RSR Researchers

Erin Haugen, PhD, LP, CMPC

Dr. Haugen is a licensed psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant ® (CMPC) specializing in clinical and sport psychology. She is the Founder and CEO of Haugen Performance Consulting, the Director of Mental Health and Performance Psychology at a Division I institution, and consultant at other collegiate institutions. For the past 15+ years, she has worked with elite athletes (collegiate, Olympic, professional) and specializes in working with athletic departments, teams, and individuals within collegiate sport ecosystems. In 2023, she was awarded the Jack Weakley Award of Distinction from NATA for her lifetime contribution to athletics, athletic training, and sports medicine.

In her spare time, Dr. Haugen is a semi-competitive cyclist (gravel and road) and moving toward being a retired triathlete. She and her husband are also proud dog parents to three rescue herding dogs (Fromm, Eddie, and Bella).  

Dr. Haugen is Co-PI on this project.

Steven Westereng, PhD, LAT, ATC, CSCS

Dr. Westereng is Associate Professor and Chair of the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences Department of Sports Medicine. The UND Department of Sports Medicine has educational programming including a CAATE accredited Master’s in Athletic Training program and has clinical service components including providing services to the 350+ student-athletes at UND. He has overseen the Department of Sports Medicine for the past 21 years and has been involved in local, North Dakota, MAATA, and NATA volunteer activities including but not limited to serving on the NDATA Executive Board (3 different positions), the MAATA Hall of Fame Committee, and the NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainers Award Committee.

In his spare time, Dr. Westereng likes to play hockey and fish, and he is quick to say that this does not mean he is good at either.

Dr. Westereng is Co-PI on this project.

Alison Kelly, PhD

Dr. Kelly is an Associate Professor of Psychology and the director of the Forensic Psychology graduate programs at the University of North Dakota (UND). She is also the Director of the SCALE Lab. Dr. Kelly teaches both undergraduate and graduate-level courses and mentors graduate students in the General / Experimental and Forensic Psychology graduate programs. Her primary research interests include the scholarship of teaching and learning, where she has developed and tested the effects of pedagogical interventions on student learning, motivation, and sense of belonging.

Outside the lab, Dr. Kelly is involved with GroundUP Adventures, a non-profit that promotes outdoor recreation opportunities for youth and families in the Greater Grand Forks community, and enjoys running, cycling, yoga, and hanging with her fam.

Dr. Kelly provides methodological and statistical support for this project.