Educational Background

B.S.  Allegheny College, Meadville, PA

M.A.  State University of New York, Binghamton 

Ph.D.  State University of New York, Binghamton

Internship and Postdoctoral Fellowship- Brown University, Providence, RI 

Professional Experience

• Professor, Clinical Psychology Program, Florida Institute of Technology (2016-present)
• Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida (2013-2016)
• Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennesee (1989-2013)
• Member (Faculty), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (1989-2013)
• Adjunct Faculty, Department of Psychology, University of Memphis (1990-2013)
• Licensed Psychologist, Florida
• Vice Chair, Brevard Tobacco Initiative (2017-present)
• Board Member and Treasurer, Florida Psychological Association (FPA), Brevard/Indian River Chapter (2017-2020)
• Chair, Tobacco Free Brevard Partnership, Brevard County, Florida (2020-2022)

Current Courses

• Psychopathology
• Clinical Applications in Behavioral Healthcare
• Supervised Research in Integrated Behavioral Health

Selected Publications

Til Ogut D, Chavez F, Tyc VL, & Patel J. (2021).  Protective buffers of effective cooperation and communication for offspring of divorce. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, https://doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2021.1993021. 

Rodriguez H, Cantalupo S, Costopoulos J, & Tyc VL. (2021).  Brief Report: The tele-health administration of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Acta Scientific Neurology, 4(9), 18-23.   

Crochet E, Tyc VL, Wang M, Srivastava DK, Van Sickle K, Leisenring W, Gibson TM, Armstrong GT, & Krull K. (2019).  Posttraumatic stress as a contributor to behavioral health outcomes and healthcare utilization in adult survivors of childhood cancer. A report form the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.  Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 13(6), 981-992.  

Tyc VL. (2019).  Challenges in changing sun protection behaviors in children and adolescents. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 9(3), 489-492.   

Costopoulos JS, Swanson JM, Tyc VL, Tapley, RE, & Burns GN. (2019). The impact of substance arrests on the efficacy of mental health court. Psychological Injury and Law, 12 (3-4), 247-256.  

Aguado Loi C, Nesman T, Xu P, Krischer J, Tyc VL, Taylor T, McMillen S, Gross-King M, & Huegel V. (2017). The effects of a self-administered stress management intervention for Hispanic patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 19, 1121-1131.

Tyc VL & Klosky JL. (2015). Lifestyle factors and health risk behaviors. In: G.A. & L.R. Torno (Eds). Handbook of Long Term Care of the Childhood Cancer Survivor (pp. 325-346). New York: Springer.

Omoloja A & Tyc VL. (2015). Smoke signals...Tobacco and the pediatric chronic kidney disease population. Pediatric Nephrology, 30, 235-243. 

Clawson AH, Nicholson JS, Mc Dermott MJ, Klosky JL, & Tyc VL. (2015).  Tobacco use and exposure among youth undergoing cancer treatment.  Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 29, 80-87.  

Nicholson JS, McDermott M, Huang Q, Zhang H, & Tyc VL. (2015).  Smoking ban adoption after a randomized controlled trial targeting secondhand smoke exposure reduction.  Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 17, 612-616.

Peck K, Tyc VL, Huang Q, & Zhang H. (2015).  Reduction of secondhand smoke exposure in cars of children with cancer.  Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 32, 401-409.   

Mays D, Hawkins KB, Tyc VL, Atkins MV, & Tercyak KP. (2015).  Correlates of adolescent sun safety behaviors in a racially/ethnically diverse sample of adolescents:  Implications for skin cancer prevention interventions.  Pediatric Dermatology, 32, e288-e290.

Hollen PJ, Tyc VL, Donnangelo SF, Shannon SV, O'Laughlin MC, Hinton I, Smolkin ME, & Petroni GR. (2013).  A substance use decision aid for medically at-risk adolescents: Results of a randomized controlled trial for cancer-surviving adolescents.  Cancer Nursing, 36, 355-367.     

Hollen PJ, Tyc VL, Shannon, SV, Donnangelo SF, Hobbie W, Hudson MM, Smolkin ME, & Petroni GR. (2013).  Factors related to decision making and substance use in adolescent survivors of childhood cancer. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 7, 500-510.

Kahalley LS, Wilson SJ, Tyc VL, Conklin HM, Hudson MM, Wu S, Xiong X, Stancel HH, & Hinds PS. (2013).  Are the psychological needs of adolescent survivors of pediatric cancer adequately identified and treated? Psycho-Oncology, 22, 447-458.

Tyc VL, Lensing, S, Vukadinovich C, & Hovell MF. (2013). Smoking restrictions in the homes of children with cancer.  American Journal of Health Behavior, 37, 440-448. 

Tyc VL, Huang Q, Nicholson J, Schultz B, Hovell MF, Lensing S, Vukadinovich C, Hudson MM, & Zhang H. (2013).  Intervention to reduce secondhand smoke exposure among children with cancer: a controlled trial. Psycho-Oncology, 22, 1104-1111.  

Tyc VL, Puleo E, Emmons K, deMoor J, & Ford J. (2013).  Smoking restrictions among households of childhood and young adult adult cancer survivors: Implications for tobacco control efforts.  Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, 1, 17-24. 

Kahalley LS,Conklin HM, Tyc VL, Hudson MM, Wilson SJ, Wu S, Xiong X, & Hinds PS. (2013). Slower processing speed after treatment for pediatric brain tumor and acute lymphoblastic leukemia.  Psycho-Oncology, 22, 1979-1986.

Nicholson J, Tyc VL, & Lensing S. (2012).  Parental psychosocial predictors of secondhand smoke exposre (SHSe) for children with cancer.  Journal of Child Health Care, 16, 211-223.

Kahalley LS, Robinson LA, Tyc VL, Hudson MM, Leisenring W, Stratton K, Mertens AC, Zeltzer L, Robison LL, & Hinds PS. (2012). Risk factors for smoking among adolescent survivors of childhood cancer: A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivors Study.  Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 58, 428-434.   

Phipps S, Tyc VL, Conklin HM, & Krull K. (2012).  Developments in psychosocial issues.  In: C-H Pui (Ed).  Childhood Leukemias - 3rd edition (pp.823-839).  New York: Cambridge University Press.    

Tyc VL, Klosky JL, Throckmorton-Belzer L, & Rai S. (2009).  A comparison of tobacco-related risk factors between preadolescents with and without cancer.  Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 3, 251-259.

Tyc VL, Lensing S, Vukadinovich C, & Hovell MF. (2009).  Can parents of children with cancer accurately report their child's passive smoke exposure?  Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 11, 1289-1295.    

Tyc VL, Hovell MF, & Winickoff J. (2008).  Reducing secondhand smoke exposure among children and adolescents- emerging issues for intervening with medically at-risk youth.  Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 33, 145-155.

Recognition & Awards

• Health First Endowed Chair in Community Health, 2018
• Outstanding Clinical Faculty Award (Granted by the Clinical Psychology graduate students); 2017-2018 academic year, 2019-2020 academic year, and 2020-2021 academic year 
• Fellow, American Psychological Association (APA); 2004 to present
• Fellow, American Psychological Association (APA); Division 54; Pediatric Psychology; 2004 to present
• Recipient of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) Grant- (9/1/19-8/31/23)  

Research

Dr. Tyc's research program is focused on health promotion among at-risk children and their families with a particular emphasis on tobacco and e-cigarette use and reduction of secondhand exposure to tobacco products and e-cigarettes. She directs research on topics related to pediatric health care and behavioral health issues such as sleep, pain management, tobacco control, addiction to social media, and substance use.

Research Projects and Interests

Dr. Tyc's research interests include health promotion, pediatric and adult health behaviors, health risk perceptions, tobacco control (cigarette and e-cigarette use among at-risk youth), and reduction of secondhand exposure to tobacco products and e-cigarettes.