Presentation: Reaching out with the Science of Happiness, Oct. 19

Dear Campus Colleagues,

Center for Instructional Innovation & Assessment is hosting Christie Scollon from 2:30-3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 19 in Haggard Hall 222 for "Giving Away Science: A Rethink of the Boundaries Between Education, Science, and Society." RSVP appreciated. Refreshments will be available.

Scollon, an associate professor of Psychology at Singapore Management University, is a visiting research associate in our psychology department. She believes academic research can improve the lives of everyday people, but that too much of the research remains locked away in scientific journals. In this talk, she will address ways in which faculty can “give away” the science. Using her course on the Science of Happiness as an example and case study, Professor Scollon will discuss how undergraduate courses can provide an opportunity to bring together science and community, how she connects students with local partners to translate existing research into something that has real impact on real people, and strategies and activities instructors can successfully apply.

Scollon is a visiting research associate in the Psychology Department at WWU. Her permanent position is associate professor of Psychology at Singapore Management University, where she has been on faculty since 2008. She earned her doctorate from the  University of Illinois. Her research  focuses on subjective well-being, or what most people call happiness. She has published over 30 research articles on the topic and currently serves on the editorial boards of several leading journals in her field. Professor Scollon has won multiple awards for her undergraduate teaching, including Most Innovative Teacher in 2016.