E262: Tedd McDonald: Navigating higher education, building community, advocacy and reflections

In this episode Eric interviews Tedd McDonald from Boise State University in Boise, ID. Tedd recounts arriving at Boise State in Fall 2001, growing up in Nevada City, California, and being an unmotivated, rebellious high school student who joined the Marine Corps Reserves at 17, gained discipline, and used the Montgomery GI Bill in college. He attended community colleges, earned psychology degrees (BA and terminal MA) at CSU Chico, then completed a PhD in social psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, shifting from lab work to community-based research focused on improving lives. After three years teaching at Chico, he chose Boise State—drawn by the capital-city proximity for agency collaboration—despite higher pay in Chico, and recalls a humorous interview breakfast. Tedd discusses his advocacy through Faculty Senate and the AFT union, the associate chair role (internships, student support, adjunct hiring/evaluation), concerns about adjunct exploitation, reluctance to become chair, and a future focus on generativity and supporting newer faculty while managing compassion fatigue. [Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

In this (Re-Release) episode Garth interviews PsychSessions co-founder Eric Landrum from Boise State University in Boise, ID. In November 2019, during a PsychSessions working meeting in Boise, Eric surprised Garth with a request to record a PsychSessions interview (Episode #074). In their first meeting face-to-face since the pandemic, Garth and Eric met again in Boise, and it was only fair that Eric sit still, be patient, and answer Garth's delightful interview questions. You might want to recharge the batteries because this guy is long-winded, but attempting to be a leader during a pandemic with a health scare can make a fella talkative.

In this episode Garth and Eric celebrate the 10th anniversary of PsychSessions: Conversations About Teaching N' Stuff. We mark 10 years of the PsychSessions flagship podcast (dating back to October 2017) by recalling its origins at Highline College, including an original episode later replaced after only five downloads. They thank hosts, sponsors (especially STP), guests, listeners, and supporters such as Sue Franz and Jane Halonen, and note early funding from an APS teaching grant plus later donors. They discuss conference travel, face-to-face versus Zoom conversations, live events, and the show's niche, evergreen "oral history" role, including rapid-response series during COVID and around George Floyd/DEI. They review "assessment" outcomes, highlight many spinoff series and the psychsessions.org archive and newsletter, and attribute longevity to collaboration and commitment. They describe re-releasing older episodes and give career updates: Eric plans to retire in July 2027 after 35 years at Boise State; Garth discusses a transformative sabbatical, starting onmissionconsulting.com, and handing off leadership roles. [Note. Portions of the show notes were generated with Descript AI.]

In this (Re-Release) episode Eric interviewed Garth Neufeld from Cascadia College in Bothell, WA. For Garth growing up in Canada, music and church were key; he also discusses parental inspirations including the first band name. Music, education, and international travel are important themes early and often. His entreprenurial spirit thrives from work ethic, bands, graduate school through to TIP-NW & www.sharedspaceforall.org.

In this episode Garth interviews Theodore Burnes from the University of Southern California Rossier in Los Angeles, CA. Theo is a California-licensed clinical psychologist and licensed professional clinical counselor who teaches in a master's program, maintains a small Los Angeles private practice, and has worked with LGBTQ-spectrum youth since 2004. They discuss evolving language around sexual orientation and gender, why fixed categories can feel outdated or non-inclusive for many young people, and the current challenges youth face finding supportive spaces. He emphasizes educators' responsibility to create safe classrooms for introspection and difficult conversations, suggesting instructors start small by integrating sexuality and gender content across topics like development. He describes writing his textbook Human Sexuality: A Well-Being Approach, a seven-year project intended to be more culturally inclusive, and highlights instructor guides, teaching notes, and Sage Vantage videos and activities. Theo shares a portfolio-based assignment involving experiential learning and reflects on how clinical skills inform facilitative teaching, along with his involvement in APA divisions, including Division 44. [Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

Retirement doesn't mean slowing down. In this Re-Release episode, we talk with retired University of Arizona faculty member Beatrice Krause about dispelling retirement myths, staying active in academia, and pursuing an eclectic mix of passions - from harp and tango to poetry. A thoughtful conversation about reinvention, curiosity, and life after academia. 🎧 [Note: Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]  

In this episode Garth interviewed Kendra Thomas from Hope College in Holland, MI. Kendra discusses her applied developmental and educational psychology research in under-resourced public schools in Brazil and with the iThemba Projects nonprofit in South Africa. She explains the challenges of collecting valid cross-cultural data, emphasizing short, context-appropriate measures built with practitioners and designed to provide immediate value (e.g., school safety, home-visit frequency, HIV misconceptions). She discusses defining and measuring "hope" across contexts, including building measures simultaneously in English, Zulu, and Portuguese, and notes how imported measures can fail (e.g., social responsibility reading as compliance). Kendra also describes becoming Kathleen Berger's textbook co-author via chapter reviews, managing time with leave and reduced load, and teaching a "developmental imagination" through five maxims. She shares her Brazil-to-U.S. educational path and teaching-focused career trajectory. [Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

🎧 AskPsychSessions Re-Release! When, if ever, should students complete work that doesn't receive feedback? Jane Halonen from the University of West Florida tackles this listener question in a lively conversation about assignments, feedback, and learning. Plus, there's a bonus discussion on grading presentations through peer review and faculty input. Tune in for practical insights and a thought-provoking conversation! 📚🎙️ [Note: Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

In this Part 2 episode Eric interviews Chris Hakala from Springfield College in Springfield, MA. Chris discusses his evolving role as executive director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship, which provides faculty development (workshops, consultations, observations) and also manages online courses, instructional design, LMS/ed tech support, and growing online graduate programs. He discusses gaining tenure and retreat rights, pandemic-driven support for reluctant online instructors, and institutional pressures such as enrollment declines, faculty reductions, and "right-sizing," including pausing a PhD program amid capacity and political challenges. He describes teaching multiple psychology courses, heavy service and leadership work, and deep involvement in POD, STP, and NITOP. Much of the conversation centers on AI, cognitive offloading, and the need to redesign assessments to emphasize clear expectations and learning processes rather than polished products, while acknowledging faculty and student resistance and workload strain. [Note. Portions of the show notes were generated by Descript AI.]

Dr. Andrew Smiler's book Clinical Work with Men: Understanding Masculinity in Psychotherapy was recently released by the American Psychological Association. Andy shared his professional journey from five years in community mental health working with teenage boys, through a PhD in Developmental Psychology, academic work, and eventually into full-time private practice. He traced his entry into men's psychology to a pivotal graduate course on the psychology of gender and formative moments at APA conventions where he encountered Jim Mahalik discussing the CMNI and connected with Fred Rabinowitz from Division 51. The conversation then turned to his book's motivation: with ~80% of mental health professionals female and growing, and existing clinical books on men dating back 20–30 years, he wrote to translate research into practice for clinicians working with male clients. The book is structured with a cultural competence argument, an introduction to his Multifaceted Masculinity Framework (MFMF), and seven composite case studies. Andy then walked through the four facets of the MFMF. Throughout, he challenged the false stereotype that men are simple, emphasizing instead the full complexity of male psychology and inner life.