Society for the Teaching of Psychology - Keynote Speakers VCT 2026

VCT 2026 Keynote Speakers

"Teaching Like a Champ in Tough Times"

February 19, 2026, 1:00-2:30pm (ET)

Higher education is experiencing multiple challenges--enrollment drops, student disengagement, faculty burnout, and an incendiary political climate. How do instructors find the energy, motivation, and resources to be effective teachers while also maintaining their mental and physical health? As veteran award-winning teachers who have collectively taught for over 50 years and have also both run Centers for Teaching and Learning for over 20 years, we will share a range of evidence-based practices for effective and efficient instruction. We tailor our advice to different institutional contexts and various instructor lines, ranks, and positions. Our goal is to inspire our colleagues to be able to stay in (and indeed love) the game.

Regan A. R. Gurung

Oregon State University

Regan A. R. Gurung is a social psychologist by training with research encompassing social, health, and pedagogical psychology. He has had over 130 articles published in peer-reviewed journals and has co-authored/co-edited 15 books. His most recent books are Teach Like A Champ (with Elizabeth Yost Hammer), Study Like A Champ (with John Dunlosky), Transforming Introductory Psychology (with Garth Neufeld), and Thriving in Academia (with Pam Ansburg & Mark Basham).
He is founding co-editor of APA’s journal Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, co-chaired the APA Introductory Psychology Initiative, and is past president of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology and the Society for the Teaching of Psychology. He is the recipient of the American Psychological Foundation’s Charles L. Brewer Award for Distinguished Teaching in Psychology.
At Oregon State University, he is Professor of Psychological Science and was the recipient of the 2024 Margaret and Thomas Meehan Honors College Eminent Mentor, and Oregon State University’s highest teaching award, the Elizabeth P. Ritchie Distinguished Professor Award (2024).

Elizabeth Yost Hammer

Xavier University of Louisiana

Elizabeth Yost Hammer is a Kellogg Professor in Liberal Arts in the Psychology Department at Xavier University of Louisiana. A social psychologist by training, Dr. Hammer is a co-author for Psychology Applied to Modern Life, now in its 13th edition. She is also a co-author for the 4th edition of Myers’ Psychology for the AP® Course, as well as its Teacher’s Edition. She has contributed chapters to several books intended to enhance teacher preparation including The Handbook of the Teaching of Psychology and Transforming Introductory Psychology: Expert Advice on Teacher Training, Course Design, and Student Success.
Dr. Hammer was a participant in APA’s Introductory Psychology Initiative, and she has served as president of Psi Chi (the International Honor Society for Psychology), treasurer of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, and Chief Reader for the AP® Psychology Exam.
She is currently on APA’s Committee on Associate and Baccalaureate Education. For 17 years, she was the Director of Xavier’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development.