People learn best when challenged in a supportive environment. I challenge students to learn technical content, to understand and analyze connections among ideas, and to evaluate the relevance and utility of new ideas, including their own. My goal is to help them apply critical thinking skills while experiencing the process of discovery and developing transferable life skills. I use a variety of methods (e.g., lecture, discussion, metacognitive assignments) and materials (lecture, video, websites) to support their efforts.
Teaching Interests and Responsibilities
I am interested in teaching a variety of courses in the areas of personality and psychopathology. I have taught undergraduate courses in psychopathology, personality, and research methods, and courses in psychodiagnostic assessment and personality theory at the graduate level. Additional teaching interests include health psychology, positive psychology, emotion, and personality test construction and validation. I have drawn on my experience in academic administration to guest lecture at the invitation of colleagues on the following topics:
- Strategic planning
- Conflict management (with A. T. Azinger)
- Faculty rights and academic freedom (with L. Huson)
In Spring 2016, I taught a non-credit Honors “exploration” mini-course on Mindfulness.
In Spring 2017, I taught a half-semester one-credit Honors Seminar for Presidential Scholars on “Leadership in Action.”