Welcome Richard Douglass, Our New Faculty Member in Counseling Psychology

Richard Douglass, our newest faculty member in the counseling psychology program, joins us from the University of Florida where he earned his doctoral degree. We asked him some questions about his teaching, research, and expectations.
 

Describe your research

My research focuses on examining issues related to well-being among underserved groups. I am interested in examining the effects of discrimination on well-being along with exploring individual resilience and systemic prevention of discrimination.

What interested you to go into Psychology as a field?

One semester I took both Introduction to Positive Psychology and Introduction to Counseling Psychology, and this is where my passion for psychology really began. I realized that psychologists have the ability to focus on promoting positive human functioning instead of just focusing on pathologizing people. This emphasis on growth and positive development sparked my interest in pursuing graduate training in the field.

What are you most excited about in your new position?

I'm most excited about working with all of the talented people at the University of Minnesota, including the undergraduate and graduate students along with my colleagues. I'm excited to be at a university that has such a rich history related to the field of psychology.

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I enjoy hearing the different perspectives that students have to offer on class topics. I like to promote class-driven discussions in my courses; I enjoy watching students think critically about new topics and challenge one another in a respectful way when exploring various viewpoints.

What are you most nervous about with regards to Minnesota's weather?

I'm quite nervous about getting lost in the Gopher Way while I try to avoid the cold and snow!