By: Kara Guetersloh, Guest Writer
Title photo retrieved from McKendree employee directory
McKendree University welcomes Dr. Hui Wang, the new Assistant Professor of Psychology. Dr. Wang is originally from China but moved to America in 2018. She got her doctorate at the University of Kansas.
Before teaching at McKendree University, Dr. Wang majored in applied linguistics and taught English in China. She wanted to find new ways to motivate her students. This led her to the field of psychology. She said, “I wondered what I could do to motivate my student’s learning. I just wanted to keep studying about motivation and then started to study psychology.”
Dr. Wang was attracted to McKendree University because of the campus life. Upon her initial visit to the university, the people stuck out to her right away. She said that everyone was sweet and welcoming to her, and she knew that this was where she belonged. Dr. Wang is also a fan of the small town of Lebanon. “Although it’s not very big,” she said, “the environment is very nice here.”
Dr. Wang is currently teaching three psychology classes. The first one is Intro to Psychology, which is an entry-level class that fulfills a general education requirement. Most of her students in this class are first-year students. The second class is Developmental Psychology, which ranges from first-year to senior students and teaches how whole societies develop. The last class Dr. Wang teaches is Research Methods. Most students enrolled in this class are seniors and learn how to answer different research questions.
Even if you are not required to take a psychology class, Dr. Wang thinks all students should. She believes that learning psychology can help others understand themselves better. Taking a psychology class can also help students to become critical thinkers. “It’s a really great quality for young people right now,” she said, “so learning psychology might be helpful for them.”
Dr. Wang prides herself on staying organized. She also gives clear directions for assignments and quizzes and is willing to help her students when they have questions. Dr. Wang wants her students to succeed and motivates them to learn every day. One activity that Dr. Wang does in her classes to help her students learn better is group questions that reflect on what students have learned that day and what they can improve on.
Being new to the area, Dr. Wang is looking forward to a couple of things. She wants to learn more about the institution and the people from around here. She is looking forward to creating bonds with the students and faculty and hopes to find a balance between school and work. She said that right now, one hundred percent of her energy is dedicated to work, which doesn’t leave much room for anything else. Once Dr. Wang has more free time, she cannot wait to go on walks around the campus and find an excellent book to read.
Dr. Wang shared some tips for students who are enrolled in her classes: take time to show up to class early and come prepared, and remember to do your assigned readings for the class. Reading the assigned material will ensure that you know what is going on that day. Lastly, if you see Dr. Wang around campus, do not be a stranger. Come say hello and talk psychology with her. She is a friendly face around campus and cannot wait to motivate you to learn something new!
