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New Endowed Chair for Psychology

  • Kayla Hamel '17 gives a presentation for an upper-level psychology course.
    Kayla Hamel '17 gives a presentation for an upper-level psychology course.
  • Cynthia Gibson, chair of the psychology department and associate professor, will hold the first Dr. Carol C. Culp Chair in...
    Cynthia Gibson, chair of the psychology department and associate professor, will hold the first Dr. Carol C. Culp Chair in Psychology.
February 24, 2016
WC Board Chair Larry Culp Creates Endowed Position for Chair of the Psychology Department

Lawrence Culp, Jr. ’85, chair of the College’s Board of Visitors and Governors, is providing $2 million in endowment funding to support the chair of Washington College’s Department of Psychology. Specifically, the gift will endow the Dr. Carol C. Culp Chair in Psychology in honor of his late mother, a noted clinical psychologist.

“My mother introduced me to Washington College in the fall of 1980 and, as importantly, set an example of both lifelong learning and service to others, which we honor well by endowing a Washington College chair in her name,” Culp says.

Dr. Carol C. Culp, who died in 2010, earned a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and practiced with the State of Maryland and privately. A well-respected teacher, researcher, and clinician, she held appointments at Dickinson College and Salisbury University.

“The generosity of Larry’s gift will enhance and strengthen what is already a powerful foundation of leadership within our Department of Psychology,” says College President Sheila Bair. “The department epitomizes academic excellence, topical research, and practical learning of the kind the liberal arts excel at providing. Its students and faculty routinely present at regional and national conferences on a level that far surpasses that of larger institutions.”

Recognizing the importance of leadership within the department, this endowed professorship will be held by the department chair. Dr. Cynthia Gibson, current chair and associate professor, said, “I am deeply honored to be the first holder of the Dr. Carol C. Culp Chair in Psychology. And I’m thrilled that Chairman Culp has recognized our department for its commitment to active, hands-on learning and student-led research.”

Washington College’s Department of Psychology provides curriculum, labs, internships, and programming in both clinical/counseling and behavioral neuroscience. Grounded in small classes that emphasize discussion and collaboration between students and faculty, the program encourages students to work alongside their teachers on topical research including the genetic causes of alcoholism, modern racism, the impact of learning disorders, and the behavioral consequence of head injury.

The department’s commitment to student-led research and presentation has drawn national attention; in a September 2013 Monitor on Psychology feature article on the program, the American Psychological Association noted that “The college’s emphasis on student research and its active learning curriculum make it a standout even among universities more than 10 times its size.”


Last modified on Feb. 29th, 2016 at 10:49am by .