Biography
Alvin Malesky, Ph.D., MBA is the department head of Psychology and a full professor
at Western Carolina University (WCU). He is a licensed psychologist in North Carolina
and has advanced training in the practice of forensic psychology. Dr. Malesky’s current
research interests deal with academic integrity violations in higher education. He
has published and presented on this topic at national and international conferences.
Dr. Malesky has received several research and teaching awards over the past 17 years
at WCU including the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award.<br><br>Dr. Malesky
received his B.A. in Psychology from George Mason University, his M.S. in Counseling
from The University of Southern Mississippi, and his Ph.D. from The University of
Memphis. He completed his pre-doctoral internship at the Federal Correctional Complex
in Butner, North Carolina and his postdoctoral Forensic Fellowship at the University
of Massachusetts Medical School. Dr. Malesky also earned an MBA from WCU in 2016.<br><br>Dr.
Malesky conducts pre-employment evaluations of law enforcement officers as well as
testifies in court as an expert witness. Dr. Malesky has also appeared as an expert
on several television news shows where he addressed various psychological related
topics.<br><br>Dr. Malesky’s father was a diplomat and consequently he grew up overseas.
Dr. Malesky values international travel and cross-cultural exchanges. He developed
a travel course at WCU where students visit multiple countries in Europe during the
summer to study World War II and the Holocaust. Dr. Malesky is always looking for
new educational opportunities and experiences for his students.
Teaching Interests
Dr. Malesky has taught numerous undergraduate courses at WCU including: General Psychology,
Human Sexuality, Introduction to Forensic Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Sexual
Victimization, Introduction to Clinical and Counseling Psychology, The Psychology
of Hate, and Senior Seminar. He has also taught the following graduate courses at
WCU: Advanced Psychopathology, Theories of Psychotherapy, Group Psychotherapy, Advanced
Forensic Psychology, Thesis Supervision, and Dissertation Supervision.<br><br>Dr.
Malesky’s current teaching load includes: Introduction to Forensic Psychology (PSY-375),
Senior Seminar (PSY-495), Abnormal Psychology - Online (PSY-470), The Psychology of
Hate - International Travel Course (PSY-393), and Graduate Practicum Supervision (PSY-686).
Research Interests
Dr. Malesky’s research has evolved from his early focus on psycho-legal issues to
his more recent work examining academic integrity in higher education. <br> <br>Dr.
Malesky’s research has been recognized by both his peers at WCU (e.g., he was the
recipient of the <i>University Scholar Award</i> and the <i>Innovative Scholarship
Award</i>) and on a national level (e.g., his research was featured in <i>The Chronicle
of Higher Education</i> - http://chronicle.com/article/Ina-Fake-Online-Class-With/234687).
<br> <br>You can find out more about Dr. Malesky’s publications and presentations
from his CV on this page. You can also learn more about Dr. Malesky’s research team
at: https://wcupsy.wixsite.com/academicintegritylab