Faculty Advisors

Dr. Desiree Griffin

I’m excited to be the faculty mentor for the ambassador program – one of the most fulfilling aspects of my job as a Teaching Associate Professor and the Director of Undergraduate Advising is to mentor students as they discover what they are passionate about. Through this organization, I hope more students can find the support and community they are seeking from their peers and other faculty in the department. As an undergraduate student myself, I learned the most about my career trajectory by talking to other students (undergrad and grad) and faculty – and it was immeasurably helpful in making me feel connected to my peers and confident in my decisions. I hope students in our department can have that same experience.

As a teaching faculty, my primary responsibility is to teach several courses each semester. I currently teach Introduction to Clinical Psychology, Mania and Depression, Clinical Research, Sports and Performance Psychology, Psychopathology, and Psychology & Law. As Director of Undergraduate Advising, I help students with the registration process – making sure they are taking the courses they need to graduate – and I also talk with students about graduate school and careers. Even if you’re not a member of the ambassador program or one of my students in class, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.

I am originally from Mobile, Alabama. I am married to another clinical psychologist, and we have four children. Family life keeps me really busy and most of my time is spent hanging out with them. We love to travel – in the summer of 2021 we took a 35-day cross-country road trip in our minivan. It was amazing and we can’t wait to do it again! However, most of our “travel” involves checking out new parks/trails in the Triangle area.  I’m also a HUGE college sports fan. I went to the University of Alabama, so I was born a Bama fan but I’m definitely Tar Heel bred! I also enjoy reading historical fiction and Christian faith/growth books. I’m currently reading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry and it’s a very humbling approach for living in our fast-paced and stressful world.