2025 Schedule

8:15-9:00  Registration, breakfast

9:00-9:30  Welcome

9:30-10:30      Short presentations

You Belong With Me: Swift Socializing With Speed Meeting (link to slides and handout)

Albee Mendoza, Delaware State University

Using 3-D Technology in the Classroom: A Recipe for Success in Psych 101 (link to slides)  

Micheal McGee, Bowie State University

Using a Gratitude Exercise to Teach About Happiness and Health (link to slides)

Anne Bach-Starling, Anne Arundel Community College

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45   Keynote

An Intro Psych Course That Matters: What Our Neighbors Need to Know (link to slides)

Sue Frantz, New Mexico State University

11:45-12:45    Lunch

12:45-1:45       Short presentations

Talking About Power Through Stories (link to slides and to the full article about the twins from Colombia)
Cynthia Duffy, Baltimore City Community College

Humans =/= Numbers: Talking to Non-Math Students About Averages in a World of Exceptions (link to slides)
Ryon Cumings, NOVA Loudon and George Mason University

Teaching About Psychological Disorders: "It's Okay Not To Be Okay" (link to slides and to the order form for 988 materials)
Katie Rowinski, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

1:45-2:00      Break

2:00-2:30    Roundtable discussions

Models of Abnormality: Can We Do Better?

Andrew Mueller, Baltimore City Community College

Using Films to Teach About Mental Health

Anne Bach-Starling, Anne Arundel Community College

Using the PERMA Model to Enhance Well-Being for Both Students and Faculty

Katie Rowinski, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Look What You Made Me Do: Teaching APA Style in Intro Psych

Albee Mendoza, Delaware State University

Teaching Sensation and Perception
Chris Lovelace, Shepherd University

2:35-3:35    Short presentations

From Passive to Participatory: Building a Student-Centered Community (link to slides)

Megan Goldfarb, University of Southern Mississippi

Habituation Demo Redux (link to slides)

Matt Bell, Santa Clara University

From Dense to Dynamic: Boosting Biopsychology Engagement with Forbidden Neurds (link to slides)

Jarred Jenkins, Anne Arundel Community College

3:40-4:10    Roundtable discussions

Conditioning and Learning: What Do You Teach? What Do You Need?

Matt Bell, Santa Clara University

From Passive to Participatory: Building a Student-Centered Community

Megan Goldfarb, University of Southern Mississippi

Using 3-D Technology in the Classroom

Micheal McGee, Bowie State University

All Things OER
Bonita Parker, Montgomery College

Experiential Learning

Albee Mendoza, Delaware State University

4:10-4:30     Closing, giveaways, next steps

15-minute presentations

You Belong With Me: Swift Socializing With Speed Meeting

Description: Ice breakers are essential for helping students connect, mainly on the first day of class and especially for first-year, first-semester students. Ice breakers serve to reduce anxiety, foster communication, and build a sense of community among participants (Kilanowski, 2012). Specifically, Speed Meeting involves students pairing up and rotating partners at timed intervals, allowing them to ask and answer questions (Neufeld, 2024). This *swift presentation will have participants engage in a Speed Meeting activity *tailor-ed to simulate a first day of class scenario highlighting "The Skillful Psychology Student" by Naufel et al. (2018).

Dr. Albee Mendoza is an Assistant Professor at Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware. She holds a PhD in Health Psychology with a specialization in Pediatric School Psychology and teaches courses including General Psychology, Health Psychology, and Senior Research. Dr. Mendoza’s commitment to inclusive teaching and experiential learning is exemplified in the Psych Pals Program, where DSU students collaborate with neurodiverse peers to create tailored learning experiences that foster personal growth. Enthusiastic about transformative education, she champions the Collaborative Replication and Education Project (CREP), engaging her students in open science research. In addition to her teaching and research, Dr. Mendoza contributes to the field as an Associate Editor for the Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research and serves as Co-Director of the Mid-Atlantic Teaching of Psychology (MATOP) Conference. Her dedication has earned her numerous accolades including the Emerging Scholars Award, the Civic Engagement Award, and the Excellence in Leadership Award.

Using 3-D Technology in the Classroom: A Recipe for Success in Psych 101  

Description: I have learned to make complex learning fun using technology like 3-D Brain.org within all my Psychology 101 classes is a game changer. Using 3-D technology, students can enhance their understanding and build critical thinking skills while encouraging active listening. The benefits of open discussions around neuroplasticity and ethical considerations create significant opportunities for further exploration, preparing scholars for more advanced research and coursework. Even better is the blended learning and flipped model classroom approach, which has created open discussion with their family and loved ones, making learning and dialog on behavior more attainable inside and outside the classroom.

Micheal McGee holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Bowie State University (BSU) and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership with a counseling focus at BSU. He is an adjunct professor in BSU’s psychology department, teaching Psychology 101 and Child Abuse and Family Violence, as well as psychology courses at Jessup Prison to help incarcerated individuals earn their undergraduate degrees. Micheal served as President of the Graduate Student Association from 2020 to 2023. With over 20 years of experience in healthcare leadership, he has worked extensively with individuals with developmental disabilities and mental health disorders through roles at EPIC, MVLE, Sunrise Communities, and United Cerebral Palsy of Maryland. He is a former board member of the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association, a 2021 White House HBCU Scholar, and a researcher with Healthy DC and M.E, and the Atikal Foundation, supporting survivors of domestic violence and cancer. 

Using a Gratitude Exercise to Teach About Happiness and Health

Description: Happier people are healthier, but does becoming happier cause better health? Research says yes! This engaging and evidence-based activity illustrates key health psychology concepts by identifying techniques to increase happiness, including intentionally generating gratitude.  

Anne Bach-Starling is a licensed mental health therapist with over 20 years of experience, specializing in grief counseling, addictions, mental health diagnosis, and group therapy. She spent much of her career in Hospice, directing grief counseling and social services. In 2009, Anne began teaching counseling and psychology as an adjunct instructor, a role she held for 13 years while maintaining her clinical practice. In 2021, she transitioned to full-time teaching and now independently provides mental health treatment. Anne frequently presents at conferences, podcasts, and other media outlets, focusing on topics like disenfranchised grief, mental health wellness, and parasocial relationships in fandoms. Her research explores the psychological impact of parasocial breakups. A proud Cleveland native, Anne enjoys cooking, attending concerts, and celebrating Halloween. She is a wife, mother, and Cleveland sports fan, often humorously linking her work to the emotional rollercoaster of being a Browns fan. Go Browns!

Talking About Power Through Stories

Description: Discussing sensitive topics like power disparities and inequality can feel daunting—especially in an introductory class. And if you've ever felt that a compelling lesson somehow fell flat, you're not alone. One way to reignite engagement is through storytelling. Stories breathe life into complex concepts, making them more relatable and easier to grasp. They’re not just engaging—they’re powerful entry points for meaningful discussion and deeper understanding.

Dr. Cynthia Duffy is originally from sunny California. She is a cognitive psychologist with a background in processing speed, face perception, and memory. She received her master's and PhD from Washington University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University. She also worked in a clinical setting conducting research with dementia patients. Her hobbies include baking, writing, and snuggling with her pug. 

Humans =/= Numbers: Talking to Non-Math Students About Averages in a World of Exceptions

Description: Psychology uses averages to describe people in almost every way. Students will have examples that defy these averages in just as many ways. These are a few simple things I like to do to help them understand what an Average from a psychological study does, AND DOESN'T, tell us about people. 

Ryon Cumings is an adjunct instructor at NOVA Loudon, as well as a current PhD student at George Mason University, where he is a part-time instructor as part of his assistantship. Between the two, he has roughly 4 years of teaching experience in various psych courses including Intro, Developmental, Research Methods, and Applied Intro for Non-Psych Majors.

Teaching About Psychological Disorders: "It's Okay Not To Be Okay"

Description: I’ll be talking about the most important things to cover when teaching about psychological disorders and treatment (I’m a clinical psychologist/ therapist and a teacher). I’ll show examples of activities I use in class and show what I assign to my Intro Psych students for a semester-long group project.

Dr. Katie Rowinski completed her B.S. in Psychology at Brown University in 2004 and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Tennessee in 2010 having studied parent narratives, parenting styles, and child behavior. In addition to teaching, she is also a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in independent practice serving children, adolescents, and families, specializing in psychotherapy and psychoeducational assessment. Dr. Rowinski has been teaching full-time at the University of Tennessee since 2010. She teaches a range of psychology courses, including General Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Childhood Psychopathologies, and Lifespan Development. She is currently a member of the 2024-2025 Volunteer Experience Faculty Fellows program, a multi-disciplinary faculty team that has used the PERMA framework (from Martin Seligman’s work) to align their teaching strategies to enhance student success and promote student and faculty well-being.

From Passive to Participatory: Building a Student-Centered Community

Description: This presentation focuses on creating more dynamic learning communities where students more actively engage in and contribute to learning. Strategies offered align with current educational research while providing practical implementation ideas.

Megan A. Goldfarb, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of psychology. After leaving a full-time career as an LPC, Megan went back to grad school to obtain her PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology.  She has taught in higher education for 8 years, with experiences ranging from teaching at community college to research institutions, with large introductory courses of 150 undergrads and small graduate level courses with 12 students. Teaching online, asynchronously and synchronously, as well as in person, Megan loves learning and sharing that experience with others who love to learn. 

Habituation Demo Redux

Description: I’ll be talking about the most important things to cover when teaching about psychological disorders and treatment (I’m a clinical psychologist/ therapist and a teacher). I’ll show examples of activities I use in class and show what I assign to my Intro Psych students for a semester-long group project.

Matt Bell grew up in New Mexico before moving to San Diego CA for graduate school and, in 2001, took a position in the Psychology Department at Santa Clara University, a Jesuit school in Santa Clara, CA. My background is in operant conditioning; most of my research focused on basic learning processes using pigeons as subjects, but I’ve also done research on college student learning. I’ve taught a wide variety of undergraduate courses, including introductory psychology, statistics & research methods, learning, behavior analysis, and ethics in psychology. I’m on leave from SCU serving as a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow working at the National Science Foundation on Scientific Integrity Policy. I’m enjoying my first experience living on the East Coast. I’m particularly enamored with real public transportation. In my free time I’m either taking long walks exploring new places or sampling a local beer at a happy hour.

From Dense to Dynamic: Boosting Biopsychology Engagement with Forbidden Neurds

Description: Engaging students with biopsychology content is a challenge for many introductory psychology educators. The content is dense, complicated, abstract, and as described by many students, “too science-y.” While there are a diversity of tips and strategies that can be used, one tool that I’ve implemented into my class is Forbidden Neurds. Designed by Dr. Angel Kaur, this activity engages students in a Taboo-style review of biopsychology concepts. In my talk, I’ll discuss how I’ve adapted this higher-level activity for successful use in the introductory classroom.

Jarred Jenkins, Ph.D., is an associate professor of psychology at Anne Arundel Community College. Trained in animal behavior and experimental psychology, Jarred focuses most of his current efforts on teaching the introductory course. He’s particularly passionate about integrating research into the curriculum and reminding students that psychologists don’t just study humans.    

Sue Frantz is a first-generation college student who earned her BA in psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1989 and her MA in social psychology from the University of Kansas in 1992. She has been in love with sharing the concepts of psychology with her diverse student community since she began her teaching career as an adjunct professor at community colleges in the Kansas City area, before landing her first full-time professor job at New Mexico State University-Alamogordo (NMSU-A). After teaching at Highline College in the Seattle area for 22 years, she is now faculty emerita. Having relocated to Las Cruces, NM, she is affiliate faculty of psychology at New Mexico State University.

Frantz has been active in the national psychology instruction community for almost 20 years, including serving as president of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology in 2019, and as its current executive director. She received NMSU-A’s Teaching Excellence Award in 1998, Washington State’s Ana Sue McNeill Assessment, Teaching and Learning Award in 2011, and was the inaugural recipient of the American Psychological Association’s Excellence in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at a Two-Year College or Campus Award in 2013. In 2016, she received APA’s highest honor for professors of psychology—the Charles L. Brewer Distinguished Teaching of Psychology Award. She is co-author with Charles Stangor on FlatWorld’s Introduction to Psychology, 4e (2023) and Principles of Social Psychology, 3.0 (2024). She is also co-author with Douglas Bernstein and Stephen Chew of Teaching Psychology: A Step-by-Step Guide, 3e (2020).