B.A. Rutgers College
M.A. Montclair State University
Ed.D. Rutgers University

Dr Salerno received her doctorate in Higher Education and Student Development from The Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University. She has held various administrative and teaching positions throughout her career in student affairs, program management, crisis counseling, and evaluation. A long-time adjunct at Caldwell and other local institutions, she joined the psychology faculty full-time in 2023. She is especially committed to helping students transition into graduate school and teaches the psychology capstone course each year. Her research interests center on women at different stages in the lifespan, professional identity development for adjunct faculty, and college-student mental health. Dr. Salerno loves reading, cooking, and gardening and is happiest hanging out with her grown kids.

Education
• B.A., Psychology, Montclair State University
• M.A., Psychology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University
• Ph.D., Counseling Psychology (Clinical Neuropsychology Specialty)

Dr. Cruz is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Caldwell University, as well as an assessment psychologist and neuroscience researcher. He is licensed to practice psychology in New Jersey and is board-certified in Counseling Psychology (ABPP-Co), with specialized
expertise in psychological and neuropsychological assessment and consultation.

At Caldwell University, Dr. Cruz teaches a range of psychology courses, including statistics, health psychology, and psychopathology. He is committed to supporting students’ academic and personal development, and he values the opportunity to mentor students throughout their
time at the university and beyond.

Dr. Cruz’s research focuses on developmental disorders, with particular interests in developmental trauma, complex PTSD, autism spectrum disorder, and ADHD. His work integrates psychological theory with neuroscientific approaches to better understand the impact of early experiences on brain development and mental health.

Outside of his professional work, Dr. Cruz enjoys spending time with family and friends, relaxing with his cats, and unwinding with his favorite streaming shows.

B.A. Jersey City State College

M.A. Caldwell University

Ms. Farina’s research experience includes electrophysiological research on the biomolecular basis of learning and memory at Rutgers University. Her professional development course experience includes extensive PhD level courses in research design, data analysis, cognition, learning, and neurophysiology.  Presently, her professional interest has centered on teaching methods that facilitate learning in the undergraduate classroom. Ms. Farina began teaching at Caldwell University in 2001, and teaches courses primarily in BioPsychology, Learning, Statistics, Experimental Psychology, and General Psychology. She is also an On-Line course developer and instructor. She has a passion for student service and takes pride in her belief that teaching is a privilege. In her “off” time, she is an adventurer at heart and spends most of her free time hiking and traveling.

Ph.D., Experimental (Social) Psychology, The University of Alabama

M.A., Experimental (Social) Psychology, The University of Alabama

B.A., Psychology, Miami University—Oxford

Dr. Tortoriello is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Caldwell University. He earned his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from The University of Alabama specializing in social psychology and statistics. His previous experience includes working in higher education as a college professor and in the public sector doing research analytics for an educational consulting firm.

Dr. Tortoriello studies personality elements and expressions under various social conditions. This framework of study has prompted re-examinations of personality constructs with prominent moral and prosocial implications, such as psychopathy, and their underlying features (e.g., manipulation, impulsivity, lack of empathy, lack of guilt). Are these features, and hence psychopathy, accurately represented theoretically and empirically? Can psychopathic people behave in morally consistent, or even morally superior, ways? In what circumstances are psychopathic people the most helpful?

Dr. Tortoriello is passionate about undergraduate teaching and training students to evaluate psychologically-based problems using the scientific method. In this vein, he operates a student-focused discussion group, Curious Scientists, which is dedicated to discussing and examining everyday observations, personal experiences, contemporary issues, and media through a scientific framework.

B.A. in Neuroscience, Wellesley College
Ph.D. in Psychology (specialization in Cognitive Neuroscience), Boston College
Postdoctoral training, Princeton University

Dr. Tsoi is an assistant professor at Caldwell University. In addition to teaching advanced psychology courses, she conducts research and loves giving students opportunities to get involved. Her research uses survey methods, behavioral methods, and neuroimaging methods to understand how the brain supports social interactions and to uncover features of social interactions that promote social connection between people.

Dr. Tsoi is also the Co-Director of the Honors Program, the faculty advisor of Psychology Club and the Caldwell chapter of Psi Chi (the student honor society in Psychology), as well as the President-elect of the Caldwell chapter of Phi Kappa Phi (multidisciplinary honor society promoting scholarly excellence).

In her free time, Dr. Tsoi enjoys trying out recipes on cooking blogs, exploring different neighborhoods, and visiting family and friends in NYC.