Teaching Psychology in an Era of Racial Violence and Societal Chaos
Join Dr. Lisa Shin and Dr. Sam Sommers of Tufts University for ideas on creating inclusivity in the classroom and textbook authoring. Explore assignments to help students apply psychology to coping with crises.
Dr. Lisa Shin, Tufts University
Dr. Sam Sommers, Tufts University
How should we teach when the world around us seems to be falling apart? How can psychology help guide difficult classroom conversations about racial violence, white supremacy, and a global pandemic?
Dr. Lisa Shin and Dr. Sam Sommers co-teach Introduction to Psychology at Tufts University and a new course on the science of coping with COVID-19. In this session, they’ll discuss specific assignments intended to help students apply lessons from psychology to coping with these crises, as well as review their own strategies for creating an inclusive environment in the classroom and textbook authoring.
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Dr. Lisa Shin, Tufts University
Dr. Lisa Shin earned her AB from Dartmouth College, her PhD in psychology from Harvard University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in psychiatric neuroimaging in the Department of Psychiatry at The Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. She has been on the faculty at Tufts since 1998, where she’s currently professor and chair in the Department of Psychology.
The principal theme of Dr. Shin’s research involves examining brain function and cognitive processing in patients with anxiety disorders, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder. She received the Chaim Danieli Young Professional Award from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and the Young Investigator’s Research Award from the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. She is co-author of Invitation to Psychology, 7th Edition.
Dr. Sam Sommers, Tufts University
Dr. Sam Sommers earned his BA from Williams College and his PhD in psychology from the University of Michigan. Since 2003, he’s been a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Tufts University, where he has won multiple teaching awards, including being named Professor of the Year in 2009.
Dr. Sommers' research examines issues related to stereotyping, intergroup relations, and group diversity, with a particular interest in how these processes play out in the legal domain. He's author of Situations Matter: Understanding How Context Transforms Your World and co-author of Social Psychology, 9th Edition, Invitation to Psychology, 7th Edition, and This is Your Brain on Sports.