Administrative Staff
Lia Nower, J.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Gambling Studies. Her research focuses on the etiology and treatment of problem and pathological gambling and co-morbid addictive disorders, gambling-related policy issues, psychometric measurement, and elements of recovery. Dr. Nower has served as an NIH pre-doctoral fellow, a Fulbright fellow, and a research intern at the National Research Council at the National Academies. She is currently Co-Editor of International Gambling Studies and a consultant and grant reviewer for international, national and state agencies. Dr. Nower is also a member of the legislative and research boards and a clinical supervisor for the National Council on Problem Gambling in Washington D.C. A former criminal prosecutor, she serves as a forensic consultant in state and federal court cases involving gambling-related crimes. Current research includes developing a sub-group specific screening instrument for problem gamblers, exploring risk and resiliency factors among youth gamblers, and developing diversion programs for individuals charged with gambling-related crimes. Dr. Nower has also co-authored several policy initiatives, including a model for self-exclusion programs and an industry framework promoting informed-choice in gambling venues.
Jamey J. Lister III, MSW, is a pre-doctoral research fellow at the Center for Gambling Studies within the Rutgers University School of Social Work. He is also a recipient of a Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship to Canada. As part of the Fulbright experience, Lister will collect data for his dissertation within a larger grant funded project examining decision making during slot machine play at the Carleton University Gambling Lab in Ottawa. Prior to attending Rutgers, he received his MSW from the University of Michigan and subsequently functioned as a clinical research coordinator at the University of Michigan’s Department of Psychiatry on neuroimaging studies investigating decision making and brain behavior among clients with OCD. His research interests include the role of motivation and behavioral decision making among recreational and problem gamblers, philosophical issues pertinent to social work practice and research, and the relationship between positive psychological characteristics and mental health.
Kyle Caler, MSW, is a pre-doctoral research fellow at the Center for Gambling Studies with the Rutgers School of Social Work. Prior to attending Rutgers, he received his MSW with a clinical focus from Temple University. There, he was involved in running social skills groups for individuals with Aspergers Syndrome and co-running group skill sessions with the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Center of New Jersey. His research interests include examining the NIMBY phenomenon as it applies to the community integration of individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities, the use of Dialectical Behavior Therapy to work with individuals with intellectual disabilities, and issues of addiction among the same population.