Faculty Friday; Meet Dr. Lynn White, Psychology
Posted: July 21, 2017 | Author: Abigail Wyatt | Read Time: 2 minutes
As a graduate student, Dr. Lynn White was required to teach a few undergraduate classes, a hoop she needed to jump through in order to get on with her research as she fully intended on becoming a research psychologist. However, White was pleasantly surprised by the adrenaline rush that accompanied her first day in class and discovered how much she loved teaching.
After a year of teaching she knew she wanted a career that focused on education, but still allowed her to participate in research. She finished earning both a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Physiological and Comparative Psychology from McGill University, then came to Southern Utah University in 1997 to join the psychology faculty.
White teaches the following classes:
- PSY 3010 Statistics in Psychology and Lab
- PSY 3410 Research Design and Lab
- PSY 3600 Stress and Pain
- PSY 3650 Health Psychology
- PSY 4510 Brain and Behavior and Lab
- PSY 4930 Senior Project Research I and Lab
- PSY 4940 Senior Project Research II
As a professor, White’s goals extend beyond expanding student knowledge.
“To take full advantage of what you know, you must be able to use and apply that knowledge in a meaningful way,” she explained. “As such, I try to focus on teaching skills that students can use to enhance both their personal and professional lives.”
In 2014, White was awarded with the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association Faculty Mentor Award. She also received the SUU Influencer Certificate in recognition of dedicated service and leadership for the benefit of and influence on the lives of SUU students.
Every year, White supports different students and their research interests, helping them prepare to present at the annual Rocky Mountain Psychology Association Convention. Some of her recent research includes cephalic phase response and the perception and physiological responses to pain. They just finished the first phase of research on the cephalic phase response – the response human and animals have to the sight and smell of food and how this affects them biologically and behaviorally.
White’s lab is now busy working on a second phase of the project trying to explain the differential blood glucose response that occurs at the sight and smell of food. The intention of the research is to determine the affect on people with eating disorders.
Her favorite thing about teaching are the positive and meaningful interactions she has with students.
"These interactions include student’s enthusiasm as we engage in an activity,” said White. “I love the ah-ha moments when students grasp a difficult concept, and the grateful acknowledgments that students share with me when something they learned made a difference in their life.”
Her advice to all students is to never underestimate the power of higher education to enhance professional and personal growth and to take control of the future. White hopes everyone works hard to make their dreams a reality, despite the tough times.
“Never be afraid to ask for help,” she said, “and return the favor in kind.”
Learn more about the Psychology Department at SUU.
This article was published more than 5 years ago and might contain outdated information or broken links. As a result, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Tags: College of Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty
