Introducing Dr Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel
Published: 7 October 2019
Introducing Dr Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel. Lecturer in Psychology, arriving in January 2020
Introducing Dr Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel
Lecturer in Psychology, University in Glasgow, arriving in January 2020
Twitter: @pimpmymemory
My academic background and work philosophy
I am currently a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Dundee, but will be joining the University of Glasgow as a Lecturer in Psychology in January 2020. I’m an expert in applying findings from Cognitive Science to education and an enthusiastic science communicator. I obtained my Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Mannheim, Germany, and pursued postdoc positions at York University in Toronto and the Center for Integrative Research in Cognition, Learning, and Education (CIRCLE) at Washington University in St. Louis, USA.
My expertise focuses on learning and memory phenomena that allow implementation to educational settings to offer teachers and students a wide range of strategies that promote long-term retention. I’m convinced that psychological research should serve the public and, to that end, engage heavily in scholarly outreach and science communication. I became a member of the internationally renowned Learning Scientists in 2016 – a scholarly outreach project. In February 2018, I founded the Teaching Innovation & Learning Enhancement (TILE) network as a way to bring different disciplines and sectors together to discuss how to overcome prevailing issues in education with research-based approaches. I strive to grow TILE and make it a well-known, cross-sectional hub for teaching and learning excellence.
I engage in various scholarship activities and my work has affected educators in their teaching practice and students in their study habits – worldwide. I’m fortunate to be part of a vibrant, global network of people translating research from Cognitive Psychology to educational settings. Due to my expertise, I’m sought after for advice, invited to give talks about innovation in teaching and learning, and have led Continuing Professional Development (CPD) workshops for lecturers and school teachers worldwide. I recently visited the Jakarta Intercultural School in Indonesia and spoke to teachers, pupils, and parents. I will be visiting the British International School Riyadh in Saudi Arabia in August 2020 to provide a series of CPD keynotes and workshops. Recently, I was awarded Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy/AdvanceHE.
I’m extremely passionate about teaching and aim at providing my students with the best possible learning experience. I advance innovative teaching approaches and have been shortlisted for the Student-Led Teaching Award in 2019 for "Innovation in Teaching" by the Dundee University Student Association and have won the Social Sciences Teaching Award for “Embedding Research and Scholarship in Teaching” in 2019. I have led the integration of Service Learning as a novel teaching concept in Psychology – a teaching approach that applies knowledge obtained at university to real-world problems through community service to meet prevailing needs. In my Service Learning courses, university students are taught learning principles from Cognitive Psychology and – based on this new knowledge – they design tutorials for pupils in local schools to help them adopt more successful study strategies. This teaching innovation has been commended by the British Psychological Society review committee.
Me and the School of Psychology at the University of Glasgow
The School of Psychology at the University of Glasgow features a strong teaching track with academics who are motivated and work hard to enhance the student learning experience. The University of Glasgow has caught my attention as an institution that values and promotes the teaching track in academia and, given my passion for teaching and my career aspirations, I felt an instant pull towards this welcoming environment. The teaching team in Psychology embraces the research-led approach I will be bringing to the table. With a strong commitment to incorporating best practice in Psychological Science teaching, the team in Psychology at University of Glasgow stands out nationally and internationally. I feel that my profile will nicely complement the team at the School of Psychology and am thrilled to join #TeamUofG soon to contribute to the path towards innovative, research-led teaching excellence.
Future plans
In the future, I would like to build on my successes and continue to work towards conducting research projects that inform learning and teaching, communicating scientific findings in the learning sciences to a wider audience, promoting knowledge exchange within and outwith academia, and providing support and advice to teachers as well as students. I hope to elevate my activities to a higher level as part of the vibrant academic community at the University of Glasgow.
Beyond work
In my free time, I enjoy going on family trips with my husband, Patrick, and our 4.5-year old son, Emil, to explore the beauty of Scotland. I’m a huge music lover and I listen to music all the time. At home, I enjoy listening to my vinyl records. I’m a bookworm, but I also love watching movies and series. I can’t wait to explore all the nice things the Glasgow West End has to offer.
First published: 7 October 2019