Melissa Beers, Ph.D. serves as senior director for the General Education (GE Bookends), with the first students enrolling in the GE Launch Seminar in autumn 2022. Dr. Beers has taught at Ohio State for 22 years and directed Introductory Psychology, one of the university’s largest GE courses, for 16 years. As senior director, she will develop and support a diverse instructional team to staff these courses, ultimately reaching all undergraduate students at Ohio State.
Dr. Beers has a strong history of service at Ohio State and nationally. Her work in curriculum, assessment, and teaching development have been recognized with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s Honors Award, the College of Arts and Sciences’ Distinguished Staff Award, The Ohio State University Distinguished Staff Award (including the inaugural Dr. Michael V. Drake President’s Award distinction), and a national award from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology for the mentorship of teachers.
Interviews with Dr. Beers
- PsychSessions Podcast: E016: Melissa Beers:
- Brain Bios Podcast: Episode 4: Melissa Beers
- PsychSessions Podcast: E131: Melissa Beers Part 2 - On Compassion
Select professional service
- Director, Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP) Programming at the APA Convention, 2020 - 2022
- American Psychological Association (APA) Introductory Psychology Initiative (IPI) steering committee member, 2017-2022. https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/undergrad/introductory-psychology-initiative/index Co-chair, Teacher Training and Development
- Ohio Psychology Teaching Conference, Steering Committee Co-Chair, 2018 - 2020
- Ohio State University, GE Bookends Curriculum and Assessment Design Committee member
- Ohio State University GE Revision Implementation Committee, Expected Learning Outcomes Subcommittee member
- Consulting Editor, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 2016 – present
- Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP) Presidential Task Force on Restructuring the STP Graduate Student Teaching Association member, 2018
- Guest Editor, Psychology Teaching and Learning, special issue on Open Educational Resources (OER), 2018.
- Ohio Department of Higher Education, Transfer Assurance Guideline faculty panelist, 2016
Recognition and awards
- Society for the Teaching of Psychology Mentorship of Teachers Award, Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Div. 2), 2021
- Dr. Michael V. Drake President's Award and the Ohio State University Distinguished Staff Award, 2020
- College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Staff Award, 2018
- Ohio State University Campus Campaign, Lead Ambassador Award, 2017
- Office of Diversity and Inclusion Honors Award, 2016
- Department of Psychology Staff Excellence Award, 2013
Select publications
Altman, W.; Beers, M.J.; Hammer, E.; Hardin, E.; Troisi, J. (2021). Reimagining how we teach introductory psychology: Support for instructors adopting the recommendations of the APA Introductory Psychology Initiative. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology.
Richmond, A.; Boysen, G.; Hudson, D.; Gurung, R.; Naufel, K.; Neufeld, G, Landrum, E., Dunn, D., Beers, M. (2021). The Introductory Psychology Census: A national study. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, doi:10.1037/stl0000277
File The Introductory Psychology Census: A National Study835.84 KB
Beers, M.J.; Altman, W.; Hammer, E.; Hardin, E.; Troisi, J. (2021). Changing the paradigm: Support and development for teachers of Introductory Psychology. In Gurung, R.; Neufeld, G. (Eds.), Transforming introductory psychology: Expert advice on teaching, training, and assessing the course. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC. https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/transforming-introductory-psychology
Halonen, J.; Beers, M.J.; Brown, A. (2020). Assessment at the crossroads: How did we get here and what should we do? Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 6 (3), 254-268. doi:10.1037/stl0000243
File Assessment at the Crossroads: How Did We Get Here and What Should We Do?153.69 KB
Beers, M. and Hard, B.M. (2021). Teaching Introductory Psychology. In J. Zumbach, D. Bernstein, S. Narciss, and G. Marsico (Eds.), Springer International Handbooks of Education. International Handbook of Psychology Learning and Teaching.
Beers, M. (2020). A framework for setting educational priorities. In S.A. Nolan, C. M. Hakala, and R.E. Landrum, (Eds), Assessing Undergraduate Learning in Psychology: Strategies for Measuring and Improving Student Performance. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/assessing-undergraduate-learning-psychology?tab=2
Beers, M., Dell'Armo, K., and Plate, A. (2020). The Other Side of the Podium: Supporting Graduate Student Teaching Development. In T. M. Ober, E. Che, J. E. Brodsky, C. Raffaele, & P. J. Brooks (Eds.). How We Teach Now: The GSTA Guide to Transformative Teaching (pp. 30-41). Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology web site: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/howweteachnow-transformative
Beers, M. (2020). Playing like you practice: Formative and summative techniques to assess student learning. In J. E. Coumbe-Lilley and A.M. Shipherd (Eds.), High Impact Teaching for Sport and Exercise Psychology Educators. Routlidge.
Chew, S., Halonen, J., McCarthy, M., Gurung, R., Beers, M., McEntarffer, R., and Landrum, E. (2018). Practice What We Teach: Improving Teaching and Learning in Psychology. Teaching of Psychology. doi: 10.1177/0098628318779264.
Freis, S., Belding, J., Patton, K.P., and Beers, M.J. (2018). Meaningfully integrating psychology and writing: Lessons learned from a second-level writing course. In T. L. Kuther (Ed.), Integrating Writing into the College Classroom: Strategies for Promoting Student Skills. Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology web site: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/index.php
Beers, M. & Kraft, N. (2018). Integrating Academic Skills and Digital Literacy Training. In R. J. Harnish, K. R. Bridges, D. N. Sattler, M. L. Signorella, & M. Munson (Eds.). The Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology web site: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/index.php
Beers, M.J. and Apple, K.J. (2015). Advising students interested in social psychology. In J. Irons & R Miller (Eds.) Academic advising: A handbook for advisors and students volume 2: A guide to the sub-disciplines. Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology web site: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/index.php
Beers, M.J., Hill, J. C., Thompson, C.A., & Tran, P. (2014). Graduate Training in the Teaching of Psychology: Essential Skills for New Instructors. Pratiques psychologiques, 20, 181–196.
Beers, M.J., Belding, J., and Mehling, M. (2014). Principles and Practices of Graduate TA Training at The Ohio State University. In J. N. Busler, B. C. Beins, & B. Buskist (Eds.) Preparing the New Psychology Professoriate: Helping Graduate Students Become Competent Teachers, 2nd ed. Retrieved from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology web site: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/index.php
Beers, M., Hill, J. C., and Thompson, C. (2012). The STP Guide to Graduate Training Programs in the Teaching of Psychology (2nd ed.). http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/index.php
Selected presentations and workshops
Beers, M.J. (2021, July). So Now What? A process for starting to adopt the APA's Introductory Psychology Initiative (IPI) recommendations in your class. Keynote address at the Psychology One Conference (online).
Beers, M.J. (2020, November). Together at a Crossroads: Reclaiming the Promise of Assessment. Keynote address at the Ohio State University Assessment Conference (online).
Beers, M.J. (2020, October). Teaching Introductory Psychology under adversity. Keynote address at the Mid-Atlantic Teaching of Psychology Conference (online).
Kalish, A. and Beers, M. (2019). Preparing for College and University Teaching: Competencies for Graduate and Professional Students. Presentation at the Original Lilly Conference on College Teaching, Oxford, OH.
Agarwal, P., Beers, M., Becker-Blease, K., Carpenter, S., and Soicher, R.N. (2019). Synergy between Teaching/Learning Practice and Research Across Higher Education. Panel presentation at the STP Annual Conference on Teaching, Denver, CO
Beers, M. (2019, August). The 21st Century Teacher: Why Training and Development Has Never Been More Important. The Diane Halpern Invited Address at the American Psychological Association Convention, Chicago, IL.
Beers, M (2019, August). Effective use of OER in Psychology – What’s Next? Symposium Co-Chair and Discussant at the American Psychological Association Convention, Chicago, IL.
Soicher, R. and Beers, M. (2019, August) Elevating Graduate Student Teaching – A Workshop to Develop Essential Career Skills. Skill-Building Session Co-chair at the American Psychological Association Convention, Chicago, IL.
Wickes, K., Beers, M., Dunn, D.S., Gurung, R.A.R., Neufeld, G. (2019, August). The Introductory Psychology Initiative. Symposium Participant at the American Psychological Association Convention, Chicago, IL.
Beers, M. (2019, July). The APA Introductory Psychology Initiative. Closing session at the Ohio Psychology Teaching Conference, Columbus, OH.
Beers, M. (2019, June). Making an Old Course New Again: A Teaching Workshop in Two Parts. Workshop for the Center for the Advancement of Teaching at Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA.
Beers, M. (2019, June). Classroom Management. Workshop for the faculty of the School of Pharmacy, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA.
Morling, B. and Beers, M. (2019, June). Designing an Effective Course: An Approach Based on the Science of Learning in Higher Education. Invited address for the Symposium on Principles of Effective Teaching, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Beers, M. and Morling, B. (2019, June). On the Road to Better Learning Experiences: A Course Design Workshop. Workshop for the faculty of the Warsaw International Studies in Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
Beers, M. (2019, June). Teaching in an Instructional Team. Workshop for the faculty of the Warsaw International Studies in Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Beers, M., Kim, M. and Bengal, S. (2019, May). So, what do I do now? Supporting Effective Instruction with Integrated Teaching Resources. Presentation at the Ohio State Innovate Conference, Columbus, OH.
Beers, M. (2019, May). Teaching Traps: How to Save Yourself (and Your Students). Presentation at the Ohio State Academy of Teaching Conference, Columbus, OH.
Beers, M. (2019, April). You Can Love Assessment: Five Ideas to Use Right Now. Presentation at the 91st Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
Whisenhunt, B, Hudson, D, and Beers, M. (2019, January). Teaching Traps, Transitions, and Connections: Making the Content Meaningful. Presentation at the National Institute for the Teaching of Psychology, St. Petersburg, FL. https://tinyurl.com/y6uzp6eu
Beers, M.J. (2018, November). The 21st Century Teacher: Why Teacher Training and Development has Never Been More Important. Keynote Address at the Northeast Conference for Teachers of Psychology (NECTOP), Worcester, MA.
Beers, M.J. (2018, November). The Space you Make-Lessons Learned in Active Learning Classrooms. APA-STP Keynote Address at the Annual Meeting of the New England Psychological Association (NEPA), Worcester, MA.
Hard, B.M., Beers, M.J., Brady, S.T., Hill, J.C. (2018, October). Can a Reappraisal Intervention Help Students Perform Better on Exams? A Multi-Institution Collaborative Adventure. Session at the STP Annual Conference on Teaching, Phoenix, AZ http://go.osu.edu/HardBeersACT2018
Beers, M.J. (2018, July). Community, Collaboration, and Teaching Psychology. Closing session at the Ohio Psychology Teaching Conference, Columbus, OH.
Beers, M.J., Hudson, D., and Whisenhunt, B. (2018, June). Teaching Difficult Concepts: Five New Demonstrations for Introduction to Psychology. Presentation at the Duke Psychology One Conference, Durham, NC. go.osu.edu/DifficultConcepts
Beers, M.J. (2018, June). Shifting Gears: How to Rescue a Course Gone Wrong. Presentation at the Eastern Teaching of Psychology Conference, Staunton, VA. go.osu.edu/CourseRescue
Beers, M.J. (2018, May). Let's Talk About Teaching: How to Explore your Options and Prepare for a Teaching-Focused Job. Presentation at the APS-STP Teaching Institute, 30th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science, San Francisco, CA.
Beers, M.J. and Landrum, R.E. (2018, January). Keeping it Real: Creating Assignments that Prepare Students for Life After Graduation. Participant Idea Exchange at the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology conference, St. Petersburg, FL.
Heath, J. and Beers, M.J. (2018, January). Creating and Responding to Writing Prompts in Psychology Courses. Participant Idea Exchange at the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology conference, St. Petersburg, FL.
Bell, Z. and Beers, M.J. (2018, January). Preparing our Students to Defend Psychology and Educate the Public. Participant Idea Exchange at the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology conference, St. Petersburg, FL.
Beers, M. J. (2017, September). Making Assessment Meaningful. Invited workshop at the Ursuline Center for Teaching and Learning Institute, Brescia University, Owensboro KY.
Cravens-Brown, L. and Beers, M.J. (2017, August). Beyond the Content: Community & Belongingness in the Active Learning Classroom. Presentation at the International Forum on Active Learning Classrooms, Minneapolis, MN.
Beers, M. Bell, Z., and Rohdieck, S. (2017, May). Back to the Drawing Board: Course Design in Active Learning Spaces. Presentation at the Ohio State University, Innovate Conference, Columbus, Ohio.
Beers, M. & Harris, K.M. (2016, July). Building bridges: Teaching and assessment in GE courses. Presentation at the 5th Annual Stanford Psych One Conference, Menlo Park, CA.
Beers, M. and Kraft, N. (2016, May). Not so Native: Teaching students to use technology for academic good. Presentation at the Ohio State University, Innovate Conference, Columbus, Ohio.
Beers, M. (2016, February). Our Differences in Common: Teaching and Assessing GE Learning Objectives. Presentation at the Ohio State University, Office of Academic Affairs 4th Annual Assessment Conference, Columbus, Ohio.
Beers, M, Hill, J., and Thompson, C. (2016, January). Essential skills for new (and not-so-new) instructors. Invited presentation at the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology (NITOP) conference, St. Petersburg, FL