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CAITLIN FAAS, PH.D., AND JON SLEZAK, PH.D
Faazak: The Mount’s Dynamic Duo
By Magdalyn Fiore, C’17
“WHAT’S AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT?" Caitlin Faas, Ph.D., asks from her desk as Jon Slezak, Ph.D., munches on carrots and a yellowish-colored dip at the bottom of a small container. They’re sitting in Faas’ office to discuss their experimental cognition class. “Queso? Hummus? …You’re not gonna tell me?” “Never,” Slezak jokes, crunching on his carrots. Faas and Slezak—or “Faazak,” the team name some students have given them—both recently tenured, started teaching in the Mount's Department of Psychology in 2013. Just before coming to the Mount, Faas received her doctorate in human development, making her the youngest faculty member on campus at the time. Now, she’s the new chair of the Department of Psychology. In addition to statistics and human
FEATURE STORY FALL 2019 development, Faas is passionate about life-coaching, through which she helps busy professionals stop procrastinating. Faas, a busy professional herself, takes work/life balance seriously, especially now that she and her husband recently adopted their teenage foster daughter. With a toddler at home, Slezak, too, puts family first. Asked to describe himself, he says, “First a father, husband, son, then professor.” Slezak earned his doctorate in behavior analysis and came to the Mount after working as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, as well as the psychobiology section of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Recently, Slezak chaired the Core Committee of the Mount’s Committee on Curriculum and Assessment, which addresses students’ academic standards,
Jon Slezak, Ph.D.
rights and responsibilities. He’s also the faculty advisor for the campus Pokémon Club and enjoys an occasional tennis match with colleague Brian Heinold, Ph.D. Equally impressive are the meaningful connections Faas and Slezak have forged with their students, the Mount community and each other. “Thank you for helping me grow,” reads a student’s handwritten note pinned to Faas’ corkboard. Displayed on the wall of Slezak’s office is a homemade birthday card from his students in a previous experimental learning class. And in 2017, united by a desire to enhance student learning, Faazak co-authored a study published in Society for the Teaching of Psychology that examines immediate feedback and interaction between students as alternatives to lecture-focused teaching. “Traditional lecture [on its own] has been demonstrated time and time again to be one of, if not the least effective way of teaching, yet we do it constantly,” Slezak explains. So they used interteaching in their study to teach APA-style writing. Last fall, the first time the duo had ever cotaught, they applied similar techniques in their cognition class. “[Co-teaching] helps us improve our own teaching,” says Slezak, still eating. “It’s hummus,” Faas confirms. Researchers suggest that co-teaching fosters student motivation and creates a learning environment that helps students consider multiple views. Nicky DeLeon, C’20, a student from Faazak's cognition class, says he learned “how to think outside the box,” and that the professors’ “incorporation
Domenica Carrese, C'17
of examples, and the variety of ways they explained each concept, allowed for personal growth and learning.” Faas and Slezak realize the importance of creating environments that encourage academic growth and allow students the confidence to speak freely. They consider how physical spaces affect connections too, Faas notes: “Is the space set up for interaction, learning—can you move your chairs around? I hate being in rooms where you can’t move the desks.” Similar factors even enhanced her friendship with Slezak: “[Our offices] are catty-cornered to each other and we can shout across the way—not even shout, I can just have a conversation with him.” Recently, Slezak was also in charge of renovating the Mark S. Sobus, Ph.D., J.D., C'89, and Dr. Christina M. Lee, D.V.M. Behavior Analysis Laboratory—a project he eagerly took on. “I really appreciate Jon’s easy competence in all he does,” Bob Keefer, Ph.D., former Department of Psychology chair says of Slezak. “He has been so productive in his short time here, especially in spearheading the renovation to the Behavior Analysis Lab, which is now the most professional and capable facility we have ever had for animal behavior research.” What was once one loud, dimly lit room with little counter space, has become a quiet, professional-looking lab, divided into two separate research areas. The new lab provides an “enhanced living environment for the animals, noise reduction, better temperature control and facilitates student research opportunities,” Slezak says. Former student Mairead Bogley, C’17, spent many hours in the old lab, but remembers that time fondly, despite what it lacked. “I’m geeking out just remembering [my time with the rats],” she reminisces. “That was some of the most fun I have ever had with psychology.” Bogley recently had the opportunity to adopt a lab rat she found on Craigslist. What did she name her furry friend? “Slezak—Slezy [rhymes with Jay-Z] for short.” Bogley is now a Doctor of Psychology candidate in clinical psychology at Divine Mercy University. After having Faas as her research mentor at the Mount, Bogley continues to explore the topic of her undergraduate senior research project for her doctoral dissertation. “I understand how important it is to write about what you love, thanks to Faas, and that is what I intend to keep doing all throughout my academic career.” Domenica Carrese, C’17, who spent a summer doing research with Faazak, says their support, attentiveness and guidance helped her explore her career options and determine the right
FEATURE STORY FALL 2019 graduate school and career path to fit her interests and values. Carrese is now pursuing her Master of Science in marriage and family therapy at Virginia Tech. “Dr. Faas and Dr. Slezak were an integral part of getting much more than a degree from the Mount, because they mentored me in how to take an active role in my future in strategic ways, which has been foundational to my current situation as both a graduate student and a professional.” Faas and Slezak work hard to connect with students and prepare them for their futures—and they aren’t stopping anytime soon. This fall, Faas has stepped into her new role as department chair, something Keefer is proud to pass onto her. “Caitlin is clearly thinking of how to make the department better,” Keefer says. Meanwhile, Slezak is working with Barb Marinak, Ph.D., dean of the School of Education, to create a master’s program in applied behavior analysis for the Mount. Their program will teach students how to apply basic behavioral principles within a variety of real-world settings, including clinics, schools and businesses, facilitate practicum placement and prepare students to sit for board certification. “When people ask me what I've accomplished as chair, I always say that hiring Caitlin Faas, Jon Slezak, and more recently, Angy Kallarackal … is the best thing I’ve done for the department. I stand by that,” Keefer says, “and with the continued excellent work of [professor of psychology] Mindy Korol, I’m extremely proud of what the department has become and the work we’re doing for our students.”
Magdalyn "Maggie" Fiore, C'17, is a freelance science writer with a Master of Arts in science writing from Johns Hopkins University. She writes about psychology, medicine and the overlap between science and religion. Maggie earned her Bachelor of Science in psychology from the Mount and expresses her gratitude to Faazak and the entire Department of Psychology for continuing to encourage her success.
Special thanks!
The Mount is grateful to Mark S. Sobus, Ph.D., J.D., C’89, and his wife, Dr. Christina M. Lee, D.V.M., for their generous donation to fund the recent renovation to the Behavior Analysis Laboratory.
