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Dickinson wins psych award

By Mara Kumagai Fink '11
May 1, 2009

The Minnesota Psychological Association recently named Shelly Dickinson, associate professor of psychology at St. Olaf, the Walter D. Mink Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher for 2009. According to the MPA, the award is given to a professor who shows outstanding performance in the classroom, effective teaching methods, an ability to interest students in psychology and the promotion of professional identity through work on or off campus.

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Dickinson is the third St. Olaf faculty member to win the MPA's Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher award in the past 10 years.
Dickinson is the third member of the St. Olaf faculty to earn the award: Gary Muir earned it last year and Donna McMillan held it in 1999.

Dickinson was nominated by department chair Dana Gross, and part of the nomination process for the award included recommendations from students. Dickinson says that hearing these was the most gratifying.

"At the award ceremony, the MPA president read excerpts from these letters and I was deeply touched by them. Hearing their comments reminded me, once again, how lucky I am to have a job I love," she says.

Another highlight of the award for Dickinson, who is also the director for the college's neuroscience concentration, is the support it shows for neuroscience within the realm of psychology. "In recent years there's been a national conversation about the interactions between psychology and neuroscience, and the intersection of these is where I find myself. To receive this award indicates that neuroscience is a valued side of the discipline of psychology," she says.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.