Micahel Holtje

Address
Department of Psychology, 238 Burnet Hall.
University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0308

Degrees
B.A., 2003, Juniata College
J.D. Candidate, expected 2008, University of Nebraska at Lincoln
M.A. Candidate, expected 2008, University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Ph.D. Candidate, expected 2010, University of Nebraska at Lincoln

Academic Emphases
Ph.D. Major: Social Psychology
M.A. Major: Social Psychology

Professional Positions
2004 - Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Psychology, Univ. of Nebraska at Lincoln
2007 - Intern, Senator Raikes’ Office, Nebraska State Legislature

Academic & Professional Interests
I am beginning my fourth year in the Law & Psychology Program at the University of Nebraska. As part of that program, I am simultaneously working towards a Ph.D. in Social Psychology and a J.D. Both my legal and my social science interests are concerned with understanding the assumptions of human behavior inherent in social policies and specific laws. My goal is to advance the use of empirical evidence in the development of laws and policies so that those instruments will be better able to achieve the objectives that instigated their creation.

In my capacity as a law student, I am ranked in the top five percent of my class, and I am a member of the Nebraska Law Review. In my capacity as a Ph.D. student, I work as a research assistant to Dr. Richard Wiener, and I am a co-author of two publications that evaluate the validity of some assumptions inherent in the recently enacted Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. In addition to the evaluation of congressional bankruptcy reform, my graduate work has also included a program assessment of Nebraska's HHS-Medicaid drug abuse services, and I am currently working on another program assessment for Nebraska HHS that seeks to assess the determinative variables for children who become wards of the state.

I also work with Senator Raikes’ office, Chairman of the Education Committee, in the Nebraska Legislature. I review both legal and social science literature, and I present analyses of how that information pertains to potential state legislation. During the past legislative session, I presented analyses of proposed bills requiring alteration of the state assessment of student achievement, implementation of a system to track student achievement over time, and adoption of anti-bullying programs. Currently, I am working as a member of the staff group for the Task Force on Special Education Services.

As I near completion of law school and my graduate coursework, I am seeking fellowships and employment opportunities with a variety of government and non-profit entities. I expect that through such work, I will use both my legal training and my training in social science to research scientific literature, analyze the evidence as it pertains to specific issues, and advocate evidence-based support for addressing those issues.

Professional Societies
University of Nebraska Law Review
American Bar Association – Law Student Division
Student Bar Association
Law and Society Association
The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
American Psychology and Law Society (2006)

Publications
Wiener, R., Holtje, M., Winter, R., Cantone, J., Block-lieb, S., & Gross, K. (in press). Consumer Credit Card Use: The Roles of Creditor Disclosure and Anticipated Emotion, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied

Weiner, R., Holtje, M., Winter, R., Cantone, J., Block-lieb, S., & Gross, K. (in press). Psychology and the BAPCPA Act of 2005: Enhanced Disclosure and Emotion, Missouri Law Review

Presentations
Holtje, M., Wiener, R., Nichols, S., Arnot, L., & Maeder, E. (2006). Using evaluations of Nebraska’s Medicaid Division in Policy Making, American Psychology and Law Society Conference 2006

National Survey of Student Engagement: Juniata College (2003). Institutional Research Office, Presentation to Juniata College President and Cabinet

Currently, Dr. Richard Wiener is my graduate advisor.