Assistant Professor of Psychology
Jacob Vargas earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. His research, which combines quantitative and qualitative methods, addresses the social problem of transphobia from two angles: first, by examining the causes of prejudice against the transgender community and designing interventions to reduce it; and second, by exploring how transgender people cope with discrimination. He is particularly interested in how beliefs about gender and personal contact with transgender people influence levels of bias. He teaches Introductory Psychology and Abnormal Psychology. He joined the Lycoming College faculty in 2025.