Rate My Professor Zach Simmons

Zach Simmons, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Portland, where he joined the faculty in 2013. He earned a B.S. and B.A. from Case Western Reserve University in 2001 and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2012. As an evolutionary psychologist, Simmons adopts an approach that combines the tools of psychology and evolutionary biology to understand human nature. In this capacity, he contributes to the department's mission within the College of Arts and Sciences by fostering research and educational opportunities in psychological sciences.

Simmons teaches courses in the research methods sequence, the senior capstone, and various upper-division courses that incorporate evolutionary thinking. His research explores the interplay between hormones and the social world, including how testosterone and estrogen influence cognitive systems. His current focus is on the psychology of sickness and injury, investigating whether injuries activate emotion-like psychological systems similar to those associated with sickness, and how this impacts related behavioral outcomes. He directs the Evolutionary Psychology lab, which recruits undergraduate students, preferably those who have completed PSY 214 and PSY 341 (Evolutionary Psychology), for research projects in these areas. Additionally, he serves on the Undergraduate Research Advisory Board and participates in faculty development initiatives at the university.