Dear Opinion Editor,

Wilkes University’s campus community should acknowledge the departure of a gifted academic and educator and overall wonderful person– Dr. Meridith Selden of the Psychology Department. This is Professor Selden’s final semester here, since she will be moving to the West Coast to accept a position at a university in California. She has taught Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Statistics I, Social Psychology, some sections of Senior Capstone, and PSY 101 classes at Wilkes since 2008 and is very well-liked by anyone who has taken one of her classes. Students praise her for being organized and communicative, using helpful slideshows and attention-catching examples, her ability to explain difficult concepts with clarity, her willingness to help students outside of class, and her overall friendly and approachable demeanor. Last year, she received the Outstanding New Faculty Award for great teaching, advising, and leadership qualities.

I enjoyed the classes I have taken with Dr. Selden, and I agree with every positive comment other students have made about her. I also feel lucky to have taken Dr. Selden’s section of PSY 101 during my freshman year. At that time, I had inclinations toward the field of psychology but was still struggling with the decision to declare it as a second major. The zeal with which Dr. Selden teaches is part of what helped me make my decision. Today I feel that something would be missing from my life had I not declared my dual major and that I partly have her to thank.

Since many students have probably taken PSY 101 as a gen-ed requirement or other psychology classes as electives, I think any non-psychology majors who may have taken a class with Professor Selden should be alerted to her departure.  This way, if they feel she has made an impact on them, or if they simply like her as a person, they can have a chance to say goodbye. Send a nice email to thank this special member of the Wilkes family if she has ever made an impression on you!