Dr. Melissa Terlecki was just promoted to professor for psychology. Dr.Terlecki went into college as a psychology major because she enjoyed psychology class the most when she was in high school. Terlecki took a specific course that she liked in college and it was cognitive psychology. Terlecki had to do a presentation and her favorite professor said, “You should be a teacher because you are really good at explaining things.”
After that she went to graduate school to be a cognitive psychologist. While she was in graduate school she focused on research, academia and teaching. Terlecki got her doctorate degree at Temple University in cognitive neuroscience. After Terlecki graduated from graduate school she taught at Villanova University for two years as a visiting professor while she was working on her dissertation.
When Terlecki was done with her dissertation she got her doctorate and then got a job at Cabrini. Terlecki is completing her 14-year working at Cabrini.
“I don’t wear usually plain suits. They are usually colorful or plaid or have some kind of pattern.”
Terlecki loves what she does. She loves teaching, she said.
“Students make me feel youthful. I am still in touch of what’s going on in the world.”
Terlecki used to do research about metacognition for SEPCHE (Southeastern Pennsylvania consortium for Higher Education). Now Terlecki has started to do her own research in metacognition and her team developed a leadership program.
Ruta Clair is an assistant professor in psychology. This is her first year as an assistant professor. Clair usually teaches developmental psych course and courses about the brain. Clair has only known Terlecki for only a year now, Clair said.
“She is super helpful.”
Demi Adefarati is a psychology major and she is a research assistant for Dr. Terlecki. This is a three-credit opportunity for her. This is currently her second semester doing this. Terlecki has a great reputation in the psychology department, Adefarati said.
“There are people that really want to have her before they graduate because they always hear great things about her.”
In any role that Terlecki has she is always present, helpful, attentive and really kind. Terlecki’s classes are always engaging and funny, Adefarati said.
“She is definitely an understanding professor. She definitely is there to make sure that it’s not just something ware we are like learning information just to spit out. It is an actual fun experience.”
i remember dr terlecki as being smokin hot