Sarah A. Schnitker, Ph.D.

Education

Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 2010

B.S., Grove City College, 2002

Biography

[to include postdoctoral positions, previous professional positions, notable professional memberships/ fellow, editorial experience, licensure, when joined faculty at Baylor, etc.]

Academic Interests and Research

Dr. Sarah Schnitker is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Baylor University. She holds a Ph.D. and an MA in Personality and Social Psychology from the University of California, Davis, and a BA in Psychology from Grove City College.  Schnitker studies virtue and character development in adolescents and emerging adults, with a focus on the role of spirituality and religion in virtue formation. She specializes in the study of patience, self-control, gratitude, generosity, and thrift.  Schnitker has published more than 75 peer-review articles and edited chapters, and she has procured more than $10 million in funding as a principal investigator on multiple research grants. Schnitker is an Associate Editor for Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, an Editorial Board member for Journal of Research in Personality, and a co-editor of the forthcoming Handbook of Positive Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality. She is a dedicated mentor, having served as dissertation advisor for more than 20 doctoral students, whom she helps to cultivate intellectual virtues alongside scientific competencies. She is the recipient of the Virginia Sexton American Psychological Association’s Division 36 Mentoring Award and Student International Positive Psychology Association Mentor Award. More information can be found at

https://sites.baylor.edu/science-of-virtues/ 

Representative Publications

Ratchford, J. L., Ming, M. S., & Schnitker, S. A. (2022). Personality profiles differentially predict well-being at the facet level: A latent profile analysis of the five factor model facets. Personality and Individual Differences, 196, 222700. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2022.111700

Schnitker, S. A., Currier, J. M., Abernethy, A. D., Witvliet, C. V. O., Foster, J. D., Root Luna, L. M., VanHarn, K., & Carter, J. (2021). Gratitude and patience moderate meaning struggles and suicidal risk in a cross-sectional study of inpatients at a Christian psychiatric hospital. Journal of Personality, 89, 1191-1205. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12644  

Schnitker, S. A., Shubert, J., Ratchford, J. L., Lumpkin, M., & Houltberg, B. J. (2021). Mixed results on the efficacy of the CharacterMe smartphone app to improve self-control, patience, and emotional regulation competencies in adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 586713. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.586713

Schnitker, S. A., Medenwaldt, J. M., & Williams, E. G. (2021). Religiosity in adolescence. Current Opinion in Psychology, 40, 155-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.09.012

Shubert, J., *Ratchford, J. L., Houltberg, B. J., & Schnitker, S. A. (2022). Disentangling character strengths from developmental competencies: Patience and self-regulatory competencies. Journal of Positive Psychology, 17(2), 203-209. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2021.2016904

Complete list of published works at my CV or google scholar profile.

Grants Funded- Current

01/2023-12/2025      Illuminating Theological Inquiry and Christian Ethics Through Training in Psychological Science

Principal Investigator (Co-Principal Investigator: Devan Stahl; Co-Investigators: Anne Jeffrey, Wade Rowatt, Meredith Palm, Paul Martens, JoAnn Tsang, Natalie Carnes)

John Templeton Foundation 

$2,565,353   

08/2022-07/2025      Using a Muslim Community Approach to Cultivate Virtues in the Face of Marginalization among Muslim Youth

Co-Investigator/Mentor (Principal Investigators: Madiha Tahseen, Merve Balkaya-Ince; Co-Investigators: Sameera Ahmed, Karen Melton)

John Templeton Foundation

$1,160,872

12/2021-11/2024      The Role of Meta-Identity in Developing Moral Communities Within Higher Education

Principal Investigator (Co-Principal Investigator: Perry Glanzer; Co-Investigators: Andrew Hansen, Dan Olsen, Kevin Dougherty, Wade Rowatt, Ward Davis, Daniel Lapsley, Jonathan Brant, Jason Baehr)

John Templeton Foundation  #62208

$2,698,693

06/2022-05/2025      Measuring the (Im)measurable in Real Life

                                    Co-Investigator (Principal Investigators: Kutter Callaway, Wade Rowatt,; Co-Investigators: Bob Darden, Alexis Abernethy)

                                    Templeton Religion Trust #0447

                                    $1,228,511

01/2021-05/2023      Planning Grant: Galvanizing the Psychological, Philosophical, and Theological Study and Practice of Patience

Principal Investigator (Co-Investigator: Juliette Ratchford)

Templeton Religion Trust #0314

$234,800

01/2020-12/2022      Gratitude to God: Psychological, Philosophical, and Theological Investigations, Phase 2

Co-Investigator (Principal Investigators: Peter Hill, Robert Emmons; Co-Investigators: JoAnn Tsang)

John Templeton Foundation  #61513

Total Award $4,032,851, Baylor Subaward $253,056

Awards

International Positive Psychology Association SIPPA Mentor Award, 2021

Virginia Sexton APA Division 36 Mentoring Award, 2018

Graduate student Recruitment

Dr. Schnitker is currently accepting applications for Ph.D. students to enroll in Fall 2023.

Current Post-docs and Research Scientists

Merve Balkaya-Ince, Ph.D. (Post-doc)
Tyler Greenway, Ph.D. (Associate Research Scientist)
Jenae Nelson, Ph.D. (Post-doc)
Juliette Ratchford, Ph.D. (Post-doc)

Current Ph.D. Students

Baylor Courses Taught

• Social Psychology
• PSY 3350: Developmental Psychology
• PSY 5330: Advanced Personality Psychology (graduate seminar)