Rodney Clark

Headshot of Rodney Clark
Department: Psychology
Email: rclark@allegheny.edu
Office Phone: (814) 332-4960
Office Building: Carnegie Hall
Office Room: 013
Box #: 39

Professional Title/s

Professor

Faculty Credentials

B.A., California State University-Long Beach; M.A., Ph.D., Western Michigan University (Advisor: Dr. Alan Poling)

Biographical Information

Courses Taught:

  • Behavior Analysis and Sustainable Practices (FSPsy 101)
  • Drugs and Society (Psy 103)
  • *Introduction to Behavioral Psychology (Psy 152)
  • Psychological and Biomedical Ethics (FSPsy 201)
  • Applied Behavior Analysis (Psy 380)
  • Verbal Behavior (Psy 412)
  • *Introduction to Behavioral Pharmacology (Psy 415),
  • The Experimental Analysis of Behavior (Psy 416)
  • *Behavioral Mechanisms of Drug Action (Psy 557)
  • Senior Thesis Advising Psychology (Psy 600/610/620)
  • *Senior Thesis Advising Neuroscience (NS 600/610)

(* included in the neuroscience major)

Research Interests:

Research in the behavioral pharmacology laboratory focuses on three primary areas. Our first research area concerns drug interactions and motivative variables. We are currently conducting research examining the relationship between excitatory amino acids (EAA), such as NMDA, and unlearned motivative variables. NMDA as well as other EAA’s produce a marked increase in water consumption. These studies specifically examine how water-maintained operant behavior may be sustained by activity of the NMDA receptor complex without water deprivation. Our second area of interest is the behavioral pharmacology of the antimalarial drug Mefloquine.  The final area of research is centered on respondent conditioning of endogenous opioid systems and immune function.

Lab Alumni:

  • Jessica Frieder, Ph.D.
  • Megan Kwak, M.A.
  • Katy  Zorich, MS.
  • Erin McClure, Ph.D.
  • Ryan Zayac, PhD.
  • Kevin Smith, M.A.
  • Rachel Kreiss, M.A.
  • Alicia Crisman, PhD.
  • Sarah E. Snider, PhD.
  • John Mantch, Ph.D.
  • Chris Schmoutz, Ph.D.
  • Tim Waggoner, MA.
  • John Stokes, M.A.
  • Chad Beyer, PhD.
  • Julie Isenberg, M.A.
  • Matt Weaver, PhD.
  • Douglas Kostowicz, PhD.
  • Christina Shreen, PhD            .
  • Megan Guidi, MA
  • Jennifer Rodzinak, MA.
  • Mike Roth, MA.
  • Amanda Granner, PhD.
  • Kassandra Foster, MA.
  • Crystal Roth, MA.
  • Kristin Albert, MA.
  • Josh Johnson, PhD.
  • Megan Roby, Esq.
  • Abbe’ Machi, MA.

Selected Presentations and Publications:

  • McClure, E. and Clark, R.: Effects of Oxycodone on Escape-Avoidance Behavior in the Rat: Evaluation of Selected Mu and Kappa antagonists.  Association for Behavior Analysis.  May (2003) San Francisco, Ca.
  • Schmoutz, C. and Clark, R.: Reduction of Ethanol Self-Administration by Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors.  Presented at the Association for Behavior Analysis.  May (2005) Chicago, Il.
  • Johnson, J. and Clark, R.: Stereoselective Behavioral Effects of NMDA and NMLA in the Rat: Assessment Under an IRT>t Schedule of Water Presentation. Presented at the Association for Behavior Analysis.  May (2005) Chicago, Il.
  • Guidi, M. and Clark, R.: A Comparison Functional Analyses Conducted in both the Natural and Experimental Environments for a child with PDD-NOS.    Presented at the Association for Behavior Analysis.  May (2005) Chicago, Il.
  • Rodzinak, J. and Clark, R. D.:  Effects of DRL and DRO Schedules of Reinforcement on the Frequency and Amount of Interfering Behaviors.  Presented at the Association for Behavior Analysis.  May (2006) Atlanta, GA.
  • Roby, M. R., Foster, K., and Clark, R. D. :The Effects of Mefloquine Hydrochloride on NMDA-Induced Drinking behavior in Rats Presented at the Association for Behavior Analysis.  May (2007) San Diego, CA.
  • Sarah Snider: Effects of Mefloquine Hydrochloride on NMDA- and Kianate-Induced Drinking in the Sprague-Dawley Rats. Presented at the Association for Behavior Analysis.  May (2008) Chicago, Il.
  • Molly I. Guest: Classical Conditioning of Antiepileptic Drug Effects: Failure of Metrozol to Produce Convulsions and the Production of Convulsions From the Withdrawal from Chronic Valproic Acid.  Presented at the Association for Behavior Analysis.  May (2008) Chicago, Il.
  • Ferris, K. E., Clark, R.D., and Coates, E.L.: Topical Inhibition of Nasal Carbonic Anhydrase Affects the CO2 Detection Threshold in Rats.  Chemical Senses 32: 263-271, (2007).
  • LeSage, M., Clark, R., and Poling, A.: MDMA and Memory: the Acute and Chronic Effects of MDMA in Pigeons Performing Under a Delayed-Matching-To-Sample Procedure.  Psychopharmacology,110, pp. 327-332 (1993).