Psychology increases by two

At the start of the fall semester, Virginia Wesleyan will incorporate two new additions to the psychology department. Dr. Craig Jackson and Angela Fournier have recently been hired as full time professors.

The psychology department normally has four full time professors, but this year, Dr. Margaret Zimmerman is retiring, and Dr. Barry Lipscomb and Dr. Donald Wolfgang are going to reduce their course loads in a transition towards retirement. Two new professors were needed so VWC could continue to offer a variety of psychology courses.

Dr. Rita Frank, program coordinator of the psychology department, began the hiring process in September when advertisements for the positions available were created. The advertisements were later published in psychology magazines, such as the American Psychological Society Observer.

“It’s a really long process, because you have to decide what kind of person you want for the position,” said Frank.

After the advertisements were published, 35 - 50 people applied for the two positions available. Six applicants were invited to participate in a three week interview process. The first step was a speech about a topic of the applicants choosing. The turnout was very positive for all of the speeches, with the audience size ranging from 20 - 30 people.

Some of the speeches took place in psychology classes so students could form opinions on the applicants and provide feedback to Frank. Additionally, psychology majors were encouraged to attend the speeches that weren’t in their classes so they could gain a better understanding of each applicant.

“Having Angela Fournier come to my psychology class to give her presentation was very helpful,” said freshman Brittany Masterson. “My schedule is so busy that I was unable to attend the other presentations, so I was glad that Dr. Frank gave our class the opportunity to meet the candidate. I really liked her a lot, and I’m very excited that she is going to be a part of the psychology program.”

Dr. Frank was eager to get reactions from students about the candidates and took their opinions seriously.

“What students thought of the applicants was very important,” said Frank. “We looked at all of the feedback very carefully.”

Student feedback was so important that a few students in the psychology department were selected to be a part of a committee that attended every speech to give their opinions about the candidates to the staff. The group was made up of juniors and seniors.

“They were very important to the process,” said Frank. “The students had a lot of interest in this, but the seniors that gave opinions and provided feedback were doing it for the institution, not because they were concerned about who they would have for professors. The care with which the students went about thinking about who they wanted impressed me. All of the candidates were also impressed by the involvement the students had in the process.”

Jackson and Fournier will both bring a refreshing level of intellect and energy to the psychology department. Both of the new professors have experience in teaching. Jackson has taught at Randolph-Macon Women’s College and Lynchburg College. Fournier has taught at Virginia Tech, where she is currently a graduate student. Fournier is expected to receive her Ph.D. in May. Both Fournier and Jackson are very passionate about teaching and getting the students involved in activities.

Fournier is also very experienced in getting undergraduate and graduate students to work together in research.

“At Virginia Tech, undergraduate and graduate students worked together in a lab,” said Frank. “I like the fact that she has experience bringing students into research. Also, the research that she does is research that tries to solve on-campus problems.”

Psychology majors are expected to benefit tremendously from the two newest additions to the department. Both Fournier and Jackson have ideas and initiatives to add internship and community outreach opportunities in the near future.

“We have a strong psychology program, and they will maintain strengths and add to them,” said Frank. “They’re both positive people, but they’re also scholars so there will still be a high level of demand on the students. During the hiring process, I was looking for scholars that I could trust with the students. I think they’re both very knowledgeable, highly student oriented, energetic and dynamic.”

In the fall, Jackson and Fournier will be teaching three courses each. Psychology departments are in almost every college and university, but the new professors will bring the energy and enthusiasm it takes to make VWC’s already exceptional program even more distinguishable.