Dr. James Wunderle serves as Chair of the Department of Psychology at Howard Payne University, where he has taught college psychology for nine years as part of a 30-year career in higher education. As a professor and mentor, Dr. Wunderle is committed to helping students develop a deeper understanding of human behavior while exploring how psychological knowledge can be thoughtfully integrated with Christian faith.
Dr. Wunderle teaches courses across the psychology curriculum at HPU. His favorite courses to teach are Abnormal Psychology and Parent-Child Relations, two subjects that reflect his broad interests in human development, relationships, mental health, and family dynamics. His teaching portfolio also includes Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Counseling and Psychotherapy, Human Relations, Sensation and Perception, Multicultural Counseling, The Integration of Psychology and Christianity, Professional Development in Psychology, Experimental Psychology, Research Methods, Statistics for the Social Sciences, Human Sexuality, Lifespan Development, Family Stress Management, Marriage and the Family, First-Year Student Seminar, Theories of Personality, Adolescent Psychology, Social Psychology, Counseling Methods, and Internship in Psychology.
One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching for Dr. Wunderle is watching students grow—not only in their knowledge of psychology, but also in their ability to connect what they learn with their faith. He values the opportunity to interact with students personally and academically and to help them recognize their potential as they prepare for careers, relationships, and lives of service.
Dr. Wunderle’s passion for psychology stems from his longstanding fascination with human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. He is particularly interested in the ways psychology can help people better understand themselves and their relationships with others. He also sees psychology as relevant to one of the most important relationships of all: an individual’s relationship with God. This perspective informs his approach to teaching and reflects HPU’s commitment to integrating faith and learning.
His academic preparation includes a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Master of Arts in Religious Education, a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling, and a Ph.D. in Psychology and Counseling. He has also completed 42 doctoral hours in Family Therapy. His scholarship and professional writing have addressed topics related to parenting, psychology, Christian counseling, and family relationships.
Among his publications are 101 Sound Bites for Parents, a collection of practical parenting insights published in 2014, and The Two Sides of Parenting, a comprehensive parenting resource published in 2015 that includes discussion questions and can be used for small-group study. His scholarly work includes research published in the Journal of Social Behavior & Personality, as well as a review of Eric Johnson’s God and Soul Care. His doctoral dissertation examined attachment to parents and levels of anxiety among students at a faith-based university.
Outside the classroom, Dr. Wunderle enjoys a variety of hands-on and creative pursuits. He plays drums and percussion instruments, enjoys restoring his 1976 pickup truck, and looks forward to taking vacation cruises with his family. He is also involved with Rocky Creek Baptist Church.
Through teaching, scholarship, and mentorship, Dr. Wunderle seeks to help students understand the complexity of human behavior while encouraging them to recognize their own potential and consider how their knowledge, relationships, and faith can shape the way they serve others.
