The Experiences of Peer Educators Implementing a Novel Peer Concussion Education Program with Student-Athletes, National Athletic Trainers Association Clinical Symposia and Athletic Trainers Expo, Atlanta, GA (virtual presentation)
  • Madden, M., Kneavel, M., Crossan, J., Darmiento, A., Ernst, W., (2020). Creating a Culture of Safety: Exploring Collegiate Coaches’ Attitudes and Perceptions about Concussions. University of Southern Maine Patient Safety Academy, Portland, ME.
  • Darmiento, A., Crossan, J., Madden, M., Ernst, W., Kneavel, M. (2020). College Coaches’ Beliefs about Concussion Safety, Culture of Concussion on Campus, and their Role in Concussion Management, Society for the Advancement for Violence and Injury Research, Philadelphia, PA (cancelled due to covid)
  • Crossan, J. Darmiento, A., Kneavel, M., Madden, M., & Ernst, W. (2020). Coaches’ Knowledge and Attitudes of Concussions, Society for the Advancement for Violence and Injury Research, Philadelphia, PA (cancelled due to covid)
  • Kneavel, M. & Loscalzo, E. (2019). Effects of written emotional expression on health outcomes and salivary cortisol, Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, IL
  • Pease, L. Ernst, W., Kneavel, M., & Brosof, A. (2019). Reliable Digit Span Performance in Children with Academic Difficulties, National Academy of Neuropsychology, San Diego, CA.
  • Wenke, B., Ernst, W., Kneavel, M, & McCarthy, K. (2019). A Descriptive Analysis of Change in Concussion Knowledge in Collegiate Student-Athletes Participating in a Novel Peer Concussion Education Program, National Academy of Neuropsychology, San Diego, CA
  • Kneavel, M., Ernst, W., & McCarthy, K. (2019). Development and Assessment of a Novel Peer Concussion Education Program for College Athletes, Sports Concussion Conference, Indianapolis, IN
  • Fetterman, J., Kneavel, K. (2019). Getting More Mileage out of Class Activities: “Sneaky Teaching”, Society for the Teaching of Psychology Annual Conference on Teaching, Denver, CO
  • Kneavel, M., Ernst, W., & McCarthy, K. (2019) Gender Differences in Peer Concussion Education Program Effectiveness, American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA
  • DiCarlo, J., Ernst, W., Kneavel, M. (2019). Performance on Three Validity Measures in a Post-Acute
    Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation Population, American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, Chicago, IL
  • Kneavel, M. & Ernst, W. (2019) Multi-site Randomized Control Trial of the Peer Concussion Education Program, Grand Alliance Mind Matters Challenge Education and Research Summit: National Collegiate Athletic Association and U.S. Department of Defense, NCAA National Office, Indianapolis, IN (invited talk)
  • Kneavel, M., Ernst, W., McCarthy, K. (2019) Evaluation of a Peer Concussion Education Program for College Athletes, Society for the Advancement for Violence and Injury Research, Cincinnati, OH
  • Ernst, W., McCarthy, K., Kneavel, M., Gulick, S. (2019) Results of a Controlled Trial of a Peer Concussion Education Program with Collegiate Football Players. Sports Neuropsychologist Society, Seattle, WA
  • Kneavel, M, Ernst, W, McCarthy, K. (2019) Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Novel Peer Concussion Education Program for College Athletes, American Psychological Association Annual Conference, Chicago, IL
  • Ernst, W., Kneavel, M., McCarthy, K., Wenke, B. (2019) A Qualitative Thematic Analysis of a Concussion Reporting Activity with Collegiate Student Athletes, American Psychological Association Annual Conference, Chicago, IL
  • Wenke, B., Ernst, W., Kneavel, M., McCarthy, K. (2019) A Descriptive Analysis of Change in Concussion Knowledge in Collegiate Student-Athletes Participating in a Novel Peer Concussion Education Program, National Academy of Neuropsychologists, San Diego, CA,
  • Wenke, B, Ernst, W., Kneavel, M., McCarthy, K. (2019). Impact of Previous concussion and Peer Concussion Education on Knowledge and Reporting, American Psychological Association Annual Conference, Chicago, IL
  • Kneavel, M. (2018) Supporting Faculty Through Writing Groups, Summer Institute¸ La Salle University, Philadelphia, PA
  • Kneavel, M., Fetterman, J., Sharp, I. (2018). Making Operational Definitions Come Alive with Aggression, Society for the Teaching of Psychology 17th Annual Conference on Teaching, Phoenix, AZ,
  • Kneavel, M. (2018). The sweet side of Chi-Square: Using chocolate to demonstrate goodness of fit. Mid-Atlantic Teaching of Psychology Conference, Largo, MD
  • Kneavel, M. & Laske, A. (2018) Approaches for Retaining Nursing Students, Winter Institute, La Salle University, Philadelphia, PA.
  • DiCarlo, G., Ernst, W., Kneavel, M., & Manfredi, R. (2018). Performance on three validity measures in a post-acute rehabilitation population. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 33(6), 703-794.
  • Kneavel, M. (2017). Please Turn On Your Cell Phone: Utilizing Technology in the Classroom, Mid-Atlantic Teaching of Psychology Conference, Largo, MD.

Radio and other Press Presentations

All Faculty and Staff