PsychSessions: Conversations about Teaching N' Stuff

Latest Episodes:

SB24: Happy Holidays from PsychSessions! [a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization] Dec 17, 2024

Show notes

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!

E214: Karenna Malavanti: Understanding academia, valuing non-tenure track faculty, and advocacy Dec 17, 2024

Show notes

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 contributions to Psi Chi, and her background and teaching experiences. This episode delves into the importance of aligning professional work with personal values and the support needed from tenured colleagues to advocate for non-tenure track faculty members.

[Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

E213: Ashley Waggoner Denton: Large lecture expert, devoted to service, and more Dec 02, 2024

Show notes

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 APA's Committee for Associate and Baccalaureate Education (CABE). They also touch on issues related to budget constraints in higher education and the camaraderie within the psychology teaching community.

[Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

E212: Behind The Curtain - A PsychSessions Update with Garth and Eric Nov 19, 2024

Show notes

In this episode Garth and Eric spend some time together discussing the current state of the podcast. They discuss 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 ways of expressing their knowledge. Throughout the conversation, they reflect on the journey of PsychSessions and how their venture has expanded to highlight other educators' voices in psychology.

[Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

E211: Deb Briihl: Passionate for education, balancing work, life, and the future Nov 05, 2024

Show notes

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 aspects of change, and her and her husband's considerations about retirement. They delve into exploring new hobbies, with Deb describing her interest in barbecuing and brewing. The episode closes with a personal anecdote about Deb's "train kiss" tattoo, symbolizing a tender moment with her husband.

[Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

E210: Philip Zimbardo: In remembrance of Philip Zimbardo (re-release) Oct 22, 2024

Show notes

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 Stanford, CA. It's a treat to hear Phil discuss how he became such a passionate teacher, with his upbringing, family values about education, and undergraduate/graduate years (Brooklyn College/Yale University). The interplay of his teaching leading to research (think: shyness work) is fascinating, and just wait until you hear about the grade he earned in introductory psychology, and as always, so much more.

E209: Wind Goodfriend: Blazing new trails--Teaching, writing, and living fearlessly Oct 08, 2024

Show notes

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 cults and co-authoring textbooks emphasizing mental health stigma and other socially relevant topics. She also highlights her innovative classroom strategies and views on current educational dynamics. They also touch on her upcoming projects, including a documentary series on cults and a book on the psychology of 'The Handmaid's Tale.' This episode offers insights into the intersections of personal narrative, psychology education, and social change.

[Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

S1E5: Krista FIsher: Trailblazing scholar helping us understand the realities of men's anxiety Sep 27, 2024

Show notes

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 embarking on her doctoral work, Krista has taken a deep dive into the experiences of men's anxiety. She mentioned becoming interested in this after noticing that the work on men's depression had grown substantially, but fairly little was understood about men's anxiety. Her work has resulted in the development of the Resisting, Reckoning, Responding model of men's anxiety. We also chatted about how her work on the profiles of men experiencing anxiety who interacted with emergency services has implications for how we intervene with men in acute distress.

S1E4: Simon Rice: Showing up, sliding doors, and chasing your passion: The journey from high school teacher to global men's health expert Sep 27, 2024

Show notes

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 Melbourne.

Simon has significantly influenced the men's mental health field, beginning with his foundational research on measuring depression in men. We discussed some of his origins, and I discovered that some serendipitous but pivotal moments influenced the trajectory of his career from high school teacher to eventual leader of a global research institute. I loved learning about some of these what Simon called "sliding door" moments. We also discussed his curious approach to his work and how being curious has allowed Simon to study and research a range of different topics, including his work on athlete mental health. Finally, Simon provides some thoughts on some issues that he believes will be important for the field of men's mental health to address in order to help boys and men.

E208: Steven Fein: The art and science of social psychology Sep 24, 2024

Show notes

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 polarization, and modern research on changing conservative views regarding same-sex marriage and gun control. The importance of social science in public health crises, such as COVID-19, is also highlighted, demonstrating how education and social norms can influence prejudice and public opinion.

[Note. Descript AI generated portions of the show notes.]