E002: Origin Stories with Garth and Eric

In this episode Eric and special guest host Jane Halonen (University of West Florida) interview Kenn Barron from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. Our thanks to STP for the opportunity to record this interview at the Annual Conference for Teaching in Portland (October 2023). Kenn shares his background growing up in Delaware and the educational influences of his mother and father.  He is deeply reflective, whether he is mapping out his career goals and trajectory or considering the three worlds of science (and validity, too). Jane was the chair at JMU when Kenn was hired a quarter-century ago, and Jane proved to be an important mentor in his life. There is a brief conversation about the introductory psychology chapter Eric never teaches, a chat about motivational theory, and much more.

In this episode: We welcome one of our all-time favorite guests, Sue Frantz, to the podcast. Sue talks about her new role as Associate Director of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP). We also get a chance to discuss some of Sue's many contributions to psychology, including multiple blogs, conference presentations, and her published books (and books in the works). We also dip into a conversation about Open Educational Resources (OER).

In this episode: It's all about transitions, whether it's the transition to department chair or back again, the transitions with promotions in academia, sabbatical transitions, thoughts about retirement, and even the transition to leave academia for a different workplace. It's about flexibility and accepting gains and losses in any type of substantial transition.

In this episode: We discuss email, including etiquette matters, the joys, and the burdens of email. We address some email strategies for leaders, and we touch on some available email tools that can make your email-life a bit easier.

In this episode: We have the delightful opportunity to interview two international doctoral students, Moonkyung Min who is from South Korea, and Elvine Andjembe Etogho who is from Gabon in Central Africa. Our conversation touches on language challenges, living outside one's home country, plans for after graduate school, and much more. We engage in a fascinating discussion of deficit-based cultures and strengths-based cultures.

In this episode Eric interviewed six individuals from the American Psychological Association's Guidelines 3.0 Task Force, including Jane Halonen (Chair), University of West Florida, Dave Kreiner, University of Central Missouri, Karen Naufel, Georgia Southern University, Garth Neufeld, Cascadia College, Susan Nolan, Seton Hall University, and Aaron Richmond, Metropolitan State University-Denver. A host of topics are addressed during this group discussion, including (a) how the group worked together, sometimes with challenging topics, (b) how the rollout of Guidelines 3.0 was planned, (c) the development of U.S.-based standards but also welcoming of international participation and input, (d) a look-ahead conversation about Guidelines 4.0, and (e) a conversation about how Guidelines 3.0 might be used, directly or indirectly, in our courses.

In this episode Eric interviews Raechel Soicher from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA.  In 2022, Raechel became the Assistant Director for Research and Evaluation in the Teaching + Learning Lab. Raechel earned her doctorate during the pandemic and started in an instructor position while also contributing to the Center for Teaching and Learning at Oregon State, her alma mater.  Those experiences led to a job search, where Raechel eventually landed at the MIT Teaching + Learning Lab. We discuss job markets in general, costs of living, and making decisions about quality of life issues, and she also reflects on her teaching experiences at Oregon State.

In this Part 2 episode Eric interviews Kristin Whitlock, Director of Assessment for Advanced Placement Psychology at The College Board. Thanks to the Annual Conference on Teaching, this interview was recorded at the ACT 2023 meeting. Kristin shares her "retirement" details from high school teaching after 33 years of service and moves on to new challenges as the Director of Assessment for AP Psychology.  Listeners are reminded that teaching DNA is in Kristin's blood; most of her family members are teachers (or retired teachers), and she called her Mom, who taught preschool for 37 years, the "greatest teacher I have ever seen." We discuss so many topics, including her Utah State loyalty, how the pandemic changed her attitude toward teaching, it is revealed that Kristin has a twin sister, and there is even a brief mention of the "pillars."

In this episode Eric and Garth host an invited panel at STP's Annual Conference on Teaching (ACT) 2023 featuring Loretta McGregor (Arkansas State University), Skyler Mendes (Arizona State University), Janet Peters (Washington State University), and Jordan Wagge (Avila University). This session was organized to explore the diversity of careers and career stages within psychology, which includes a discussion of both career challenges and career successes. Worries about the future of our profession are expressed, as well as the importance of cultivating the next generation of psychology educators. Each participant shared important mentoring experiences in their careers.  This was followed by question and answer with the audience, where topics such as the complexity of intersectionality, Psychsessions contributions, and a hypothetical "do-over" in one's career were among the topics addressed.

In this episode Garth interviews Todd Joseph from Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, FL. Todd's national leadership stature becomes clear as they discuss the many leadership roles, including Regional Vice President, President, and now the new Executive Director of Psi Beta, his leadership as part of the Committee on Associate and Baccalaureate Education (CABE), his contributions to the Southeastern Psychological Association, and his local leadership as the Division Chair of Public, Social, and Behavioral Sciences.  Todd attended a community college as part of his education, and his passion continues in the teaching and research projects that he engages in with his current community college students. He also shares personal stories, including his graduate school education, where the systems in place supported him sometimes and hindered him at other times.