Deanna Whelan (Sabbatical)

My position as an Instructor within the Department of Psychology is my “dream job” as I am passionate about teaching. I have spent considerable time and energy learning about different teaching methodologies, techniques, and technology to incorporate into the classroom and into course evaluation elements. My role within the department is teaching of statistical and methodological courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Research Interests focus broadly on the concept of well-being and how it can be improved within non-clinical populations. I have previously explored personality, social interactions, and cognitive processes with the majority of my research examining the concept of acting out of character (formally termed counterdispositional behaviour). More recently, my students have inspired and shifted my research interests. The concepts of grit, persistence, and mental toughness fascinate me. Specifically, how university courses can be designed for students to learn and enhance these psychological concepts in hopes of allowing students to flourish and realize their full potential.