CV

Mary M. Tomkins, PhD Link to heading

Department of Psychology and Philosophy · Sam Houston State University · [email protected]

Education Link to heading

Doctor of Philosophy, Social and Health Psychology — August 2020
Minor: Quantitative Methods
University of Houston
Dissertation: Incorporating Religiousness into a Brief Alcohol Intervention for College Students
Mentor: Clayton Neighbors, PhD

Master of Science, Psychology — May 2014
Abilene Christian University
Thesis: Workplace Ostracism and Workplace Fit in Summer Camp Counselors
Mentor: Richard Beck, PhD

Bachelor of Science, Psychology — December 2011
Minor: Bible, Missions, and Ministry
Abilene Christian University
Honors Capstone: Camaraderie as a Moderator of Stress and Secondary Traumatic Stress
Mentor: Rachel Riley, MS
University Honors · Departmental Honors · Magna Cum Laude

Positions Link to heading

Lecturer — August 2023–Present
Department of Psychology and Philosophy, Sam Houston State University

Post-doctoral Research Fellow — September 2020–May 2023
Social Influences and Health Behaviors Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Houston

Research Interests Link to heading

Social connectedness and well-being outcomes · Morality and moral/virtue interventions · Religiousness · Religiousness and alcohol use

Publications Link to heading

Peer-Reviewed Link to heading

Rodriguez, L. M., Neighbors, C., Tomkins, M. M., & Garey, L. (in press). Incentives and delivery modality as moderators of a web-based personalized normative feedback intervention for heavy drinking college students. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.

LaBrie, J. W., Boyle, S. C., Trager, B. M., Hall, N. A., Rainosek, L. M., Hatch, O. J., Morgan, R. M., West, M. J., Tomkins, M. M., & Neighbors, C. (2025). When less is more: Short-term efficacy of a gamified personalized normative feedback intervention for college students. Addictive Behaviors, 108247.

Tomkins, M. M., Neighbors, C., Hernandez, M., & Quraishi, N. (2024). The association of religious drinking norms and college student drinking behaviors: Which ties bind the most? Psychology of Religion and Spirituality.

Chavez, S. J., Hall, N. A., Tomkins, M. M., DiBello, A. M., Neighbors, C., & Carey, K. B. (2025). Perceived belonging on campus predicts depression among heavy drinkers: A test of three moderators. Journal of American College Health.

Tomkins, M. M., Wang, C., Weinstein, A. P., Neighbors, C., DiBello, A. M., & Carey, K. B. (2023). Religion and drinking: Differences between two campuses. Alcohol.

Angosta, J., Tomkins, M. M., & Neighbors, C. (2022). Incorporating social networks and event-specific information to reduce drinking among young adults. Alcohol and Alcoholism.

Neighbors, C., Tomkins, M. M., Garey, L., Gasser, M., Quraishi, N., & Lindgren, K. P. (2021). Fluctuation in the sense of belongingness during college moderates within-person associations between perceived injunctive norms and subsequent drinking. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.

Rodriguez, L. M., Tomkins, M. M., Garey, L., Young, C. M., & Neighbors, C. (2021). Design, efficacy, and methodology considerations for brief interventions: Intervention delivery and incentives. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.

Neighbors, C., Tomkins, M. M., Lembo, J., Angosta, J., & Weinstein, A. (2019). Cognitive factors and addiction. Current Opinion in Psychology, 30, 128–133.

Tomkins, M. M., Neighbors, C., & Steers, M. N. (2018). Contrasting the effects of harmonious and obsessive passion for religion on stress and drinking. Alcohol.

Tomkins, M. M., Neighbors, C., & Park, C. L. (2018). Expressing discrepancies between religious affiliations and drinking reduces drinking intentions. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality.

Neighbors, C., Rodriguez, L. M., Garey, L., & Tomkins, M. M. (2018). Testing a motivational model of delivery modality and incentives on participation in a brief alcohol intervention. Addictive Behaviors, 84, 131–138.

Lewis, M. A., Litt, D. M., Tomkins, M., & Neighbors, C. (2017). Prototype willingness model drinking cognitions mediate personalized normative feedback efficacy. Prevention Science, 18(4), 373–381.

Rodriguez, L. M., Young, C. M., Tomkins, M. M., DiBello, A. M., Krieger, H., & Neighbors, C. (2016). Friends in low places: The impact of locations and companions on 21st birthday drinking. Addictive Behaviors.

Young, C. M., Neighbors, C., DiBello, A. M., Traylor, Z. K., & Tomkins, M. (2016). Shame and guilt-proneness as mediators of associations between general causality orientations and depressive symptoms. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 35(5), 357–370.

Under Review or Revision Link to heading

Hall, N. A., LaBrie, J., Boyle, S. C., Trager, B. M., Rainosek, L. M., Hatch, O. M., Tomkins, M. M., & Neighbors, C. (under review). Delivering enhanced alcohol PNF within a social media inspired game about college life: Primary outcomes from a randomized controlled trial.

Tomkins, M. M., Quist, M. C., Shank, F., & Young, C. M. (under revision). “I think I can because I choose to”: Self-efficacy as a mediator of associations between general causality orientations and well-being.

Baker, Z. G., Tomkins, M. M., Nguyen, T. T. T., & Knee, C. R. (under revision). Quality and quantity: Weak and close tie interactions, need fulfillment, and their associations with well-being and goal progress.

Conference Presentations Link to heading

* Denotes undergraduate student co-author

Tomkins, M. M., Wang, C., Weinstein, A. P., Neighbors, C., DiBello, A. M., & Carey, K. B. Religion and drinking: Differences between two campuses. Poster, Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Meeting, 2021. Virtual.

Nguyen-Do, C.* & Tomkins, M. M. One does not simply use the internet: The effect of memes and humor on social connectedness and social fit. Poster, Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting, 2020. New Orleans, LA.

Nair, A.* & Tomkins, M. M. Morality and Me. Poster, Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting, 2020. New Orleans, LA.

Tomkins, M. M. & Neighbors, C. Changes in alcohol use and outcomes predicted by belongingness and race. Poster, Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting, 2020. New Orleans, LA.

Tomkins, M. M., Neighbors, C., & Nguyen-Do, C.* (2019). Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you drink with. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 43(s1), 72A.

Tomkins, M. M., Neighbors, C., Rodriguez, L. M., & Garey, L. The moderation of conscientiousness on remote alcohol interventions. Poster, Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting, 2019. Portland, OR.

Tomkins, M. M. & Neighbors, C. (2018). Religious and drinking norms and behaviors in religious and non-religious college students. Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 42(s1), 179A.

Neighbors, C., Rodriguez, L. M., Tomkins, M., & Garey, L. (2018). Online interventions for non-treatment seeking young adults. Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.

Tomkins, M. M., Neighbors, C., Hernandez, M.*, & Quraishi, N.* Religion and drinking norms and behaviors in college students. Poster, Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting, 2018. Atlanta, GA.

Tomkins, M. M., Neighbors, C., Lindgren, K., Anthenien, A., & Garey, L. (2017). Alcohol consumption and abstinence over time as a function of social belongingness and social norms. Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.

Tomkins, M. M. & Neighbors, C. Campus differences in drinking as a function of importance of religion and drinking norms. Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction Annual Meeting, 2017. Albuquerque, NM.

Tomkins, M. M. & Neighbors, C. Alcohol consumption as a function of religious affiliation and degree of importance attributed to religion. Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting, 2017. San Antonio, TX.

Steers, M.-L. N., Tomkins, M. M., Knee, C. R., & Neighbors, C. The moderating effect of instability of self-esteem on the relationship between identification with the group and peak drinks. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Annual Meeting, 2016. New York, NY.

Tomkins, M. M. & Neighbors, C. (2016). Discrepancy mediates the effect of writing about one’s religious beliefs and drinking. Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.

Tomkins, M. M., Neighbors, C., & Steers, M.-L. N. Passion for religion, perceived stress, and drinking. Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction Annual Meeting, 2016. San Diego, CA.

Tomkins, M. M. & Neighbors, C. Passion for religion, mental health and drinking. Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting, 2016. San Diego, CA.

Neighbors, C., Tomkins, M. M., Quraishi, N.*, & Lindgren, K. P. Social belongingness moderates prospective associations between injunctive norms and drinking. Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Meeting, 2016. San Diego, CA.

Tomkins, M. M. & Neighbors, C. (2015). Examining the effects that discussing discrepancy between religion and drinking may have on intent to drink. Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX.

Young, C. M., DiBello, A. M., Neighbors, C., Traylor, Z. K.*, & Tomkins, M. (2015). Shame and guilt proneness as mediators of the association between general causality orientations and depressive symptoms. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.

Grant Experience Link to heading

R01 AA027168-01A1 — July 2019–August 2023
PIs: Clayton Neighbors, Joseph LaBrie
Site manager for a multi-site longitudinal intervention trial; assisted with app development and testing; managed undergraduate research assistants.

R01 AA025043-01A1 — January 2019–June 2019
PIs: Clayton Neighbors, Kate Carey, Angelo DiBello
Site manager for a multi-site longitudinal intervention trial; submitted IRB applications; developed surveys; organized team meetings.

R21 AA022369-01A1 — January 2015–August 2017
PI: Clayton Neighbors
Graduate student research assistant responsible for data management, data collection, and project management for a longitudinal intervention trial.

Open Funding Inquiry (unfunded) — Submitted August 2021
PI: Mary M. Tomkins
Submitted OFI to the Templeton Foundation to fund a project examining the practical definition of honesty, its consequences, and how to develop it.

The Honesty Project (unfunded) — Submitted March 2021
Submitted a Letter of Intent to The Honesty Project (Wake Forest University / Templeton Foundation); invited to submit full proposal; ultimately unfunded.

F31 AA025836-01 (unfunded) — Submitted August 2016
PI: Mary M. Tomkins
NIAAA F31 for an alcohol intervention trial; received a score of 42.

Teaching Link to heading

Sam Houston State University (2023–Present) Link to heading

Average teaching evaluation across all students and sections: 4.5 / 5

University of Houston (2017–2018) Link to heading

• PSYC 2380, Introduction to Social Psychology — avg. evaluation: 4.68/5
• PSYC 3325, Psychology of Personality — avg. evaluation: 4.52/5

Abilene Christian University (2011–2014) Link to heading

Graduate Assistant, Psychology Department — developed lecture notes and study guides, evaluated student work.

Statistical Skills Link to heading

Stata · SPSS · MPlus · AMOS · SAS

Editorial Experience Link to heading

Reviewer for:

• Addictive Behaviors
• Addiction Research and Theory
• Journal of Health Communication
• Behavioral Medicine
• Journal of Creative Communications
• Social Science and Medicine
• Journal of American College Health
• Journal of Religion and Health

Invited Talks Link to heading

Tomkins, M. M. & Britton, M. (May 2019). Social psychology in pop culture. Presentation and Q&A panel, STEM initiative for Houston Comicpalooza.

Tomkins, M. M. & Britton, M. (May 2020). Social psychology in pop culture, part 2. [Canceled — COVID-19 pandemic.]

Professional Memberships Link to heading

• Society for Personality and Social Psychology — September 2015–Present
• American Psychological Association — July 2022–Present
• Research Society on Alcoholism — July 2015–December 2022

Service Link to heading

• Undergraduate Curriculum Redesign Committee, SHSU — September 2024–Present
• Delight Ministries Sponsor, SHSU — April 2024–Present
• Statistics Course Cohesion Committee, SHSU — October 2024–January 2025
• Non-Tenure Track Faculty Promotion Committee, SHSU — September–December 2023
• Graduate Advocacy Group, UH (Student Representative; Brown Bag Chair) — August 2015–August 2023
• Science and Engineering Fair of Houston (Judge; Substitute Category Coordinator) — February 2020–2022