KEYNOTE

Dr. Mayu Nishimura is a teaching-stream assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at McMaster University. Her research interests are in developmental psychology, and she applies her expertise about how children learn in her teaching practices as students acquire new knowledge and skills. Over her 20+ years of teaching and mentoring students at 6 different academic institutions, she has reflected on best practices and pedagogical issues, from the classroom to institutional vision. She believes that motivating students to learn and have agency over their growth is the key to classroom success. Dr. Nishimura currently teaches ~1500 undergraduate students and mentors 10-20 teaching assistants per year, in courses ranging from developmental psychology to scientific writing. She has been a strong advocate for incorporating EDI principles in the classroom and ensuring that institutional practices align with the needs of students and the broader community. Her biggest challenge currently is how to respond to students' pervasive use of generative-AI software.