Gianakos enjoys teaching freshman

When psychology professor Irene Gianakos teaches, she enjoys seeing the connection made when information resonates with a student.

“I love seeing lightbulbs go off and eyes light up,” she said.

Gianakos is one of three recipients of the 2008 Distinguished Teaching Award. This is her 19th year teaching at the Trumbull Campus and she previously taught at the College of Wooster.

“I have a passion for teaching,” she said. “I love sharing information.”

Gianakos said she likes to engage students in class by starting discussions and asking them questions to show them how the topic relates to everyday life.

“I am passionate about my field of study,” Gianakos said. “Psychology is the study of life, and (you’re) always figuring out how people behave.”

She especially loves teaching General Psychology.

“It is really exciting to turn first-year students on to psychology,” she said.

Although Gianakos said she “loves them all,” she really enjoys teaching her Abnormal Psychology class and Gender Roles class.

“There is a lot of discussion and it is very dynamic to see how we see the world through gender-colored glasses,” she said.

Gianakos taught at a middle school for a year and found that adolescents didn’t always want to be there. She said she likes teaching at the university level because “students choose this and work hard” to be here.

Gianakos said she doesn’t see many students who aren’t engaged in class.

“(I have a) responsibility as a faculty member to show why class is important,” she said.

Contact news correspondent Kelly Petryszyn

at [email protected].