Between Classes With...Dr. Melissa Evans, Psychology Instructor

Dr. Melissa Evans, Psychology Instructor, didn’t set out to become a college professor, but while working in state government in South Dakota, a local satellite campus for  South Dakota State University asked her to teach psychology part time. She taught five students on a small campus and discovered that teaching was her passion. That was 15 years ago and she has been teaching ever since.

New to SUNY Schenectady this semester, Dr. Evans is teaching an array of Psychology courses within the Division of Liberal Arts including Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare. She brings her expertise in industrial organizational psychology, which combines her love for psychology and business, to her courses. With a background working in human resources, medical facilities in addition to state government, she shares how important it is to have a foundation in psychology.

She shared, “Industrial organizational psychology is a different perspective to psychology. It has to do with active communication and how to work within a company and their people. For example, when training new employees and creating training manuals, psychology is very important. My students and I talk a lot about ethics which is really important to protecting people and organizations.”

Dr. Evans isn’t new to her role as a faculty member at a community college, having taught at other community colleges in the Capital Region and in Vermont. She shared, “I like community colleges because of the diversity among the students. There are people of all demographics, all ages, and all ways of life in my classroom. The one thing I love about being at a smaller college is the interaction with my students. I have shown up for their events, like plays or sporting events, and I love being present for them inside and outside of the classroom.”

Dr. Evans holds her Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Capella University, Master’s degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Carlos Albizu University in Miami, Fla., and her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Memphis.