QUESTION: What memories do you have of your first weeks of employment?
ANSWER: My early memories are of being very, very busy. I was “all but dissertation” (ABD) when I arrived, so I spent fall semester analyzing data and writing for my dissertation defense in January. Meanwhile, I was learning what it meant to be a full-time faculty member. Although I had taught as a grad student, I realized that, in addition to teaching classes, there were numerous meetings and student advising responsibilities.
Q: Can we assume that you adapted quite well?
A: Yes. As a member of the Faculty Senate during my early years I learned a great deal about how the university functioned and as chair of Committee A on Undergraduate Education was involved in developing the basis for many of the general education requirements that are still in place. A now-deceased colleague, Mrs. Betsy Guy, was a mentor during this time. Betsy was a strong advocate for undergraduate education and she passed her commitment to students along to me.
Q: What are some examples of how the university has changed during your years as a faculty member?
A: Perhaps the most fundamental change has been its evolution as a research institution. About the time I was hired, the university was making a commitment to graduate education and research, while still realizing the importance of undergraduate education. When I interviewed for the position I mentioned that I enjoyed all three aspects of the academic job: teaching, research and service. Over the years my career has definitely included them all.
Q: Are the students of today much different from those of your early years on the faculty?
A: Over the last 25 years ODU's student body has become more diverse in almost every conceivable way. My classes reflect the diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic group, and country of origin on our campus. Over the years I have tried to address the concerns of this diverse group dealing with a world that is much changed since 1979.
Q: You seem to excel at multi-tasking. Is that a compliment you will accept?
A: I will say this: The diversity of this career is one of its attractions for me. My research program is in the area of memory development and metamemory and I have worked with dozens of graduate and undergraduate students on research projects. I love teaching and have enjoyed incorporating new technologies into my courses. I teach Human Cognition on Teletechnet and am pleased to say that most students actually wind up enjoying this very challenging course. Finally, I've served in many service roles, most importantly as chair of the Psychology Department from 1994-2000.So my work has taken me in multiple directions.
Q: Of your accomplishments at ODU, which makes you the proudest?
A: I would say the accomplishments of the Psychology Department while I was chair (1994-2000). During this period the department began to offer the minor on Teletechnet and increased its presence at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center. We began offering sufficient coursework at the VBHEC so that students could complete the psychology major there in two years. This effort is now being expanded as psychology will be one of the B.S. degrees to be offered at the VBHEC. Research productivity and grant funding also began to rise during my time as chair and have continued to increase under the current chair, Dr. Barbara Winstead. I am proud to say that the Psychology Department has grown as ODU has grown and that I was a part of it.
