Gary Stark

Education

• Ph.D., University of Illinois at Chicago, 1986

Teaching Statement

I began teaching for the UWM Psychology Department on a part-time basis in 1991 and have now taught well over 100 classes over the years. I continue to teach after retiring from my primary career largely due to my enjoyment in working with students. In my courses, I strive to present information based on the most recent research. I also try to present information in a very organized and understandable manner incorporating real-life illustrations of concepts considered. Most importantly, I want the course material to be personally relevant to students and applicable to their day to day lives and not just an academic experience. For example, students in my health psychology course assess their levels of various psychosocial physical health risks as well as health-enhancing factors, and then write about these. Throughout the semester, students in my happiness course implement numerous happiness strategies to see what impact these might have on them, and then they write about these experiences. In this way, students can better learn the value and application of material being taught, potentially learn more about themselves and grow as young adults, and expand their knowledge and skills to help them be more successful in various aspects of their lives including their future careers.

Courses Taught

• Psych 101: Introduction to Psychology
• Psych 412: Abnormal Psychology
• Psych 555: Health Psychology
• Psych 611: Current Topics: Positive Psychology and Happiness

Clinical Background

I was a clinical psychologist in the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division for over 37 years before retiring in 2023. During my last eight years there I was the Clinical Program Director for the Crisis Service’s Community Consultation Team. We provided crisis services primarily for adults with developmental disabilities as well as behavioral assessments of clients and training for community service providers. I also assessed patients in medical hospitals to determine if they were in need of civil commitments for mental health care. Prior to working in Crisis Services, I was the Clinical Program Director for a long-term care facility for adults with developmental disabilities. In earlier years in the Behavioral Health Division, I worked in a long-term care program for adults with severe and persistent mental illness and on acute care psychiatric inpatient units. I also served for many years on the Milwaukee County Wellness Committee and helped develop health-related programming for all Milwaukee County employees.