Dr. Eric Amsel (2006)

Article from WSU Today, February 13, 2006

The 2006 John S. Hinckley Fellow, Eric Amsel, is the department chair and a professor of psychology at Weber State University.

Amsel joined the WSU faculty in 1996, and from the start he has taken great pride in mentoring students and encouraging them to conduct undergraduate research.

“Although it is widely acknowledged that good research infuses good teaching, it has been my experience at WSU that good teaching also infuses good research,” Amsel said. “As a teacher, I continue to be amazed by the caliber of students I’ve had the opportunity to work with, and the impact they’ve had on me.”

Beyond the classroom, Amsel’s professional research has focused on cognitive development from young children to practicing scientists — studying changes in thinking that occur over time. He and two colleagues served as the primary investigators on “The Intervention and Research Program for the Preservation of Tomorrow’s Children,” a study that examined connections between social skill development and math training in first- and second-graders.

Amsel has received numerous awards and honors for his teaching and scholarship,
including the Lowe Award for Innovative Teaching and the Endowed Professor in WSU’s College of Social & Behavioral Sciences.

Prior to joining WSU, Amsel taught as an assistant professor at Vassar and the
University of Saskatchewan. Amsel earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from McGill University in Montreal. He holds a master’s degree from Harvard and his Ph.D. from Columbia University. He also conducted postdoctoral work at Yale.