Amanda Hemmesch Breaker
Company: St. Cloud State University
Position: Professor, Psychology
Areas of Expertise
- Developmental psychology
- Health psychology
- Social psychology
- Survey research
Publications & Accomplishments
- Bryson, B., Bogart, K. R., & Hemmesch, A. R. (2026). Social support and disability. In E. Andrews, K. Ayers, & D. S. Dunn, Oxford handbook of positive psychology and disability. Oxford University Press.
- Hemmesch, A. R., Bogart, K. R., & Barnes, E. (2025). “Lack” and “finally”: A qualitative analysis of barriers and facilitators in rare disease healthcare. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(1), 117.
- Bogart, K. R., Hemmesch, A. R., Barnes, E. Blissenbach, T., Beisang, A., Engel, P., & the Chloe Barnes Advisory Council on Rare Diseases (2022). Healthcare access, satisfaction, and quality of life among children and adults with rare diseases. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, 17(196), 1-18.
- Hemmesch, A. R., Gunnery, S., & Tickle-Degnen, L. (2021). Interacting effectively with individuals with reduced (facial) expressivity. In R. Schwartz, J. A. Hall, & L. G. Osterberg (Eds.), Emotion in the clinical encounter. McGraw-Hill.
- Bogart, K. R., & Hemmesch, A. R. (2016). Benefits of support conferences for parents of and people with Moebius syndrome. Stigma & Health, 1, 109-121.
- Hemmesch, A. R., Tickle-Degnen, L., & Zebrowitz, L. A. (2009). The influence of facial masking and sex on older adults’ impressions of individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Psychology & Aging, 24, 542-549.
- Co-Director, SCSU Survey Center (2015-2025)
Education
Ph. D. from Brandeis University
Biography
The goal of Dr. Hemmesch’s research is to promote health, well-being, and quality of life for older adults and individuals with chronic and rare conditions. She is specifically interested in understanding how health and psychosocial factors, such as social relationships and stigma, influence development and well-being throughout the lifespan. Dr. Hemmesch teaches lifespan developmental psychology courses for the Department of Psychology, including Developmental Psychology, Child Psychology, Psychology of Adolescence, Psychology of Adult Development and Aging, and Psychology of Death and Dying.
