Engagement in the undergraduate teaching and learning
By Izzy D’Ambro UA’24 and Jim Stellar
After we had two classes together as student and professor in the psychology department, we feel that we know each other pretty well, or at least well enough to write this blog post on how student-faculty engagement could happen and why it could further academic learning.
ID is a senior who just graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences as a psychology major and is starting graduate school in the College of Public Health in Epidemiology in the fall of 2024. JS is a senior professor who began teaching in 1978, spent 20 years in senior academic administration, and returned to the faculty five years ago to complete his academic career in teaching and writing. The gap between them is enormous in terms of years and we think that is an aid to this discussion. What we have in common is the classroom. We both believe in heart-mind communication as a psychological and a neuroscience principle.
But the question remains: Do the professor and student have to develop a rapport or is the simple content production (professor) and demonstrated mastery (student) enough to produce content engagement in the student?
Through my experience, I’ve found that a professor-student relationship is not at all necessary to achieve academic success in the classroom. There have been, several, times where I have achieved A’s in courses which I never directly interacted with the professor. However, upon making an increased effort to engage with my professors, specifically ones within my intended discipline, a more fruitful experience was created. Perhaps interacting with our professors isn’t always about scoring higher and cultivating a more impressive transcript, but rather learning from their achievements, mistakes, and everything in between. Some of the most impactful and inspirational advice I’ve received, which has changed my life, came from professors I developed a more personal connection with outside of the classroom.
What is the connection between your undergraduate work so far and your choice of Public Health as a graduate school pursuit?
After a year of taking biology and chemistry, I labeled my college academic experience as subpar. I didn’t feel connected to the professors or the course work. I was entirely unsure of what my future held, but what I did know was I desperately needed a change. Upon further research on fields similar to biology, I found public health. I decided to take a leap of faith, by far the best risk I’ve ever taken.
The field of public health has the ability to encompass just about any discipline out there. Psychology, policy, medicine… the list goes on and that is my favorite aspect of the field. It keeps things interesting and allows you to explore your interests in a variety of settings. The professor that made all the difference for me was my undergraduate epidemiology professor. She began mentoring me and we clicked in a way similar to the relationship that Professor Stellar and I have. Under her advisement and motivational spirit, I pushed full speed ahead and secured my first internship in the field and a research assistantship.
What was it about your epidemiology professor’s mentoring that inspired you to switch to Public Health? Was it her example as a person or was it her representation of the field of epidemiology?
When situations are new and uncertain, it is easy to lack confidence in your capabilities and future. After meeting with this particular professor, I began looking up to her. Once we got to know each other, she remained transparent and told me that she saw her younger self in me. This was the reassurance that restored my faith in my career choices, and gave me the additional confidence to take on stronger leadership roles and field-related work experience. I can attribute our connection mostly to fate. We grew up just a town apart, our families working in similar professions. It was her encouragement and support that led me to pursue my graduate studies towards becoming an epidemiologist.
As I anticipate the start of my program in the fall, I am working to further develop my understanding of what it truly means to engage our student body in a meaningful way. I have taken on the position of the Graduate Assistant for events and engagement within the UAlbany School of Public Health. My hope is to guide students towards achieving a genuine experience, abundant with opportunity to succeed far beyond just obtaining our degrees.
So you are turning into a teacher, maybe like the one(s) that inspired you?
I plan to, eventually, go on to obtain my PhD in social epidemiology after I finish my MPH. Becoming a professor wasn’t my initial intention when entering this field, but after having such impactful experiences with my undergraduate professors, I have a strong desire to pay forward my gratitude by helping advance the careers of my future students. I hope to embody the positive traits in my teaching that my professors have. I have the honor and pleasure of working as a Teaching Assistant for my most influential professor in the fall, and I cannot wait to continue working with her as I take my first, small, step into the world of teaching.
In a field like public health, filled with ample job opportunities in government, research, teaching, private companies, picking your intended concentration and determining your interests can be extremely overwhelming. You must consider the impact you want to make not only within the field, but on the entire population of individuals around you. Decisions in public health make an impression on entire communities.
