New Mexico State University psychology professor and department head Andrew Conway has been recognized for his contributions to graduate education in psychology. Conway received the Outstanding Graduate Teaching of Psychology as a Core STEM Discipline Award from the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs.
Conway, who has taught graduate-level statistics to twenty-five cohorts at four different universities, spoke about the importance of statistics in the field. “Graduate students come in fearing statistics the most. But to me, it’s the most important thing in our field. It helps you understand how to think, and how to make decisions about what’s true and what’s not,” Conway said.
The award is given to a graduate professor whose teaching exemplifies psychology as a core scientific discipline within science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. According to colleagues and students, Conway is known for his supportive approach and commitment to student development.
“The thing that makes Dr. Conway stick out is that he meets students where they are,” said Andrew Villalobos, a former undergraduate student who worked in Conway’s lab. “Even though he’s a cognitive scientist, he takes the time to relate the lesson back to other areas that students might be studying so that they can have a better understanding. He makes you feel very safe to ask anything.”
Conway emphasized individual differences among students: “What I’ve learned with my graduate students is the extent of individual differences,” he said. “You have to assess each person and look at their strengths and weaknesses.”
Beyond academic support, Conway also encourages his graduate students’ integration into academia. He shared his perspective on building an academic career: “You don’t get that automatically, but if you work hard, you will,” Conway said. “That’s exciting, knowing you’re contributing to the accumulation and dissemination of knowledge.”
Villalobos credited Conway with influencing his decision to pursue further studies: “I never thought I would go for a Ph.D., but here I am preparing to move across the country to pursue a Ph.D. in developmental psychology. For me, that’s life changing,” Villalobos said. “I’m the first person in my family to want to go to college, but going to grad school seemed unattainable. Andrew made it seem feasible. He really gave me a chance for stability. I truly couldn’t have done it without him.”
Conway described higher education as both community and academia: “That’s what I see higher education as,” he said.
