Welcome to the OU Department of Psychology! My name is Lara Mayeux, and I am an Associate Professor and the newly-elected Chair of the Department of Psychology. As I write this, on Day 4 of my tenure as Chair, I am both excited about the opportunities we have as a department and a little overwhelmed at the responsibility I’ve taken on. But OU Psychology has been my professional home for almost 20 years now, and I am thrilled to be able to give back to the department that has provided me with so much support and encouragement for so many years.
We began the Fall semester with exciting news: Our Lunch Bunch speaker series now has a corporate sponsor, Cigna. Thanks to the hard work of Psychology’s Professor Eric Day and Tracy Curtis, Director of Corporate Relations, Cigna will provide funds that allow us to build on our existing Lunch Bunch series, opening up opportunities to host distinguished speakers from all over the country. What an amazing experience for our students and faculty! We look forward to sharing more about the new Lunch Bunch speaker series in future newsletters.
For the first time since 2020, it finally feels like campus and classroom life at OU are returning to some normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic. Our students are eager for connection and ready for a traditional college experience. Though challenges remain—three years of disruption don’t pass without lingering effects on teaching, learning, and research—there is an energy on campus that is refreshing and encouraging. Psychology has a record number of majors and minors, our graduate and undergraduate students are contributing to important and rewarding research, and our faculty continue to be leaders of their respective fields. Some of those achievements are highlighted in this newsletter.
Thank you for your continued support of our Department. If you don’t already, please follow us on social media. We maintain active LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X accounts, where we share more about the accomplishments of our faculty and students as well as departmental events. And as always, if you are in a position to provide financial support, we welcome your gift. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you’re interested in learning more about how your contribution to our department can make a difference.
My best wishes to you as we move into the season of cooler temperatures, changing leaves, and Sooner football!
Sincerely,
Lara Mayeux
