Rate My Professor Cecile Nowatka

Cecile M. Nowatka, Professor and Chair of the Psychology Department at Wofford College, joined the faculty in 1999. Her academic background includes a BA from the University of Virginia, an MA from the College of William and Mary, and a PhD from the University of Kentucky. As a licensed clinical psychologist, she teaches courses on child and adolescent development, abnormal psychology, social psychology, and statistics. Nowatka's research focuses on mental health issues, particularly depression and suicide. In spring 2016, her senior thesis students surveyed 203 Wofford students. Many respondents reported experiences with depression, such as personal episodes, depression in family members or friends, or knowledge gained from classes. However, students with no such experience were significantly more likely to endorse stigmatizing attitudes and misconceptions about depression. Sadly, 19 of the 203 participants reported having attempted suicide. Nowatka and her students conducted additional research on this topic, leading to conference presentations with students as co-authors. She has also examined anxiety and resilience among students as a result of COVID-19.

Nowatka's service contributions are extensive. Until COVID-19, she volunteered as a therapist at St. Luke's Free Medical Clinic for many years. She has incorporated service learning into her classes, with students organizing blood drives, raising money for multiple sclerosis, creating a reading garden at an elementary school, and working with infants and toddlers at a child development program. She has served on numerous Wofford committees and was a fellow in the year-long Teach.Equity.Now program. For her strong contributions to teaching, research, service, campus life, and the local community, she was named Wofford College's representative on the 2022-23 All-Southern Conference Faculty and Staff Team.