Brian P. Higley
Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology
Education
Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, University of Florida
B.S. in Psychology, Baldwin-Wallace College
Research Interests
My main focus is helping people utilize the science of psychology in their family, education, and work systems to help them achieve their personal and/or professional goals. My research centers around the development, implementation, and testing of training tools designed to facilitate personal effectiveness, group/team excellence, and life satisfaction. I developed H2O-centered education, an evidence-based approach to learning facilitation grounded in the science of learning, behavioral change, and personal growth. I have consulted with a variety of individuals, teams, and organizations on how to implement evidence-based best practices in education, leadership, management, and family life.
Courses Taught
- PSYC 103: Introduction to Psychological Science
- PSYC 224: Lifespan Development
Selected Publications
Articles:
Higley, B.P., Heesacker, M., & Brenneman, K.N. (2020). H2O-Centered Education: Helping Education Excellence Flow More Freely. Journal of Education 200(1), 12-22.
*Heesacker, M., Higley, B.P., & Elimelech, N.T. (2015). The undergraduate research laboratory as a method of enhancing science-practice integration. Counseling Psychology Quarterly, 28(3), 264-285.
*First two authors contributed equally.
Books:
Monaco, S. B., Heesacker, M., & Higley, B. P. (2024). Super STEAM team: A hero-directed tour through the principles of productivity. Monaco Publishing. ISBN-13: 979-8986728322
Higley, B. P., & Heesacker, M. (2023). H2O for personal and professional growth (4th ed.). The Building Blocks to Excellence.
Poster Presentations:
Mosley, T., Higley, B. P., & Heesacker, M. (2025, April). Reconceptualizing mental health help-seeking literature: A STEAM-based organizational framework analysis [Poster session]. SEPA 2025 Convention, Atlanta, GA, United States.
Sanchez, A., Catuogno, J.M., Heesacker, M., & Higley, B. P. (2019, May). Required online personal achievement training resulted in better goals and more course related goals achieved [Poster session]. APS 2019 Convention, Washington, D.C., United States.
Invited Presentations/Interviews:
Hand-Campbell, T. (Host). (2025, May 6). Heroes of learning with Sasha Monaco & Dr. Brian Higley (No. 27) [Video podcast episode]. In The Handshake. THC Consult.
Hand-Campbell, T. (Host). (2025, March 28). The STEAM learning flow (No. 26, Part 1) [Video podcast episode]. In The Handshake. THC Consult.