Community Lecture Series: "Forget What You Know: Mythbusting Memory"

Presenter: Shana Southard-Dobbs
Reception: 5:30 p.m.
Presentation: 6:00 p.m.

Memory is an essential function of the human mind. Much of what we think and do throughout a day relies on our ability to successfully remember information and skills, and our most treasured personal memories can help us to know and understand ourselves, our families, and our communities. Yet, the familiarity of our own memories can obscure our understanding of memory’s true complexity. Many of the go-to strategies students rely on to learn and remember information are ineffective; memories of personal experiences can change in surprising ways over time; and a person’s confidence in their memory is sometimes a shockingly bad indicator of its accuracy. In this interactive talk, Dr. Southard-Dobbs will illustrate important, and sometimes surprising, findings from the scientific research on memory that can impact the lives of every learner, educator, and community member.

Shana Southard-Dobbs is an Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychological Science and Human Services at Lander University, where she teaches courses on memory and cognitive psychology and mentors student researchers in her Stress and Cognition Lab. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from Hendrix College, an M.S. in Community Counseling from University of Central Arkansas, and a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from University of North Texas. Dr. Southard-Dobbs was the 2019 recipient of the Young Faculty Teaching Award and is a Faculty Fellow in the Center for Faculty Excellence at Lander University.

Upcoming Community Lecture Series Events:

April 2 - “A Long Walk to Church: The Camino de Santiago Today” with Dr. Carlos Mentley, professor of Spanish