Associate Professor of Psychology
B.S., Santa Clara University; Ph.D., Rutgers: the State University of New Jersey
Katharine (Kate) Cammack began teaching at the University of the South in 2015. She received a B.S. in Psychology from Santa Clara University and a Ph.D. in Integrative Neuroscience from Rutgers University. She completed her postdoctoral training at The Rockefeller University and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, supported by a research fellowship from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. She is currently an Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Neuroscience Program.
Dr. Cammack’s research explores neural mechanisms involved in motivated and reward-related behaviors. Specifically, she is interested in how abused drugs alter learning, memory, and motivation; how sex differences and hormones alter drug seeking; and why similar individuals respond differently to the same drug. Her current research explores how prescription opioids, such as oxycodone, affect rodents' ability to learn and make decisions. Many undergraduate students work in her Behavioral Neuroscience laboratory during the academic year and summer, and have presented their research at regional and national conferences.
Dr. Cammack is dedicated to undergraduate teaching and received the Dean of the College’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2022. She is particularly interested in issues of science identity and belonging, and pedagogical approaches and classroom activities that enhance students’ confidence and competence within the sciences. Learn more here.
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