Valerie Slaymaker, Ph.D., L.P. is Director of the Butler Center for Research. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1999, and completed her bachelor's degree in psychology at the University of Minnesota-Duluth with honors. She also holds a master's degree in clinical psychology from the Minnesota State University in Mankato.

As a doctoral student, she was involved in several research projects including her dissertation study of post-traumatic stress responses among emergency medical technicians. Valerie Slaymaker has presented research results at regional and national conferences and has published in scholarly journals and books.

Her research areas of interest include co-occurring disorders, anxiety disorders, and treatment outcomes.