Mentoring curious minds: A learning exchange

Chelsea Heveran did not know what she wanted to major in when she came to Lewis & Clark. Then she took Yueping Zhang’s Introduction to Psychology course, appeared at Zhang’s office, and announced that she wanted to do research. Fine, said Zhang, but first you need more coursework.

Now Heveran is a junior psychology major, Pamplin scholar, and actively collaborating with, yes, Assistant Professor of Psychology Yueping Zhang on research funded by the College’s faculty-student summer research program.

What’s exciting, notes Heveran, is that "Yueping encourages me to take a first shot on my own at every stage. I learn by trying. Now I’m very comfortable taking risks, and I’ve picked up a lot of techniques for thinking the right way about research. When I develop and compare my findings with Yueping’s work, learning takes place."

Involving students in research is a natural part of her teaching responsibilities, says Zhang. "I make an active, conscious effort to design challenging opportunities for students that are mutually beneficial. Working with students of Chelsea’s caliber expands our ability to do research and explore other areas. Students like her are not research assistants but scientists in training."