Kate B. Nooner

Dr. Kate Brody Nooner is a Full Professor of Psychology and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty, Policy, Research, and Innovation in the College of Science and Engineering at UNCW. A distinguished educator, scholar, and higher education leader with more than two decades of experience, she brings a leadership approach rooted in liberal arts values with an entrepreneurial drive to advance strategic initiatives that promote student, faculty, and staff success, creative growth and discovery, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

She has served as Chair of the Department of Psychology and Vice President of the Faculty Senate, leading efforts to develop and implement policies that support faculty, strengthen scholarship, and foster high-impact learning. Her leadership has been central to launching new programs and building key community and industry partnerships.

Recognized across the university and beyond, Dr. Nooner is dedicated to creating enriching environments where students, faculty, and staff thrive.

Education

Board Certified in Clinical Psychology, American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP)
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, UCSD/SDSU Joint Doctoral Program
Residency in Clinical Child Psychology, Columbia University Medical Center
M.S. in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University
B.A. in Psychology, Wellesley College

Specialization in Teaching

Dr. Kate Brody Nooner is passionate about teaching and mentoring, offering a range of undergraduate courses from statistics to abnormal psychology as well as graduate courses in clinical supervision. Infusing her teaching with a liberal arts ethos, her pedagogy focuses on transforming complex or challenging topics into engaging, relevant, and applicable high-impact learning experiences grounded in strong theoretical frameworks.

As director of the Trauma and Resilience Lab, she provides individualized, hands-on opportunities for exploration, guiding students from project conception to a compelling outcome. She mentors undergraduates through directed individual studies and honors theses, and graduate students through master’s theses and doctoral dissertations—finding great joy in helping students bring ideas to life.

Research Interests

Dr. Nooner’s scholarly work lies in mental health promotion at the intersection of alcohol use, trauma, and neuroscience. She has published over 80 scholarly articles and presented at more than 100 national and international conferences and invited presentations.

As principal investigator on multiple NIH- and NSF-funded grants totaling millions in external support, she leads UNCW’s Trauma and Resilience Laboratory, engaging undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. students in hands-on research and community service. Her work includes prevention of binge drinking in adolescents and contributing to the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA.org).

Professional Service

Dr. Kate Brody Nooner is committed to service within the university and the broader community. At UNCW, she has held leadership roles including Vice President of the Faculty Senate, advancing shared governance. She serves on the North Carolina Psychology Licensing Board, contributing to the regulation of the profession and protection of public safety in the state.

Nationally, Dr. Nooner served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Health Service Psychology, where she strengthened the journal’s impact for health service psychologists in direct clinical practice. She has also served as a reviewer and panelist for the National Institutes of Health, a site visitor for the American Psychological Association’s Commission on Accreditation of clinical psychology doctoral programs, and a board member for the American Board of Professional Psychology Foundation.

Her professional and community service reflects a deep commitment to acting in the service of others to increase access to and awareness of mental health services.

Community Engagement

Dr. Nooner cares deeply about increasing access and understanding related to mental health. She is the founding director of the General Psychotherapy and Assessment Clinic, UNCW’s first community clinic for its Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. This vital resource provides affordable treatment services to the community while training doctoral students in evidence-based practice. She has also created international opportunities for doctoral students to deliver mental health education abroad. Under her leadership, the clinic has secured significant donor funding, expanding its services and reach in the community.

She has built strong partnerships with New Hanover County Health and Human Services to address adolescent mental health needs, and has volunteered her expertise for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, leading wellness and resilience programs for older adults. Dr. Nooner’s work as a licensed and board-certified clinical psychologist bridges academic excellence with real-world impact, advancing access to psychological care, and decreasing mental health stigma.

Honors & Awards

American Psychological Association Fellow, Division 6, Behavioral Neuroscience
Executive Leadership in Academic Technology, Engineering, and Science (ELATES) Fellow
Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award (UNCW's Highest Faculty Scholarship Honor)
James F. Merritt Million Dollar Research Award
Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) Institute Fellow
NIH-NIMH – UC Davis/SDSU ERP Bootcamp Fellow
UNC-CH Frank Porter Graham Institute Fellow