Professor Skorinko sitting in her office with her dogs

Faculty Snapshot: Jeanine Skorinko

Jeanine SkorinkoProfessor, Social Science & Policy Studies; Director, Psychological Science Program
September 13, 2019

In My Office

Preview

1  I exercise every day to clear my mind and increase my happiness. I bike, swim, run (when not injured), hike/walk, paddleboard, etc. I also teach yoga, barre, pilates, and skiing.

I find creative ways to let the world know about our amazing psychology undergraduate program. #WPIPsychology

When I joined WPI, my sister, Nadia, was a sophomore. Two of her friends, Ted and “Captain,” brought a vat of Jello to my office to initiate me. My challenge was to dig through the Jello to retrieve a prize—a WPI Superfan shirt signed by them. Ted is now my brother-in-law! At their wedding, I made my sister and Ted dig through a vat of Jello for WPI SuperBride and SuperGroom shirts.

4 As I was going up for tenure, my husband created MS Paint artwork for my office to remind me to be ridiculous and laugh.

5 Traveling is a passion. I’ve advised IQPs in Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Australia, and South Africa. I taught on the Semester at Sea voyage around the world in 2016—and met Desmond Tutu while wearing a WPI Psychology T-shirt! I’ve been to 42 U.S. states, 47 countries, and 6 continents ... 50 states, 50 countries, 7 continents, here I come!



6 My research investigates how subtle factors in our social world influence decision-making and beliefs. In my lab, we conduct creative experiments. For instance, I use messages on T-shirts, a person’s name or appearance, and other fun manipulations/stimuli to answer important social psychological questions.

7 My most recent professional accomplishment was being promoted to full professor!

8 In the classroom, I engage students in active learning to expand their knowledge. In Human Sexuality, we see, touch, and think about contraception options thanks to this kit from Planned Parenthood.

 

This article was originally published in the WPI Journal. For the current issue, please visit the WPI Journal website.