Associate Professor (tenured)
Counseling Psychology
Chair, Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies

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PhD (1995), The Ohio State University

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Research Interests

My research focuses on how our connections with others influence our health and well-being I am particularly interested in how social support and unsupportive responses from other people affect adjustment among individuals faced with chronic illness. Much of my current work examines how supportive and unsupportive social interactions are associated with distress, subjective well-being, health-related quality of life, and posttraumatic personal growth among individuals recently diagnosed with cancer. In addition, I have started to pursue my interest in studying the health-promoting effects of humans' interactions with companion animals. 

I will not be accepting a new graduate student for next year (Fall 2023).

Select Publications

Coleman, J. A., Green, B., Garthe, R. C., Worthington. E. L., Jr., Barker, S. B. & Ingram, K. M. (2016). The Coleman Dog Attitude Scale (C-DAS): Development, refinement, validation, and reliability. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 176, 77-86.

Pottie, C. G., Cohen, J., & Ingram, K. M. (2009). Parenting a child with autism: Contextual factors associated with enhanced daily parental mood. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 34, 419-429.

Grange, C., Matsuyama, R. K., Ingram, K. M., (2008). Identifying supportive and unsupportive responses of others: Perspectives of African American and Caucasian cancer patients. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 81-99.

Mindes, E. J., Ingram, K. M., Kliewer, W., & James, C. A. (2003). Longitudinal analyses of the relation between unsupportive social interactions, coping, threat appraisals, and psychological adjustment among women with fertility problems. Social Science & Medicine, 56, 2165-2180.

Ingram, K. M., Betz, N. E., Mindes, E. J., Schmitt, M. M., & Smith, N. G. (2001). Unsupportive responses from others concerning a stressful life event: Development of the Unsupportive Social Interactions Inventory. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 20, 173-207.

Recent Courses

• Applications of Statistics, undergraduate level
• Psychology of Women, undergraduate level
• Contemporary Developments in Counseling Psychology, graduate level
• Practicum in Clinical/Counseling Supervision, graduate level

Recent Grant

People Living with Cancer and Their Companion Dogs: Understanding the Human-Animal Bond and its Association with Well-Being. (2012). Principal Investigator. Virginia Commonwealth University, Center for Human-Animal Interaction. $3,110.  

News Feature

• Ingram to serve as chair of VCU GSWS