Douglas Weldon

Professor of Psychology Emeritus (retired)

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Doug Weldon joined the Kirkland College faculty in 1978 after earning his bachelor’s degree from The College of Wooster, a master’s degree from Towson State University and a doctorate from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He joined the Hamilton faculty after the two colleges merged and studies the brain mechanisms of attention, the developmental neurobiology of learning and memory, and the role of calcium-binding proteins in neural plasticity. The recipient of a National Research Service Award from the National Institute of Mental Health, Professor Weldon’s work has been published in such journals as Behavioral Neuroscience and the Journal of Neuroscience Education. A recipient of the Samuel and Helen Lang Prize for Excellence in Teaching, he guided extensive renovations to the Taylor Science Center as coordinator of science curriculum and facilities.

Selected Publications

Weldon, D. A. (2017). Effects of Environmental Pollutants on Neurodevelopment: The Need for Regulation. [Review of Demeneix, B. (2017). Toxic Cocktail: How Chemical Pollution Is Poisoning Our Brains]. PsycCRITIQUES, 62(25).
Johnson, B. R. & Weldon, D. A. (2016). Book Review: “The Mind’s Machine: Foundations of Brain and Behavior.” Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 14(2): R32-R33. [Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience e-journal] http://www.funjournal.org
Weldon, D. A. (2015). Cognitive neuroscience: A progress report. [Review of the Oxford Handbook of Cognitive Neuroscience, Volumes 1 and 2, edited by Kevin N. Ochsner and Stephen M. Kosslyn (Eds.)]. PsycCRITIQUES, 60(14): 6.
Weldon, D. A. & Johnson, B. R. (2013). Book review: “Brain Architecture: Understanding the Basic Plan.” Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 12(1): R3-R4. [Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience e-journal], http://www.funjournal.org.
Weldon, D. A. (2012). "Planning and designing spaces for the sciences." Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 11(1): A114-A118. [Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience e-journal]; http://www.funjournal.org.

Weldon, D. A. (2009). Media review: "Dissection of the Human Brain." Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 7(2): R1. [Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience e-journal]; http://www.funjournal.org.
Weldon, D. A., Patterson, C. A., Colligan, E. A., Nemeth, C. L., & Rizio, A. A. (2008). "Single unit activity in the rat superior colliculus during reward magnitude task performance." Behavioral Neuroscience, 122(1): 183-190.
Weldon, D.A., DiNieri, J. A,, Silver, M. R., Thomas, A. A., & Wright, R E. (2007). "Reward-related neuronal activity in the rat superior colliculus." Behavioural Brain Research, 177: 160-164.
Reynolds, N. & Weldon, D. A. (2006). "Hamilton College Science Center." In D. Oblinger (Ed.), Learning Spaces (Chapter 21) [EDUCAUSE e-Book]. http://www.educause.edu/books/learningspaces/10569.
Weldon, D. A. & Lehman, H. K. (2001). "Paul Greengard and signal transduction in neurons." Hamilton Alumni Review, winter-spring, 23.
Weldon, D. A., Fedorcik, G. G., Lorusso, C. M., Tiburzi, M. T., and Lenoci, J. M. (1997). "Olfactory conditioning impairment following posttraining glutamate receptor blockade in neonatal rats." Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 67: 34-42.
Weldon, D. A. & Best, P. J. (1992). "Changes in sensory responsivity in deep layer neurons of the superior colliculus of behaving rats." Behavioural Brain Research, 47: 97-101.
Weldon, D. A., Travis, M. L., & Kennedy, D. A. (1991). "Post-training D1 receptor blockade impairs odor conditioning in neonatal rats." Behavioral Neuroscience, 105: 450-458.
Best, P. J., Weldon, D. A. & Stokes, K. A. (1990). "Lesions of mediodorsal thalamic nucleus cause deficits in attention to changes in environmental cues without causing sensory deficits." In A. Diamond (Ed.) The Development and Neural Bases of Higher Cognitive Functions. New York: New York Academy of Sciences.
Laffan, E. W., Lisciotto, C. A., Gapp, D. A. & Weldon, D. A. (1989). "Development of rotorod performance in normal and hypothyroid mutant mice." Behavioral and Neural Biology, 52: 411-416.
Wool, R. S., Weldon, D. A., Shaywitz, B. A., Anderson, G. M., Cohen, D. J., & Teicher, M. H. (1987). "Amphetamine reverses learning deficits in 6-hydroxydopamine treated rat pups." Developmental Psychobiology, 20: 219-232.
Weldon, D. A., Calabrese, L. C., & Nicklaus, K. (1983). "Rotational behavior following cholinergic stimulation of the superior colliculus in rats." Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 19: 813-820.
Weldon, D. A., Wool, R. S., Teicher, M. H., Shaywitz, B. A., Cohen, D. J., & Anderson, G. M. (1982). "Effects of apomorphine on appetitive conditioning in 6-hydroxydopamine treated rat pups." Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 17: 1281-1284.

College Service

Coordinator of Science Curriculum and Facilities, 1996-2005
On-Campus Planning Committee, 1998-2000
Y2K Contingency Committee, 1998-2000
Committee on Appointments, 1994-97, 2011-14; chair 2013-14
Committee on Coeducation, 1983-85
Hamilton College Senior Fellowship Program; director, 1983-86, 1989
Committee on Academic Policy, 1982-86; chair 1984-85
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, 1984-2016; chair 1984-86, 1994-2016
Library Committee, 1991-93, 2000-02
Sexual Harassment Grievance Board, 1987-88, 1989-90; chair 1987-88
Trustees Planning Committee, 1985-88
Supervisor, Animal Facilities for Departments of Biology and Psychology, 1979-86, 1989, 1996-2016

Professional Affiliations

American Psychological Association
Foundation for Undergraduate Neuroscience
Society for Neuroscience

Appointed to the Faculty

1978

Educational Background

Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo
A.M., Towson State University
A.B., The College of Wooster