Focus on the faculty: Jennifer McDowell

The mysteries of the brain shape the contours of psychology professor Jennifer McDowell's research and teaching:

What are your favorite courses and why?

“Biologic Foundations of Behavior”— most graduate students in clinical or counseling fields have to take it, end up taking it with me, and a subset of students   always dread it. When I was new, I felt sorry that they were forced to take the class.  I have evolved.  Now I start by explaining how important this class is, and that it should be required for every student. Sometimes brains work well and sometimes brains do not work well, and everyone exists on that continuum. The more educated a person is about the brain, the better prepared s/he is as a researcher, teacher, clinician, observer and owner. I also teach an Honors undergraduate class called “Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder” that I hope helps students view severe mental illness from a completely different perspective.

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What are some highlights of your career at UGA?

UGA’s Bio-Imaging Research Center, or BIRC, is unique among universities and contains equipment that allows us to conduct many types of brain imaging studies. The BIRC was not fully functioning until a couple years after we arrived, so the grand opening was years in the making, eagerly anticipated, promising and memorable. Last spring we hosted a two-day conference at UGA with our National Institute of Mental Health grant collaborators from Harvard, the University of Chicago, University of Texas, Southwestern University and Yale.  I was proud to show off our students, staff and facilities.

How does your research or scholarship inspire your teaching, and vice versa?

I always watch for examples of how mental illness, neuroscience and brain-related issues arise in daily life, or how they are presented in the media. I ask my students to do the same thing, and we evaluate these cases during class.

Truly one of our best, and a great campus and community citizen who helps build both into places that attract bright students and re-inforce our strength of community.