Society for the Teaching of Psychology

"Mentor mindset in the teaching of psychology:

Theory and practice"

Thursday, February 18, 2027 — 1:00-2:30pm (ET)

How do you spark genuine classroom engagement? David Yeager explores the mentor mindset—an evidence-based approach that shifts how students see your feedback, your high expectations, and their own potential. Through live polling and guided small-group conversations, psychology educators will work through real teaching challenges: motivating participation, building trust across difference, and helping students see struggle as growth rather than failure. Grounded in the science of adolescent motivation (10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People: A Ground Breaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation―And Making Your Life Easier), this session offers both the theory and a playbook for transforming how students experience your classroom.

David Yeager

University of Texas at Austin

David Yeager, PhD, is the Raymond Dickson Centennial Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and co-founder of the Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute.

A developmental psychologist by training, he is best known for his research conducted with Carol Dweck, Angela Duckworth, and Greg Walton on short but powerful interventions that influence adolescent behaviors such as motivation, engagement, healthy eating, bullying, stress, mental health, and more.
He has consulted for Google, Microsoft, Disney, and the World Bank, as well as for the White House and the governments in California, Texas, and Norway. His research has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, CNN, Fox News, The Guardian, The Atlantic, and more. Clarivate Web of Science ranks Yeager as one of the top 0.1% most-influential psychologists in the world over the past decade.
Prior to his career as a scientist, he was a middle school teacher and a basketball coach. He earned his PhD and MA at Stanford University and his BA and MEd at the University of Notre Dame. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and their four children.

VCT 2026 Keynote Speakers

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. Yost 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.
She was a participant in APA’s Introductory Psychology Initiative, and 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.