The Sleep-Stress Paradox: Five Steps to Better Sleep

Amy Mezulis, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology, discusses the Sleep-Stress Paradox and shares five steps to sleeping better.  [Audio & Video]

The Burdens of the Church in Pursuing the Unachievable

Matthew A. Thomas, bishop of the Free Methodist Church, North America, spoke at the 10th annual School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference, Awards Luncheon, and Lecture on the Integration of Faith and Professional Practice.  His lecture entitled “The Burdens of the Church in Pursuing the Unachievable” evaluates how pursuing the unachievable is perhaps one of the greatest faith challenges church leaders face.  He states that we are pursuing something with vigor that will likely never be achieved in this part of life.  For example, the mandate of Jesus was to “make disciples of all nations,” while the admission of Jesus was that persecution will always be with us.  Another mandate of Jesus was to serve the poor and provide justice, while the admission of Jesus was “the poor you will always have with you.”  How, then, do we go forward?

Infants at High-Risk for Autism: Innovations in Early Identification

Watch and listen as Annette Estes,  licensed psychologist and research assistant professor at the University of Washington, educates parents, people living with autism, and the public about new findings in autism as part of the School of Psychology, Family and Community May 2012 Speaker Series.

Spirituality & Sexuality Forum

Tina Schermer Sellers, Director of Medical Family Therapy, examines the cost of religious sexual shame on intimacy and sexual health. [Audio]

2011 Weter Lecture – A Two-talent Servant in a Five-talent World: Christian vs. Secular Views of Human Potential

Paul Yost, Associate Professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Director of Applied Learning and Development, discusses emerging research in psychology suggesting that a few stable personality characteristics are surprisingly good predictors of job performance, life satisfaction, and longevity – seeming to indicate that people’s success, job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and even life-long wellbeing might be predetermined.  He explores how a Christian worldview offers a way to acknowledge these findings but in a way that reframes and transcends them. April 18, 2011. [Audio] [Video]

Learn more about the Weter Lecture series sponsored by The Center for Scholarship and Faculty Development.

Faith-Story Revisions

MFT students Scott Green and Virgil Kim present a Qualitative Study Proposal on the Effects of Narrative Re-Authoring at the SPFC Research conference. Introduced by Associate Professor Scott Edwards, Director of Clinical Training and Research. May 26, 2010 [Video]

2009 Darwin Symposium

A series of discussions examining Charles Darwin’s influence in a variety of fields and exploring the application today of contemporary theories of evolution.

Darwin in Social and Historical Context Emeritus Associate Professor of Psychology Del McHenry talks about Darwin’s life history, personality, and work; Associate Professor of History Rod Stiling discusses On the Origin of Species in the history of science; and Associate Professor of Philosophy Patrick McDonald presents “On the Friendship of Darwin, Design, and Creation.” November 10, 2009. (1:19:09) [Video]

Taking Up Darwin in His Own Time: Church and Culture Associate Professor of English Christine Chaney talks about “Lady Novelists, Evolution, and the ‘Natural History’ of Real Life,” and Associate Professor of Christian Ministry Jeff Keuss discusses “Thomas a’ Kempis and Darwin: Death, Life, and Evolution in Victorian Theology.” November 12, 2009. (1:04:49) [Video]

Darwin and 21st Century Biological Sciences Assistant Professor of Biology Eric Long discusses “Evolution, Ecology, and Endangered Species”; Associate Professor of Biochemistry Ben McFarland discusses “What Good Is Evolution? How Darwin’s Theory Helps Us, From Termites to Proteins”; and Professor of Biology Tim Nelson presents “Endosymbiosis, a Combination of Darwinian and Non-Darwinian Evolution?” November 17, 2009. (1:07:21) [Video]

Darwin and 21st Century Social and Behavioral Sciences Associate Professor of Biology Cara Wall-Scheffler talks about “Closing Gaps in the Fossil Record? The Recent Lessons of Ardipithecus and The Emergence of Human Bipedality”; Assistant Professor of Psychology Bane Craft discusses “Evolutionary Psychology: The Role of Comparative Psychology in Understanding Human Behavior”; and Dean of the School of Psychology, Family, and Community Míchéal Roe addresses “Emergence,” human behavior, and worldviews. November 19, 2009. (1:20:25) [Video]

A Consensual Qualitative Investigation of Internationalizing the Undergraduate and Graduate Psychology Curricula

Lynette Bikos, SPU Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of Research, and her doctoral advisees, Rebekah Forman and Nicola De Paul, present their research and findings at the 2009 APA Convention. [Video]

Day of Common Learning 2009: Transformational Leadership

The Day of Common Learning is a campus in-service day during which faculty, staff and students have the opportunity to participate together in a learning community outside of traditional classrooms.

Keynote Address: Transformational Leadership Ronald C. White. Emeritus Professor of American Religious History at San Francisco Theological Seminary. [Video]

Abraham Lincoln: Classical Orator Assistant Professor of Classics Owen Ewald and Associate Professor of Communications William Purcell consider Lincoln in the context of the tradition of classical oratory. [Audio]

Civil Discourse in a Coarsening Culture Ronald C. White, Emeritus Professor of American Religious History at San Francisco Theological Seminary, and Doug Strong, Professor of the History of Christianity and Dean of the School of Theology, address how Lincoln can be a guide for wisdom and witness. [Video]

From Just Paying the Bills to Intentional Living: Leadership Transforming the Off-Campus Housing Experience Associate Director of University Ministries Matthew Koenig and Sharpen Ministry Intentional Living Core students discuss the demographic changes at SPU which find more and more students commuting and how groups of students are responding through innovative forms of Christian community. [Audio]

Lincoln and the Lilacs Professor of English and Director of the Center for Scholarship and Faculty Development Susan VanZanten examines how Walt Whitman captured both Lincoln’s magnificence and American grief. [Video]

Lincoln and the Possibilities of Prudential Politics Assistant Professor of Old Testament Bo Lim and Assistant Professor of Political Science Caleb Henry examine why prudential politics is so difficult. [Audio]

The Lincoln/Douglas Debate The SPU Debate Team recreates part of the Lincoln / Douglas debates that helped propel Lincoln onto the national stage. [Audio]

Lincoln on Education Professor of Education Chris Sink explores Lincoln’s views on education in light of contemporary perspectives. [Audio] [Video]

Lincoln’s Use (and Abuse?) of Presidential Power Professor of History Bill Woodward asks the audience to judge both Lincoln’s actions and parallel instances today with regard to five transforming ways Lincoln wielded presidential power. [Audio]

Ode to Joy: Tragedy, Triumph and Transformation in the Life and Music of Beethoven Professor of Music Wayne Johnson looks at how adversity can help create qualities of determination, character and transformative leadership. [Video]

Transformational Leadership: In Practice and in Progress The John Perkins Center and Student Volunteer Coordinators introduce the John Perkins Center model of student leadership development and share stories of growth and engagement from student leaders currently serving in volunteer programs and at various stages along the leadership development continuum. [Video]

Transforming Leadership and the Power of Service Professor of Nursing Kathy Stetz and Assistant Professor of Journalism Rick Jackson discuss how Paul Farmer’s journey offers insight for everyone, inside and outside medicine, on how real leadership arises from service anchored in vocation. [Audio]

Transforming Self to Transform Others: Lessons from the Prodigal Father Professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology Margaret Diddams walks through the practices necessary to become a transformational leader and the unique types of changes that transformational leaders are most likely to make possible. [Audio] [Video]

U2 and the Future of Transformational Leadership Associate Professor of Christian Ministry Jeff Keuss looks at how U2 provokes leaders of the free world to reconsider everything from immigration policy to debt relief. [Audio] [Video]

Best Teaching Ideas 2009

Creative Presentations for Teachers SPU Assistant Professor of Education and Elementary Placement Coordinator Debby Espinor describes a project that requires her students to create creative presentations that illustrate their individual teaching philosophies. [Audio] [Video]

What Is Truth? SPU Associate Professor of Organizational Psychology Paul Yost outlines his use of a postmodern Cinderella story to examine the importance of varying perspectives in trying to get at truth. [Audio] [Video]

Teaching Grammar by Numbers Instructor of English Misty Anne Winzenried describes her method for teaching grammar to students. [Audio] [Video]

Market Simulation Associate Professor of Economics Doug Downing simulates the fluctuation in the stock market in a classroom where the buying and selling by students changes the value of their stocks. [Audio] [Video]

The Physics Interview Process Assistant Professor of Physics Hunter Close shares about how learning assistants studied how students think about something in physics. [Audio] [Video]