PsychSessions: Conversations about Teaching N' Stuff

In this episode Garth interviews Coco Ballantyne from New York, NY. A journalist and science writer, Coco shares her journey from teaching high school to coauthoring a highly regarded psychology textbook. She discusses her initial uncertainty about her career path, the importance of teaching reporting skills in journalism school, and how she became involved with the textbook project. Coco highligh...

In this episode Eric interviews Jenn Grewe from Utah State University in Logan, UT. Our discussion centers on the significance of finding enjoyment in work to enhance job satisfaction. Jenn emphasizes making conscious efforts to seek out fun and enjoyable activities in everyday life, even as an adult. There is a mention of potentially exploring this topic more deeply in a future podcast. [Note. Po...

Tyler Whitmer is an Assistant Athletic Director of Olympic Sports Performance at Boise State University. Tyler was a high school athlete who became intensely interested in sports performance when he had a unique opportunity to train at the Denver Broncos training center. As he transitioned to college, he discovered that he could have a career in this area and eventually accepted a graduate assista...

Dr. Ronald Levant is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Akron and a former president of the American Psychological Association and the APA's Division 51. Ron discussed his challenges as an adolescent and that his pathway was not one that would have necessarily led him to college and graduate training at some of the world's most prestigious universities. He discussed challenges as an adolesc...

Jeff Matsushita is the director of the Engaging Men Project at Boise State University. We initially discussed the origins of Jeff's interest in working with men, which occurred after watching the film Tough Guise as an undergraduate student. He became increasingly interested in men and masculinity and formal work with groups of men. He eventually took a position with the Idaho Coalition Against Do...

In this episode Eric interviews Mona Xu from Idaho State University in Pocatello, ID. Our discussion covers various topics, from mentoring graduate students and the meaningful relationships formed to navigating higher education's political and social climate. Mona shares her journey of coming out as queer and non-binary and the importance of self-care and community care within academia. The conver...

In this holiday message, PsychSessions co-host Garth Neufeld invites listeners to consider support of the podcast by making an end-of-the-year tax-deductible donation at  www.psychsessions.org/donations . PsychSessions provides free professional development to psychology instructors all over the world! Thanks for listening!

In this episode Eric interviews Karenna Malavanti from Baylor University in Waco, TX. Karenna discusses issues faced by non-tenure track faculty and her recent presentation with Melissa Maffeo on supporting teaching-focused faculty in higher education. This wide-ranging interview touches on topics such as roles in higher ed, the advocacy needed for non-tenure track positions, Karenna's contributio...

In this episode Eric interviews Ashley Waggoner Denton from the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We discuss Ashley's session on what psychology majors do after graduation, her career course, and teaching challenges with large student groups. Ashley shares her experience as an international student in the U.S. and her work in various service roles, including her involvement with A...

In this episode Garth and Eric spend some time together discussing the current state of the podcast. They discu ss future endeavors, including upcoming workshops and an innovative AI series. They delve into the importance of high-quality audio for teaching and accessibility and leveraging AI tools like Suno and Gamma for education. The duo also underscores the value of providing students diverse w...

In this episode Eric interviews Deb Briihl from Valdosta State University in Valdosta, GA. They discuss Deb's longstanding career since 1994, roles at Valdosta State, and her path from coordinating the undergraduate psychology program to teaching various subjects, including a recent flip of her History of Psychology class. Deb shares personal insights about career challenges, the bittersweet aspec...

On October 14, 2024, Philip Zimbardo passed away at his home in San Francisco, CA, at the age of 91. He was an emeritus faculty member at Stanford University. We pay tribute here at PsychSessions by re-releasing his interview with Garth, originally released as Episode 050 on January 8, 2019.  Original show notes:  In this episode Garth interviews Philip Zimbardo from Stanford University (emeritus)...

In this episode Garth interviews Wind Goodfriend from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, IA.  Discussing her personal challenges, such as undiagnosed mental health issues and her keen interest in social justice from an early age, Wind reveals how these experiences shaped her career path. She talks about her contributions to psychology education, including designing courses on the psychology of...

Dr. Krista Fisher is a Young Men's Health Research Fellow with the newly founded Movember Institute of Men's Health. We initially discussed Krista's journey to men's mental health research, which came after a pivot from doing cancer research. She was motivated to work in men's mental health after attending a panel by some of the world's experts in the area, Drs. Zac Seidler and Simon Rice. Since e...

Dr. Simon Rice is the Global Director of the Movember Men's Health Institute and the founder of the Young Men's Mental Health Research Program and the Elite Athlete Mental Health Research Program at Orygen, the Center for Youth Mental Health in Melbourne, Australia. He is also a Professor and Dame Kate Campbell Fellow in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science at the University of Me...

In this episode Garth interviews Steven Fein from Williams College in Williamstown, MA. Steve discusses his journey into psychology, his passion for teaching, and his ground-breaking research on audience reactions during presidential debates, as well as stereotypes and prejudice. They also discuss social psychology experiments related to unconscious biases, societal implications of political polar...

I n this episode Garth interviews Ellen Carpenter from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.  The conversation explores various facets of Ellen's professional journey, teaching philosophy, and active role within the STP community. Alongside discussing her career pivot from coaching to academia, Ellen shares insights into innovative teaching methods, the use of AI in education, and the...

In this sidebar, Danae Hudson, vice president for membership of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP), outlines the benefits of STP membership and highlights the mentoring program. This program aims to provide career-related assistance to enhance job performance and satisfaction for members at any career stage. The program director, Amy Hunter matches mentees with experienced mentors ba...

In this episode Eric interviews Mary Pritchard from Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. They discuss their long-standing friendship, Mary's career journey, and her dedication to teaching and researching body image and eating disorders. She shares her experiences, from her early struggles with parental expectations to her transition from studying jury deliberation to focusing on body image issu...

Akash Asif is the director of operations and strategy for the Centre for Suicide Prevention (CSP) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Akash's journey into suicide prevention work began when he suddenly lost a colleague to suicide. This experience opened his eyes to the number of people in his life experiencing mental health concerns, especially suicidality.  Akash was intimately involved in the developme...

Dr. Aaron Rochlen is a Clinical Professor and Chair in the Counseling Psychology Program at the University of Texas at Austin. We discussed Aaron's journey to psychology and men's mental health, and I found it interesting that he perceived himself as an average graduate student until he really found his passion. His passion came when he read a paper that proposed some challenges on engaging men in...

Welcome to the first season of Inside Men's Mental Health!  In this podcast, we'll be exploring this thing called masculinity and its impact on men's mental health, relationships, and communities. 

In this episode Loretta delivers her Society for the Teaching of Psychology 2024 presidential address at the American Psychological Association meeting in Seattle, WA. She delves into the impostor phenomenon, exploring its definition, origins, and impact on individuals, particularly women and marginalized groups. She debunks the common misconception of referring to it as a syndrome, emphasizing it...

In this episode Garth interviewed Joshua Woods from Grandview University in Des Moines, IA. Josh shares his journey from being a struggling student with a rocky academic start to becoming a passionate educator and researcher. They discuss the creation and success of the Intro Psych Coast to Coast conference, which was born out of the pandemic. They delve into the unique challenges and opportunitie...

In this episode Garth interviews Paula Hylton from the Cannon School in Concord, North Carolina. Paula discusses her journey and experiences as a high school psychology teacher. She shares insights into the unique aspects of teaching at an independent school, her creative teaching methods, and activities such as the first-day memory icebreaker and the 10K step challenge. Paula reflects on her back...