By Kenya Peckman
SU’s newest psychology professor welcomes all students to discuss research, graduate school opportunities, and potential career paths during office hours.
When searching for a place to cultivate both a career in research and a meaningful teaching experience, many professors seek an institution that bolsters community. For Dr. Maddy Church, Susquehanna University’s newest addition in the Psychology department, this sense of fellowship was apparent in her first visit to campus. Drawn by a visible commitment to student growth and the collaborative nature of the faculty, Dr. Church has officially joined the SU community to encourage and inspire the next generation of critical thinkers.
The journey to higher education can be a long and windy road with many different paths. However, when it came to finding an academic home, SU rose to the top of the list during the competitive job application process.
“Even when I was shifting through the job applications, Susquehanna University really stood out to me the most,” Dr. Church shared. “I could tell how much the university really cares about the growth and success of their students. When coming on campus for my interview and seeing how the faculty support each other and how they interact with students, I knew this would be a good place to teach.”
This initial enthusiasm has directly translated into the classroom this semester. Currently, Dr. Church is in the midst of teaching a new class: Self and Identity Psychology, an experience she described as a “super cool opportunity” that allows for a personally designed curriculum of her own research interests.
Dr. Church’s intense background in the study of the self and one’s identity is immediately noticed in her vibrant energy when the topic turns to philosophizing about human behavior as a whole. In fact, this extends far beyond the classroom. She states that “If a student ever wants to just geek out about psychology, my door is open!”
Most educators hope to leave long-lasting impacts on their students, those beyond simple memorization for an exam. In a world so dominated by the media and many other social complexities, there is an ultimate objective to build skills for real-world decision-making.
Dr. Church hopes that students walk away from her class equipped to handle the world’s nuances with a balanced mindset, emphasizing the importance of a healthy combination of open-mindedness and skepticism.
“It is easy to get swept up in our own biases or the biases we hear from others and the media,” she noted, highlighting the importance of intellectual humility. “I hope students can take what they learn and go into the world as critical thinkers — not only of others, but of their own beliefs as well.”
With the academic year in full swing, SU’s psychology department has gained not just an instructor, but a passionate advocate for student success, critical thought, and open academic dialogue.