Guest Speaker Events
Missed one of our meetings? Check below for recaps of our guest speaker events!
Dr. Catherine Sanderson
March 13th, 2023
Professor Sanderson presented on Zoom about interaction and conflict resolution. At Amherst College, she teaches psychology-health psychology, close relationships, sports psychology, and, most recently, the psychology of good & evil. She also studies the psychology of inaction and what it means to be a bystander. She is a prominent researcher in this field and has written several textbooks. Her website is here: https://www.amherst.edu/people/facstaff/casanderson.
Dr. Marcia Baron
December 14th, 2023
Marcia Baron's research focuses on moral philosophy, moral psychology, and philosophy of law. She focuses on manipulation and what the psyche does to compensate for the guilt felt after immorally misleading others. She also explains how philosophers and psychologists approach topics regarding manipulation and self-defense.
Anastasia Velikovskaya
November 12th, 2021
Anastasia Velikovskaya is a current student at Barnard University and a teacher at the Tides & Splash Program founded by the Columbia University Educational Outreach where she teaches the class Human Behavior: From Salem Witch Trials to Mass Shootings & Abnormal Psychology. She will be talking to us about Copycat Suicide, Copycat Crimes, and Antisocial Personality Disorder.
Dr. Nim Tottenham
October 30th, 2020
Dr. Nim Tottenham is a professor coming from the Department of Psychology at Columbia University. Her research focuses on developmental affective Neuroscience & Limbic-Cortical Development. In the guest lectures, she will share with us her research and talk about how early-life stress can influence brain development, thereby shaping our behaviors.
Dr. Alisha Ali
April 27th, 2021
For far too long, psychology has failed to address the traumatic effects of racism, economic oppression, and other forms of injustice in the lives of marginalized individuals. This talk will explore ways that psychological science can be applied to understanding and treating these effects, as well as future directions that can radicalize the field of psychology to align its goals with the goals of social justice movements.
Dr. Gabriele Oettingen
April 5th, 2021
"Think positive!" quotes are found everywhere, but contrary to popular belief merely thinking positively about the future leads to low effort and little success. So, how can we conquer the perils of positive thinking? By mentally contrasting our dreams with personal obstacles, we pursue desired futures that can be attained, and we let go from those that cannot. Dr. Oettingen will talk about the self-regulation strategy of mental contrasting and its mechanisms that work outside of people's awareness. People can use mental contrasting autonomously in a cost- and time-effective way to fulfill their wishes and resolve their concerns. Combining mental contrasting with implementation intentions (MCII) has proven to be particularly effective in changing cognition, emotion, and behavior. MCII or - Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan (WOOP) - is a multifaceted self-regulatory tool that improves one's everyday life and long-term development
Dr. Robert Beattey
October 31th, 2021
Robert A. Beattey, JD, MA, PhD is an a clinical and forensic neuropsychologist with a focus on neuropsychological assessment and treatment. Also an attorney, he teaches, conducts research, and practices at the intersection of behavioral science and law. His presentation reviews how the clinical application of behavioral science within the legal system to help answer psycho-legal questions, such as competency to stand trial and not guilty by reason of insanity. Legal psychology is research focused and examines the empirical evidence around such legally relevant issues as the reliability of eyewitness testimony and deception detection.
Dr. Jessica Schleider
November 30th, 2020
Dr. Jessica L. Schleider is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program at Stony Brook University (SUNY). She also serves as a Faculty Affiliate at the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and was an Academic Consultant to the World Bank's Education Global Practice.