Check out our Homecoming Newsletter! - Furman University

F A L L 2 0 1 0Greenville, SC 296133300 Poinsett HwyFurman Psychology DepartmentFurman Psychology is Making WavesBased on not-so-well controlled researchthat 30 minutes of surfingenhances mood and decreasesnegative feelings and fatigue, GilEinstein is reviving his surfing skillsin the Charleston area.Dear Alums,From the ChairThe Fall term is well under way (for those of you who matriculated under the old calendar, classes now begin much earlier—this year on August 25), and that means that Homecoming is approaching. We hope that you are planning to visit Furman on thisspecial occasion and that you will join us for our reception in the breezeway on the 2 nd floor of Johns Hall from 10 a.m. until noonon Saturday, October 23. We promise tasty refreshments, good conversation, and the opportunity to reconnect with your classmatesand professors.First, a few general words about the department. Our psychology major continues to be one of the best in the country as ourfaculty members are dedicated both to excellent classroom instruction and to involving students in discovery-based research opportunitiesand meaningful internships. Our summer activities are particularly impressive—each summer about 25 majors conductresearch at Furman, another 5 or so majors conduct research at labs across the world, and another 20 or so students participatein psychology-related internships and work experiences. We graduate about 30 majors a year, and we don’t know ofanother college in the country that provides these kinds of opportunities for such a large proportion of its majors.Okay, you are probably wondering how we are doing. One major change this year is that Elaine Nocks will be retiring inJune, 2011. Several years ago, she began devoting all of her time to the Lilly Center, which offers programs that encourage studentsto think about their beliefs and the meaning of life and to use these as the basis for selecting a fulfilling vocation. It’s hard toimagine Furman without Elaine, and, in the coming years, we hope to see her often—as well as her granddaughter, Lila Grace(Laurin’s daughter). Another big change is that Paul Rasmussen recently resigned from Furman. His long history of contributionsto the department's mission of providing excellent teaching is greatly appreciated. We wish him well in his future pursuits.Donna Greene, our administrative assistant and the person who, in truth, runs the psychology department somehow managesto satisfy our constant and diverse needs while having a rich life of camping, shopping, and visiting her son Derek, who is nowin graduate school in Tennessee. In just his third year in our department, Jason Hayden, our laboratory technician, has madehimself indispensable. In addition to managing the animal colony and maintaining the equipment, he assists faculty with laboratoriesand helps students in various research projects. We don’t know what we would do without Donna and Jason.John Batson stepped down as chair this year, and we very much appreciate his guiding the department through a period ofgreat change (including the revision of the curriculum and the academic calendar). He has a wide grin on his face these days, andwe think that is because he can now devote his full energies to teaching. Most things have not changed for him—he grows plentyof vegetables in the summer and fall, he has a lot of animals on his farm (including 20 chickens), and his office is a mess. One solemnchange, however, is that he had to part with his 1988 Toyota Corolla station wagon after 356,000 miles.In addition to giving numerous invited talks, Charles Brewer was recently interviewed as part of the American PsychologicalAssociations oral history project. The video will be streamed on several Web sites and then deposited in the Archives of theHistory of American Psychology at the University of Akron. Long overdue, he received the Meritorious Advising Award atFurman’s commencement in May, and he continues to write articles and book chapters and to “leave no academic butt unkicked.”In the old days Charles worked from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 7 days a week, but he has now found a way to spend even more time atFurman—he recently moved to a domicile at The Woodlands, which is at the northwest end of campus.As you know from the interview in this newsletter, Judy Grisel spent her year-long sabbatical in the heart of Tuscany whereshe worked on a trade book that is tentatively titled “Never Enough: The Neuroscience Experience of Addiction.” Time continuesto fly, and her son Oliver is now in his first year at Furman, Trey is in high school, and Maren is in the 2 nd grade.Erin Hahn studies how children learn actions and is finding that they learn actionsmore easily than labels. She also studies various aspects of autism. She had a busyyear as she attended a teaching workshop at Smith College, published two papers, andsubmitted two others. She also hosted a beginning of the year vegan barbecue party(complete with tofu hotdogs) at her beautiful home in Dacusville. She lives not far fromJohn Batson and now has 7 chickens in her pen.Michelle Horhota continues to conduct research on the influence of aging stereotypeson the memory performance of older adults. She is also continuing to work onprojects related to sustainability. One of her projects examines whether engaging innature-based activities has a positive impact on cognitive performance. To study this,her research group installed gardens at a senior facility and also created gardeningworkshops for community members. The two accomplishments that made her thehappiest this year, however, were for her and her husband to get green cards and forher to get an office with a window!Created byErin Hahn & Cinnamon StetlerI N S I D E T H I S I S S U EDr. Grisel’s Italian sabbatical .............. 3Interview with Dr. Brewer ................. 4Psychology goes to Africa .................. 6Alumni donors & call for news ........ 6Psychology funds ..................................... 7Caught on camera .................................. 7

Letter from the chair (continued from page 1)John Pellew retired from Greenville Tech recently, and he is teaching full time at Furman this year. What is he doingduring his partial retirement? Well, he is focusing on his favorite topic. He is teaching three sections of freshman seminaron human sexuality and two upper-level sections on you guessed it, human sexuality.Beth Pontari is continuing her research with a professor in the business department examining the kinds of informationthat consumers use when purchasing mutual funds. They are finding that we often ignore highly relevant information,and they have received a good deal of media attention for their work. She and her family (Lucy is now 3!) enjoyed a 2,000mile trip this summer traveling to northeastern states, with the bulk of their time spent in God’s country (New Jersey)!Onarae Rice has been named a target faculty member for a $1.9 million INBRE grant. This grant will help him pursuehis research on the biological mechanisms underlying drug addiction. He is also looking forward to learning new techniquesduring his sabbatical this spring. On a personal level, he is enjoying 5-year old Onarae Jr. (who is now in kindergarten) and 2-year-old Braylen Gilmore (I call him Gil). He also surfed for the first time this year, and he and I are coordinating our nextsabbaticals at the University of Hawaii.Cinnamon Stetler continues to conduct research on how our thoughts influence our physical health. This year, shepresented her research on adult attachment style and cardiovascular stress reactivity at the American Psychosomatic Societyin Portland, Oregon. She also participated in a panel discussion about transitioning from graduate school to an academiccareer. Her husband, Jason Hayden, and their 2-year old daughter Hazel, also made the trip out west.All of us enjoy the young children in the department, but this is especially the case for our developmental psychologist,Erin Hahn, who now has live models for each of Piaget’s developmental stages. Come to think of it, she has models for allof Erikson’s stages too!Frank Provenzano, who holds a PhD in clinical psychology and is the director of the Honors Program at GreenvilleTech, will be teaching two sections of Counseling and one section of Behavior Disorders for us this year. His primary areaof interest is adolescent and young adult identity formation, and he holds certifications in cognitive behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy,and biofeedback training.Brad Bechtold, who is the director of continuing education, will be teaching our Industrial and Organizational Psychologycourse this year. Brad holds a doctorate degree from Clemson University, and some of you may remember him as hegraduated from Furman as a psychology major in 1988. Part of Brad's role at Furman is to lead the Center for Corporateand Professional Development which provides customized training and performance consulting services for business clientslike GE, BMW, Michelin, Lockheed and many others (www.furman.edu/cpd).I’m still conducting my research on prospective remembering or how we remember to perform actions in the future. Ihave a grant with faculty at the University of Arizona in which we are testing techniques for improving medication adherencein older adults in the Tucson community. I also have a grant with faculty at Georgia State University in which we aretrying to discover whether chimpanzees have the ability to contemplate the future. On a personal note, our daughters Julieand Alex live in Chicago and New York City, respectively, and we have great places to visit when we can get away.Included in this newsletter is information about the psychology department’s endowed funds. We appreciate your supportof these funds. As you think about contributing to Furman this year, we hope that you will consider designating yourgift to benefit one or more of these endowed funds. Your support creates life-changing experiences for our students!We look forward to seeing you at homecoming. If you cannot be here, we would love to hear from you. You can emailany of us by using the following format firstname.lastname@furman.edu. For example, elaine.nocks@furman.edu.Also, please visit our Web site at www2.furman.edu/academics/psychology, and click on the link for alumni where youcan describe what you have been doing since graduation. We hope to see you soon.Excellence in PsychologyWe believe that Furman’s Psychology department is “the best in the galaxy,” in part because our students participate in exciting career-enlightening activitiesbeyond the classroom. We have been energetic and highly successful in writing grants to agencies such as the National Science Foundation, theNational Institutes of Health, and NASA to fund these opportunities, but we also rely heavily on the endowed funds listed below.Over the past 10 years, these funds have helped support 154 students who have conducted summer research at Furman, 66 students who conductedresearch at universities across the world, and 128 students who participated in summer internships. These funds also help support the 30 or so studentseach year who present papers at national, regional, and local conferences. They also help bring in nationally prominent speakers, and following in LibNanney’s tradition, they enable us to help out students with special needs (e.g., students who have encountered financial problems and cannot affordbooks). Your gift will add to the endowment and help ensure that we will be able to provide these special opportunities for our students in perpetuity.Please consider contributing to one of Psychology’s designated funds-Allport Fund (established by a Greenville resident in honor of the psychologist Gordon Allport.) Supports Allport Award and student stipends for research,internships, and/or travel.Brewer Fund (established by the Psychology Department in honor of Charles L. Brewer) Supports the improvement of undergraduate teaching andresearch.Burts Fund (established by Dr. Charles Burts) Supports annual student Burts Award and student stipends for research, internships, and/or travel.Marshall Prevost Fund (established by Dr. Gerda McCahan). Supports Marshall Prevost Award and undergraduate teaching, research, and internships.McCahan Fund (established by Dr. Gerda McCahan). Supports colloquia and other special events on campus.Lib Nanney Fund (established by the Psychology Department in honor of Lib Nanney). To continue Lib Nanney’s spirit of supporting students in need.Timmerman Fund (established by alumnus, William Timmerman). Supports undergraduate research and internships.If you would like to support the Furman Psychology Department by making a tax exempt gift to the fund of your choice, please visitwww.myfurmangift.com, call 1-800-PURPLE4 (1-800-787-7534) , or mail your check to: Furman University, Psychology Department, 3300Poinsett Hwy., Greenville, SC 29613.No matter how you donate, please remember to specify the fund to which you would like your contribution to be added.Psychologists in trainingPictured from left to right: Braylen, 2 years (Onarae Rice), Lucia “Lucy”,3 years (Beth Pontari), Maren, 7 years (Judy Grisel), Hazel, 2 years(Cinnamon Stetler & Jason Hayden), Onarae, 5 years (Onarae Rice)Gilles O. EinsteinWilliam R. Kenan, Jr., Professor and ChairFurman-Davidson Summer Research Conference| 2Back Row: Donna Greene, Gil Einstein, Beth Pontari,Charles Brewer, Onarae RiceFront Row: Michelle Horhota, Erin Hahn, Judy Grisel,John Batson, Cinnamon StetlerEstablished in 2007, Furman and Davidson psychology and neuroscienceprograms have joined forces to host an annual summer researchconference. Hosted at Davidson College this year, the event providesan opportunity for students to disseminate their research and learnabout other students’ projects.| 7Included in the picture:Faculty: John Batson, Gil Einstein, Michelle Horhota, Beth Pontari, & Onarae RiceStudents: Katie Addington (’12), Amy Coleman (’11), Caitlin Ducate (’12), Matthew Holt (’11), Rebecca Hurley (’11), Jess Kelliher (’11), Yiyi Liu(’12), Stephen Martin (’12), Alex Moser (’12), Hillary Mullet (’11), Jay Patrick (‘12), Eric Watts (’11), Josh Whiffen (’12), Melanie Whitmire (‘11)

POSTCARDS FROM AFRICAFor the first time this past spring, the psychology department was included in a Furman sponsored study awayprogram. The 20 students who participated in the Southern Africa program took a psychology course in Povertyand Child Development taught by Erin Hahn in addition to courses in history, religion, and sociology. After threeweeks of intensive on-campus preparation, students spent 9 weeks traveling throughout South Africa, Namibia,and Botswana. In the course of their travels, students visited aid organizations, schools, local health care providers,and orphanages. Six psychology students will be taking part in the program this upcoming spring. Here ErinHahn describes some of the group’s experiences when she joined them in Namibia.A key feature of the course was a researchproject for which students collected data on avariety of developmental measures both inGreenville and at this orphanage in Windhoek,Namibia. Megameno Home has a longstandingrelationship with Furman through thestudy away program. Contributions from theFurman community have helped to fund theconstruction of a building to house classroomsand sleeping quarters for the children.| 6We weren’t expecting to see so many childrenmid-morning on a weekday while visitingan informal settlement outside of Swakopmund,Namibia. Many of the country’s poorestcitizens, having migrated from the northto find employment, live in these informalsettlements. Often, families living in theseareas can’t afford to send their children toschool because of the costs associated withschool fees, uniforms, and supplies.Included in the in-country programming were threehome-stays in which pairs of students were adoptedinto families for three days. Among the most memorableof these was a home-stay that occurred outsideof Khorixas- a remote, agricultural area ofnorthern Namibia. There, students lived with familiesin dwellings built from dung, without electricityor indoor plumbing. These immersions allowedstudents to consider cultural differences in childrearing,as well as differences in the environmentalcontext of early development (a great example ofthis kind of contrast was featured in the recent filmBabies which included an infant growing up in Namibia).Erin Hahn is pictured here with her homestayhost, Johanna and Johanna’s dog Consuelo.Psychologyalumni donorsThanks to all of you!Katie Arrington (94)John Batson (74)Vicki Beggs (75)Beth (Cundey) & Richard Boggs (92, 90)Adair (Ford) & Bryan Boroughs (02)Stephanie (Davis) Brawner (98)Keith Frainey (86)Kelly (Wallace) Franzone (99)Jennifer Godwin (00)Genie Gullick (69)Beth (Whittaker) & Charles Huggins (89)Deanna Hughes (94)Lillian (McCoy) Madden (90)Ann Maners (74)Tom McAbee (71)Debra (Moehle) McCallum (74)Marisa (Manzi) Nava (98)Jacqui (Pilch) O’Kane (07)Sandra (Looper) & Rusty Poore (74, 73)Phyllis Rouleau (88)Bethany (Borry) & Tommy Timmerman (90)Kathleen Turner (06)Psych Alumni NewsPlease update us on what you’vebeen doing so that we can include analumni news section in future newsletters.Update us by either:Emailing Donna Greene(donna.greene@furman.edu)Calling us(864) 294-2205or completing the online form atwww2.furman.edu/academics/psychologyDr. Judy Grisel is a neuroscientist whose research involves trying to understand why some peopleare more likely to abuse alcohol than others. To answer this question she uses an animal model:mice that have been bred to have a specific genetic mutation. That enables her and her studentsto examine the role of genes and neuropeptides in producing the rewarding properties of alcohol.In addition to research, Dr. Grisel teaches biopsychology, psychopharmacology, behavioral neuroscience,and a First Year Seminar on Neuroethics. Having been at Furman for 14 years, she wasrecently awarded a full‐year sabbatical. Tenured faculty typically take a sabbatical in order topursue new research interests, obtain specialized research training, or complete a large project.Dr. Grisel spent the 2009‐2010 academic year on sabbatical in Volterra, Italy with her daughter,Maren. She returned to Greenville in July and told us about her experiences.What did you do during your sabbatical and why did you decide to spend your time that way?I planned several projects but my primary goal was to work on a book about the neuroscience of drug addiction. Knowledgeabout the biological substrates of compulsive drug use has advanced a lot over the past several decades as a result of concertedresearch efforts, but much of this understanding remains obscure to those who have the most at stake in this area(addicts, their families and caregivers, and legal representatives, for example). So the goal of the book was to explain, in accurateand compelling terms, how structural and functional correlates in the brain underlie experiences like tolerance, withdrawaland craving. Though I haven't finished the book yet, I made a good start and really enjoyed the creative writing processinvolved in translating scientific principles and practice for 'everyday use'. My hope is that by forwarding a scientific understandingof addiction, neuroscience in general will be more relevant and interesting for more people.What was the thing you enjoyed most about being on sabbatical?The incredible luxury of only having to do one thing at a time.What was the hardest thing about being on sabbatical?Choosing among the many flavors of gelati. For example, there's a place in Rome, just off the Parthenon, that has over a hundredflavors including some of my new favorites like cinnamon, pear‐marscapone, pepperocini‐chocolate and watermelon.One time Maren and I had 2 flavors each for dessert, and then went back for "breakfast" the next morning. Really, there wasn'tenough time!How is your experience of Furman different after having been on sabbatical,if at all?Though Italy is wonderful and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to rest,reflect and create with minimal distractions, as the year ended I lookedmore and more forward to returning to my "real" life. I've been thrilled tobe back at Furman and am finding my classes (a FYW in Neuroethics and asenior seminar in behavioral neuroscience) at least as stimulating and invigoratingas my time away. I suppose a balance of private contemplationand community discourse provide the ideal scenario for learning and growingand I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunities I continue to have forboth.Under the Italian SunCheck out the electronic, full color version of the newsletter on our webpage.www2.furman.edu/academics/psychology| 3

| 4A Life ofLearningNot only is Charles Brewer the most senior faculty member in the psychologydepartment, he has the most seniority among the entire Furman University faculty.At commencement this past May, he was awarded the Alester G. Furman,Jr., and Janie Earle Furman Award for Meritorious Advising. This much‐deservedaward goes annually to a faculty member who is judged by students, alumni,and other faculty to be an exceptional advisor. With the wisdom of 44 years ofteaching at Furman to draw from, Dr. Brewer gave us his perspective on thestate of the classroom as well as the psychology department:Based on your classroom experience, how have Furman students changed over the past 44 years?So many changes have occurred that I find it difficult to summarize them briefly. I will mention three. First, in the “olden days,”students seemed more motivated to learn for the sake of knowing. They respected their teachers as a critical part of theirlearning. In recent years, more students seem motivated only to make high grades that will enable them eventually to get ajob and make a lot of money. They sometimes consider their teachers to be impediments to their progress toward what WilliamJames called the “bitch goddess of success.” A second change is that students dress more immodestly. In the past fewyears, I have seen more epidermis than I ever wanted or expected to see. A third change is that students seem to be in constantcontact with other people via numerous electronic devices. Students seem less involved with face‐to‐face social interactions.For example, many students in my classes sit next to someone for an entire semester and never speak to, or acknowledgethe existence of, that person.What makes the Furman Psychology Department the best in the galaxy?Our most important asset is a group of outstanding faculty members who share the common goals of being exemplary teachersand excellent research collaborators with students. In addition, we try to provide research and internship opportunities forall psychology majors who are interested. In many other undergraduate psychology programs, these opportunities are limitedto the crème de la crème. Since moving from the moldy basement of Plyler Hall into the new Johns Hall in 1998, we have exceptionalspace and equipment for offices, teaching, and research. (See answer to Question 3 below.)What is the biggest change to the psychology department you’ve seen during your Furman career?Along with what is mentioned in the previous answer, a dramatic change has occurred in the psychology curriculum. When Iarrived at Furman in 1967, the psychology program did not emphasize scientific psychology, and there we no laboratories.Catalogue courses included Marriage and Family Relationships, Psychology in Marketing, The Psychology of Exceptional Children,Psychology of Religion, Principles of Guidance, and Occupational Information. After a visit from on outside consultant,the dramatically revised curriculum of 1969 was designed to be consistent with recommendations from committees of expertsand to reflect a commitment to psychology as an empirical science. With four National Science Foundation grants, we acquiredsophisticated equipment and built rudimentary laboratories to accommodate research in certain courses and for students’independent projects. Since the change in 1969, we have periodically fine‐tuned our curriculum with guidance from outsideconsultants and suggestions from national conferences of experts. For example, we now offer the B.S. degree along with theB.A. degree in psychology, and students can take several advanced seminars in areas of faculty members’ research interests.Collaborative student‐faculty research, including Thesis, and student internships are increasingly important facets of students’Continued on next pageexperience. Many of our students present their findings at student research conferences and professional meetings, and severalstudents each year publish their work in the best journals, usually as co‐authors with their collaborating faculty members. Theremay be other undergraduate departments that match our record of student research, but I don’t know of them.Furman psychology students find great joy in impersonating the many “Brewerisms” for which you’re known. What are some ofyour favorite Brewerisms and how did they come to be?Choosing favorites is difficult, but I especially like the following four:Everything is related to everything else.Things are always more complicated than they are.For every complex question, there is an easy answer—and it is wrong.Leave no academic butt unkicked.I don’t know how the first three came to be, but I know the origin of Number 4. Eugenia Gullick graduated from Furman in 1969and earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Georgia. She has been in private practice in Charlotte, NC, forlonger than she will admit. Several years ago she wrote a postscript to an email message that said: “Brewer, leave no academicbutt unkicked.” The word unkicked is not in the Oxford English Dictionary, but I like how it sounds. Certain people who read thisnewsletter will know that I take Dr. Gullick’s admonition seriously.Your reputation for excellence extends far beyond Travelers Rest. Of the many professional awards you have received so far, isthere one of which you’re especially proud.I must mention three, because they are inextricable. The American Psychological Foundation presented its first DistinguishedTeaching in Psychology Award in 1950, and I received this award in 1989. The citation read, in part: “For almost three decades,Charles Brewer has devoted his life to teaching others—teaching students how to think, colleagues how to teach, and authors howto write. It is a devotion of unusual magnitude, based on a passion for excellence. In truth, he would argue that he cannot teach,but can only create the conditions under which others learn. In creating these conditions, he has few peers. Imbued with a love oflearning, his undergraduates succeed in life. . . . This award recognizes the exceptional career of one who can imagine no better lifethan his profession. Like Chaucer’s Clerk of Oxford, “gladly would he learn and gladly teach.”In 1995, I received the American Psychological Association’s Award for Career Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology.The citation read, in part: “Charles L. Brewer has tirelessly devoted his career to improving the teaching of psychology at alleducational levels. With inimitable style and verve, Charles has touched countless lives by working with and on behalf of highschool psychology teachers, mentoring undergraduates, helping departments and the discipline shape psychology curricula, andserving on innumerable committees and boards. Charles’s labor of love, the editorship of Teaching of Psychology, has resulted in apedagogical journal second to none in quality and influence. For his commitment to and accomplishments for teachers of psychology,we honor Charles L. Brewer.”In 2003, the American Psychological Foundation named its teaching award the Charles L. Brewer Distinguished Teaching of PsychologyAward to honor Charles’s “eminent contributions to education in psychology,” indicating that “Charles Brewer epitomizes whatthis award stands for.”CodaFinally, I hope that readers will reach two conclusions from this interview. First, through longstanding assiduity, we have built anexcellent undergraduate psychology program at Furman, a little country school in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. Second, at leastone Furman psychologist is not constrained by conventional modesty.Author’s Note: A full list of Brewerisms can be viewed on the department website.| 5