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On October 14 in Roosevelt’s historic Sullivan Room, psychology professor Dr. Steven Meyers received the 2024 Frank Untermyer Teaching Award. Presented by the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, the annual Untermyer Award recognizes “an excellent teacher whose academic focus lies in social sciences.” The award also includes a featured lecture delivered by the recipient. The event began with opening remarks from Frank Untermyer’s daughter, Amy Likover, who like her father dedicated her professional life to education. She introduced the theme of the day: the challenge to make a difference. During her speech, she shared an anecdote between herself and her daughter, where her daughter proclaimed, “we can’t all be leaders.” Upon reflection, Likover shared, “my daughter was right. We can’t all be leaders, but we can all make a difference.” 

Dr. Meyers is a clinical psychologist and Chair of the Psychology department at Roosevelt. He is also the Director of the Initiative for Child and Family Studies. During his lecture, Dr. Meyers warmly discussed his experiences as a psychologist and educator. The tone of the lecture was intimate, as he encouraged participation from his audience of Roosevelt community members and shared stories about his experiences as an educator.  Dr. Meyer’s philosophy in the classroom takes an empathetic approach:

“Do we feel like we've created a working alliance, a connection with our students? This is a very important concept within psychotherapy. It's the idea of forming a working alliance with your patient or client so we can do the hard work together. We care about each other. It's essentially the foundation upon which we can build. Ultimately, at the end of the day, you want to be a role model. You want your students to say, ‘I value who you are and what you teach’. And ultimately, when you have a role model, that person travels with you.”

Dr. Meyer’s took his audience on an interactive journey that centered the importance of community and understanding in the classroom. The speech was as informative as it was heartfelt: a true representation of the 2024 Frank Untermyer Award recipient, Dr. Steven Meyers. He concluded with the following statement:

“When we talk about social justice, when we talk about connections, when we talk about what is meaningful, we move into a realm where we connect, care, make relevant, inspire action. So, that's the charge that I leave everybody with today. What are you doing to make a difference? You matter. Your students matter. It's just making sure that you're mindful of the wellspring on a daily basis.”

The event was and is available for online viewing.