TEACHING
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Semesters Taught
UTEP - Fall 2020; Fall 2019
Social psychology refers to the scientific study of the way in which people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real or imagined perspective of other people (Allport, 1985). This course focuses on the (often surprising) things that make people tick from a social psychological perspective. We will be examining topics like helping behavior, aggression, person perception, attitudes, prejudice, stereotyping, and conformity.
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The primary learning objectives for the course are:
Learn the fundamental principles, theories, experiments, and people of social psychology.
Understand the methods of social psychology and become a critical consumer of research.
Learn how to apply course content to improve your own rational thinking, problem solving and decision making in your everyday life.
LEARNING & MEMORY
Semesters Taught
UTEP - Summer 2020; Spring 2020; Fall 2019
UNL - Fall 2015; Summer 2016
This course will cover how humans learn, remember, and forget. Memory researchers have identified different types of memory (e.g., short-term, long term, working, implicit, explicit) and different techniques for assessing memory and learning. We will study how memory develops across the lifespan and what happens when memory systems break. We will also discuss specific topics, such as eyewitness memory and bilingual memory.
The primary learning objectives for the course are:
Learn the mechanisms and dynamics of human memory.
Learn the role of memory functions in everyday life.
Think more critically about memory in every day life.
ADVANCED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Semesters Taught:
UNL - Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015
This class examines current problems, methods, and findings in the study of individual behavior as it is influenced by the social environment.
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The primary learning objectives of this course are that students should be able to:
Find, read, and understand current empirical research articles;
Lead a small group discussion about conflicting research findings;
Understand basic and more complex concepts of social psychology; and
Dissect current research and formulate new research questions.
INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
Semesters Taught:
Doane - Spring 2015(2), Fall 2014
An introduction to the systemic study of human cognition, emotion, and behavior with an emphasis on the scientific method. Fundamentals of behavior, learning, conditioning, development, cognitive processes, perception, emotion, personality, and psychopathology are among the content areas studied. Particular emphasis is placed on the use of the scientific method for the study of human nature.
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The primary learning objectives of this course are:
Demonstrate a general understanding of the knowledge established in the above areas, as well as the methods used by psychologists to acquire that knowledge.
Understand how individuals interact to form communities and social structures.​
ADVANCED PSYCHOLOGY & LAW
Semesters Taught
UNL - Fall 2014
This course helps students develop, run, and present their own research project on a topic involving psychology and law.
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The primary learning objectives of this course are:
Learn to review and summarize relevant literature;
Design an experimental research project;
Collect data;
Analyzing results;
Write up research project for possible publication;
Present project.
LAW GOVERNING LAWYERS
Semesters Taught
Cornell Law School - Spring 2019
This is a survey course on professional responsibility. This course is about how rights and duties are allocated and enforced in the attorney-client relationship. Basically, it is intended to prepare you to practice law without screwing up and getting yourself or your employer into trouble. It is applicable regardless of the area of practice you are interested in – litigation, transactional, civil, criminal, big firm, small firm or solo practice, private sector or government, for-profit or public interest.
It covers topics such as: conflicts of interest; confidentiality, attorney-client privilege, and work product; liability for participation in client wrongdoing; competence, malpractice, and constitutional ineffectiveness; perjury and false evidence; agency law and decision-making in the attorney-client relationship; formation and termination of the relationship; attorneys’ fees, transactions with clients, and handling client property; admission to the bar; advertising and solicitation by lawyers; unauthorized practice of law and multijurisdictional practice; and judicial ethics (including disqualification and recusal standards).​​