In the tradition of unofficial bios from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology and the "Growing Up In Science Project" (as well as some of my own research):
I was raised by my dad and grandparents in Phoenix, Arizona in a home with a lot of love and little money. As a ‘scholarship kid’ at a private high school, I developed an interest in social class and its relationship to educational experiences and performance. A first-generation college student, I double-majored in Psychology and English at the University of Arizona.
I initially thought that I wanted to be a clinical psychologist, but after volunteering for a year as a sexual assault response advocate for the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault, realized that therapy was not my calling. At about the same time, I discovered that I could use research to solve important real-world problems pertaining to educational inequity, and changed my focus to social and cultural psychology.
In addition to school, I worked full-time as a pastry chef at Raging Sage Coffee Roasters, with a shift from 4-11 a.m. and classes in the afternoon. I failed my first statistics class, but retook it later with a different professor to replace the grade. I didn’t realize that an academic career was an option until my professor (the inimitable Stephanie Fryberg) suggested that I apply to graduate school, walking me through every step of the process, editing numerous drafts of my personal statements, conducting mock interviews, and patiently answering all of my questions. (I try to pay her generosity forward and emulate her as a mentor to my students today).
As a grad student in Social Psychology at Arizona State University, the memory of my first stats class haunted me and I received mediocre grades. In one annual report, my statistics professor said that I
"might not be cut out for a Ph.D." I considered dropping out after my master’s, but I discovered that I loved teaching. With the support of my advisor, Michael Varnum, I sought out as many opportunities as I could to hone my skills as an educator, including at Glendale Community College and the ASU Prison Education Program.
"might not be cut out for a Ph.D." I considered dropping out after my master’s, but I discovered that I loved teaching. With the support of my advisor, Michael Varnum, I sought out as many opportunities as I could to hone my skills as an educator, including at Glendale Community College and the ASU Prison Education Program.
In my last year of graduate school, I applied to over 100 jobs, interviewed for a handful, and feel very fortunate to have landed at Weber State, an institution that celebrates students like me. At WSU, I strive to build inclusive classroom and laboratory environments with an emphasis on growth and skills that can be used in future courses and careers. My favorite class to teach is statistics.
In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, gardening, reading, traveling, hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, and attending concerts. I also foster kittens and dogs for the Humane Society of Northern Utah (some have been adopted by my students!). You can view a copy of my CV here. Please feel free to contact me at sarahherrmann at weber dot edu.
Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Weber State University.
Photo Credit: Ryan Belnap