Mus.B., Boston University
M.S.Ed., Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Biography
Other Information
Teaching Area
Social Psychology
Introductory Psychology
Human Growth and Development
Early Childhood Development
Adolescent Development
Adulthood and Aging
Research Interests
Social and Cross-cultural Perceptions of Developmental Disabilities
Sexuality and Adults with Intellectual Disabilities
Dr. McKenna Gulyn has been a faculty member at Marymount since 1994. After completing a bachelor’s of music at Boston University, she earned her Ph.D. in 1991 from the University of Pennsylvania in Human Learning and Development. Before joining the MU faculty, Dr. McKenna Gulyn held research positions in Central and South America.
She specializes in lifespan development and has conducted research on, written, and presented on children and the media, and attribution of blame for illness and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Dr. McKenna Gulyn was selected by Marymount students to be the recipient of the Robert A. Draghi Outstanding Faculty Award.
In 2025, Dr McKenna-Gulyn taught a 6-week course at Universidad Católica de El Salvador (Catholic University of El Salvador) entitled “Psicología del Bienestar” (Psychology of Well-Being), 100% in Spanish! She is collaborating with this university on a research project on Mental Health Literacy in El Salvador. The goal is to address the lack of courses and programs in Psychology and Mental Health Care at the university level in El Salvador.
Dr. McKena-Gulyn is also the proud parent of two sets of twin sons!
Interim Director, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Contact
Phone: 703-284-1546
Email:
Academic Credentials
B.S., Kutztown University, 2000
Ph.D., University of Connecticut, 2009
Biography
Dr. Lopresti-Goodman joined the Marymount community in the fall of 2009.
Over the past 16 years, she has taught various undergraduate psychology and honors courses, mentored students on Honors tutorial and thesis research, led five study abroad programs to primate sanctuaries in Kenya and Spain, and served as the Honors Program Director for 8 years. She is currently serving as the Interim Director for the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Dr. Lopresti-Goodman also actively engages in research. Her work is aimed at understanding the enduring negative impact that confinement, social isolation, and physical abuse have on the psychological well-being of nonhuman animals rescued from laboratories, including chimpanzees, monkeys, and dogs. She uses her research to lobby on behalf of legislation that would protect animals in laboratories, and advocate for their relocation to sanctuaries when no longer needed in research.
She has presented her research at academic conferences nationally and internationally, including meetings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, the International Primatological Society and American Society of Primatologists, Oxford Center for Animal Ethics Conference, and the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology. She has published in peer-reviewed journals such as Neuroscience Letters, Behavioral Sciences, Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, Psychology and Education, and the Journal of Animal Ethics, and has been featured in media outlets such as the Washington Post, Nature, NPR, and Science.
Teaching Areas
General Psychology
Research Methods in Psychology
Biological Bases of Behavior
Primate Psychology
Food, Ethics, and the Environment
Selected Publications in Peer-Reviewed Journals
* Denotes collaboration with undergraduate student
Lopresti-Goodman, S.M. & Villatoro-Sorto, B. (2023). The benefits and challenges of conducting primate research in different settings. Animals, 13(1), 133. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13010133
Lopresti-Goodman, S.M. & Bensmiller, N. (2022). Former laboratory dogs’ psychological and behavioral characteristics. Vet Med, 67, 599-610. https://doi.org/10.17221/139/2021-VETMED
Gorski, P., Lopresti-Goodman, S. M. & Rising, D. (2019). ‘Nobody’s paying me to cry’: The causes of activist burnout in animal rights activists. Social Movement Studies, 18(3), 364-380. doi: 10.1080/14742837.2018.1561260.
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M., & Goodman, J. R. (2018). Discussions of animal research ethics in introductory psychology textbooks. Journal of Animal Ethics, 8(1), 49-59. doi: 10.5406/janimalethics.8.1.0039
Chandna, A., Niebo, M., Lopresti-Goodman, S. M., & Goodman, J. R. (2015). Single housing of primates in U.S. laboratories: A growing problem with shrinking transparency. Alternatives to Laboratory Animals, 43(3), 30-33.
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M., Bezner, J., & Ritter, C.* (2015). Psychological distress in chimpanzees rescued from laboratories. Journal of Trauma and Dissociation, 16(4), 349-366. doi: 10.1080/15299732.2014.1003673
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M., & Caperton, A.* (2014). Use of a plastinated human brain for psychology education. Psychology and Education: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 51(1-2), 52-57.
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M., Kameka, M.,* & Dube, A.* (2013). Stereotypical behaviors in chimpanzees rescued from the African bushmeat and pet trade. Behavioral Sciences, 3(1), 1-20; doi:10.3390/bs3010001
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M. (2013). Towards plasticity in brain science pedagogy. Psychology and Education: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 49(3-4), 25 – 28.
Selected Peer-Reviewed Presentations at Professional Meetings
* Denotes collaboration with undergraduate student
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M. (2025, August.). Primates in captive environments: Research, rescue, and reform. Oral presentation at the Oxford Center for Animal Ethics Conference, Oxford, UK.
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M., Piscitello, S.*, & Flores, G.* (2024, March). Reciprocal benefits of peer-to-peer teaching in a psychology laboratory. Poster presentation at the Annual Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
Cather, P.,* & Lopresti-Goodman, S. M. (2023, March). Factors that influence attitudes towards animal experimentation. Poster presentation at the Annual Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Boston, MA.
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M. & Walas, B.* (2021, March). Online alternatives to animal dissection in psychology and biology courses. Poster presented at the Annual Eastern Psychological Association Conference (Zoom).
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M. & Rising, D. (2020, November 8). Causes of burnout in US animal rights activists. Oral presentation given at the Institute for Critical Animal Studies Conference (Zoom).
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M. (2019, March). Psychological and behavioral characteristics of beagles released from laboratories. Poster for the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, New York, NY.
Jolles, M. & Lopresti-Goodman, S. M. (2018, November). Directing Honors: Lessons from the first year. Roundtable discussion at the Annual National Collegiate Honors Council Conference in Boston, MA.
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M. (2017, August). Is refinement enough to promote psychological well-being? Invited paper given as part of session, “Beyond refinement: Can we provide animals used in research with a good life experience?” Tenth World Congress: Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, Seattle, WA.
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M. (2017, August). A comparison of former laboratory dogs’ with non-laboratory dogs’ psychological and behavioral characteristics. Poster presented at the Tenth World Congress: Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, Seattle, WA.
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M. (2016, August). A review of psychological distress in laboratory living primates. Paper given as part of symposium, Use and care of captive non-human primates: Evaluating and improving ethical requirements. Joint Meeting of the Biannual International Primatological Society Congress and Annual American Society of Primatologist Meeting, Chicago, IL.
Margeson, L.,* & Lopresti-Goodman, S. M. (2015, March). Abnormal behaviors in captive chimpanzees. Poster presented at the Annual Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M., & Roe, K. (2015, January). Discussion of animal research ethics in introductory psychology textbooks. Poster presented at the Annual National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology Conference, St. Pete Beach, FL.
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M., & Roe, K. (2015, January). Alternatives to the use of animals in psychology education. Poster presented at the Annual National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology Conference, St. Pete Beach, FL.
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M. (2014, February). An analysis of psychological distress in chimpanzees rescued from laboratories. Poster presented to the American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M., Caperton, A.*, & Dube, A.* (2013, March). Psychological trauma in chimpanzees rescued from the pet trade. Poster presented to the Annual Eastern Psychological Association Conference, New York, NY.
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M., & Kameka, M.* (2012, July). Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in sanctuary-living chimpanzees. Poster presented at the Biennial Minding Animals Conference, Utrecht, NL.
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M., & Dube, A.* (2012, March). The psychological consequences of exploitation on chimpanzees. Paper presented at the 11th Annual Conference for Critical Animal Studies, Canisius College Buffalo, NY.
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M., Kameka, M.,* & Dube, A.* (2012, March). Symptoms of complex post traumatic stress disorder in chimpanzees. Poster presented at the Annual Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.
Caperton, A.,* & Lopresti-Goodman, S. M. (2012, March). Use of a plastinated human brain for psychology education. Poster presented at the Annual Eastern Psychological Association Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.
Selected Publications in Mainstream Press Relating to Research
Lopresti-Goodman, S. M. (2015, January 2). “Psychological research ethics,” Top Online Essay in NextGen VOICES: Science, 347(6217), 22-25. DOI: 10.1126/science.347.6217.22 http://www.sciencemag.org/content/347/6217/22/suppl/DC1.
