Dr. Nnamdi Pole

Nnamdi is a licensed clinical psychologist and professor of both Psychology and Social Work. He has worked at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and currently works at Smith College in Northampton, MA. His areas of expertise include psychological trauma, psychotherapy effectiveness, and ethnic minority mental health. He teaches courses on evidence based practice and effects of race and racism.

Nnamdi’s research into psychological factors in policing began with participation in a cross sectional study of risk and resilience factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among urban police officers on the east and west coasts. This work was followed by prospective research into biological predictors of PTSD in police and studies of similar questions in retired police. Most recently, his research has centered on identifying factors associated with treatment improvement for uniformed personnel challenged with a range of trauma-related psychological difficulties. 

Nnamdi holds BA degrees in Psychology and Biology from Rutgers University and MA and PhD degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco.