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For empowering and engaging with student researchers in her work, Suzanne Wood, an assistant professor of psychology in the Faculty of Arts & Science, has been recognized with . 

“My approach to teaching is to focus first on which skills you want to develop, and the decisions about content and activities will fall into place after you’ve laid out those goals,” says Wood, who encourages students to take leadership roles in projects. 

Wood researches student learning and health from a neuroscientific and psychopharmacological perspective, such as in the use of study drugs and psychedelics as cognitive enhancers. 

In the classroom, she uses a variety of methods to hone students’ critical thinking skills. She has her students debate each other, critique original scientific literature and compare popular writing about a scientific topic with a peer-reviewed research article.

Wood regularly reflects upon and assesses her pedagogical techniques – in her first year of appointment, she initiated a departmental teaching community to share experiences and best practices with fellow educators. 

“Receiving this award encourages me to keep challenging my students and myself to think in new ways.”