Biography

Dr. DeShong is a first-generation college student who grew up in a small town in southcentral Pennsylvania. She attended WVU as an undergraduate and Villanova for an experimental master's degree before moving to Oklahoma for her doctoral training, working under the mentorship of Dr. Stephanie Mullins-Sweatt. Dr. DeShong's research focuses on using the five-factor model of general personality to conceptualize, distinguish, and better understand personality disorders and personality constructs like psychopathy and Machiavellianism. She also investigates how personality can influence engagement in adaptive and maladaptive behaviors and thinking styles, such as substance use, suicidal behavior, and rumination. In her free time, Dr. DeShong enjoys hiking, kickboxing, reading, writing, and playing guitar.