“My passion is to help educators make sound instructional choices that lead to transformative educational experiences for the many types of students they have in their classrooms. I try to bring my background of educational psychology and knowledge of the science behind teaching/learning to bear on every aspect of my teaching, research and service.”

Dr. Lindsay Masland, associate professor of psychology

BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Lindsay Masland, associate professor in Appalachian State University’s Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology, has been recognized nationally for her excellence as an early career psychologist. She is the 2020 recipient of the Jane S. Halonen Teaching Excellence Award, conferred by the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP) — Division 2 of the American Psychological Association.

Masland will be presented with a plaque to acknowledge her merit at the STP 19th Annual Conference on Teaching, slated for October. She will also receive a $1,500 prize as part of the award.

Each year, the STP awards six individuals nationally for their excellence in psychological teachings. The organization's Jane S. Halonen Teaching Excellence Award specifically recognizes the excellence of early career psychologists. The award recipients will be announced in the October issue of the peer-reviewed journal Teaching of Psychology.

In her nomination letter for Masland, Dr. Jordan D. Troisi, associate professor of psychology at the University of the South, wrote, “There are many great teachers in STP. And yet, Lindsay is the person I go to when I need teaching advice … It is an honor to know her, to work with her and nominate her for the Jane Halonen Award. I cannot imagine a more fitting candidate.”

“My passion is to help educators make sound instructional choices that lead to transformative educational experiences for the many types of students they have in their classrooms,” Masland said. “I try to bring my background of educational psychology and knowledge of the science behind teaching/learning to bear on every aspect of my teaching, research and service.”

Since joining Appalachian’s faculty in 2011, Masland, who received her Ph.D. from the University of Georgia and her M.A. and B.A. from Wake Forest University, has been a keynote speaker at the annual Eastern Teaching of Psychology Conference, held in Staunton, Virginia, and for the STP’s Annual Conference on Teaching.

She is the 2020 recipient of the Appalachian State University Excellence in Teaching Award, and was recently named as incoming assistant director for faculty professional development in Appalachian’s Center for Academic Excellence.

She also serves as a consulting editor for the journals Teaching of Psychology and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, both of which focus on the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Masland currently serves on 10 of Appalachian’s departmental committees committed to teaching excellence, and her research focuses include student engagement, effective teaching practices and inclusive excellence in the classroom.

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App State winner announced for 2020 UNC Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award

April 23, 2020

Dr. Jennifer Snodgrass was once on track to become a professional opera singer — until she discovered her love for teaching. Now she has earned the 2020 UNC Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award for Appalachian. Six other Appalachian faculty, including psychology associate professor Dr. Lindsay Masland, have been recognized with campus-level awards for teaching excellence.

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About the Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology

Appalachian State University’s Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology serves more than 1,400 undergraduate majors seeking the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, as well as 90 graduate students across four graduate programs: experimental psychology (MA), industrial-organizational psychology and human resource management (MA), school psychology (MA/SSP) and clinical psychology (PsyD). Learn more at https://psych.appstate.edu.

About the College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at https://cas.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.