Society for the Teaching of Psychology Recognizes Boysen for Excellence
(LEBANON, Ill., October 8, 2020) — The Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP)
has given its highest national award to a McKendree University professor in 2020.
The organization, which functions as Division 2 of the American Psychological Association,
promotes excellence and learning in the teaching of psychology.
Dr. Guy Boysen, a tenured professor of psychology at McKendree, accepted the 2020 Robert S. Daniel Teaching Excellence Award during the 19th Annual Conference on Teaching given by the Society, held virtually this year. Winners
are “the pillars of our profession.” said Dr. Amy Fineburg, STP president, in her
introduction.
The award recognizes teaching excellence at four-year colleges or universities. Criteria
are effective teaching; mentoring student professional development; advancing teaching
and learning through scholarship and service; and training high school, community
college, or college and university teachers.
“It is clear from Guy’s approach to teaching and learning that it’s pedagogically
sound,” said Dr. Krisztina Jakobsen, awards committee chair. “Guy uses backwards design,
which provides clear learning objectives for his students and has great detail in
terms of students’ individual preparation and team activities that they’ll do, as
well as in assessments.”
Boysen mentors senior thesis and honors thesis psychology students both in and beyond
the classroom, and designs his research with opportunities for their involvement.
More than two dozen McKendree undergraduates have collaborated with him to create
or analyze surveys or co-author research publications and professional presentations
on subjects which include trigger warnings and mental illness stigma. He has contributed
more than two dozen peer-reviewed journal articles, two books, three book chapters,
and dozens of conference presentations. His work in the areas of professional development
of teachers, effective classroom instruction, and student evaluations have provided
support for his colleagues across the field.
“Much of Guy’s advancement of teaching and learning through scholarship has turned
into invaluable service to the university and the field,” said Jakobsen. “His work
with STP and APA has resulted in resources for the field, including defining best
practices in undergraduate research mentorship, model teaching, and the creation of
APA’s project assessment website.”
Boysen has taught at McKendree since 2012. He received the university Alumni Association’s
William Norman Grandy Faculty Award in 2019 and the Exemplary Teacher Award, given
by the United Methodist Church, in 2012. He received his B.A. from St. John’s University
in Collegeville, Minn., and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Iowa State University in Ames,
Iowa.
-McK-
