The Right Mindset
Even during her career as a clinician, Dr. Connie Taylor never lost sight of becoming an educator.
That vision eventually led her to Midland University, and 24 years later, Connie knows she made the right decision. “I always planned to become a clinician working with individuals engaging in challenging behaviors, and I did that for many years. My major professor in graduate school really encouraged me to go into teaching and when the opportunity to teach at Midland became available, both my professor and my husband encouraged me to apply for the position. I owe a big debt to Dr. Don Kahnk (former Midland psychology professor and administrator) and Dr. Jim Tremain (former Midland psychology professor) for taking a chance on me.”
As a professor of psychology, Connie teaches several courses, including Psychology of Learning, Abnormal Psychology, Behavioral Assessment, Advanced Behavior Analysis, Personality Theory, and Movies & Mental Illness. While she enjoys all of her classes, she says Abnormal Psychology stands out as her favorite “because absolutely everything about it is interesting.”
With more than two decades of experience at Midland, Connie has been fortunate to impact many students’ lives during that time. She appreciates the relationships that have been forged in those 24 years. “I really love the relationships that I’m able to build with students, both while they are here and after they graduate. It’s fun to stay in touch with psychology alums and keep up with all the great things they are doing. I love getting students interested and excited about psychology and Applied Behavior Analysis, whether they major in it or not.”
When not molding the next generation of psychologists, Connie enjoys spending time with her family and traveling, live theater, movies, scrapbooking, and trying out new restaurants.
Having encountered thousands of students during her time at Midland, Connie says the greatest advice she can give is not to be afraid to aim high. “Be curious, have big dreams, and work hard to make them come true. I also think it’s important for students to get to know at least one of their professors really well so they can support you in reaching your goals.”
Getting to know Connie Taylor:
Snack that you can’t resist: Cashews
When flipping channels, I’ll always stop to watch this: I don’t flip channels.
What artist dominates your playlist? This is kind of embarrassing, but I really like listening to the Broadway channel on Sirius.
What is your ideal vacation? Being with my family on the Italian coast. We’d spend time exploring new sites, enjoying great meals, and relaxing by the sea.
Something people might not know about you: I wear two contact lenses in each eye!
What is your most used emoji? I have two that I use a lot – the happy face emoji😃 and the grimacing face emoji 😬.
