Myers' Psychology for the AP® Course

David Myers received his B.A. in chemistry from Whitworth University, and his psychology Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. He has spent his career at Hope College, Michigan, where he has taught dozens of introductory psychology sections. Hope College students have invited him to be their commencement speaker and voted him “outstanding professor.” His research and writings have been recognized by the Gordon Allport Intergroup Relations Prize, an Honored Scientist award from the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences, an Award for Distinguished Service on Behalf of Social-Personality Psychology, a Presidential Citation from APA Division 2, election as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, and three honorary doctorates.

With support from National Science Foundation grants, Myers’ scientific articles have appeared in three dozen scientific periodicals, including Science, American Scientist, Psychological Science, and American Psychologist. In addition to his scholarly and textbook writing, he digests psychological science for the general public. His writings have appeared in four dozen magazines, from Today’s Education to Scientific American. He also has authored six general audience books, including, in 2022, How Do We Know Ourselves? Curiosities and Marvels of the Human Mind. And he blogs about psychology and life at TalkPsych.com.

David Myers has chaired his city’s Human Relations Commission, helped found a thriving assistance center for low-income families, and spoken to hundreds of college, community, and professional groups worldwide. Drawing on his experience of hearing loss, which now includes a cochlear implant, he also has written articles and a book (A Quiet World) about hearing loss, and he is advocating a transformation in U.S. assistive listening technology (see HearingLoop.org). For his leadership, he has received awards from the American Academy of Audiology, the hearing industry, and the Hearing Loss Association of America.

David and Carol Myers met and married while undergraduates, and have raised sons Peter and Andrew, and a daughter, Laura. They have one grandchild, Allie.

Nathan DeWall is professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky. He received his bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College, a master’s degree in social science from the University of Chicago, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in social psychology from Florida State University. DeWall received the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award, which recognizes excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching. The Association for Psychological Science identified DeWall as a “Rising Star” early in his career for “making significant contributions to the field of psychological science.” He has been included in the top 1 percent of all cited scientists in psychology and psychiatry on the Institute for Scientific Information list, according to the Web of Science. DeWall conducts research on close relationships, self-control, aggression, the psychology of religion, and intellectual humility. With funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the John Templeton Foundation, he has published 225 scientific articles and chapters. DeWall’s research awards include the SAGE Young Scholars Award from the Foundation for Personality and Social Psychology, the Young Investigator Award from the International Society for Research on Aggression, and the Early Career Award from the International Society for Self and Identity. His research has been covered by numerous media and entertainment outlets, including Good Morning America, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Harvard Business Review, USA Today, National Public Radio, The Guardian, the BBC, and Netflix. He has lectured nationally and internationally, including in Hong Kong, China, the Netherlands, England, Greece, Hungary, Sweden, Australia, and France.

Nathan is happily married to Alice DeWall and is the proud father of Beverly “Bevy” and Ellis. He also enjoys taking care of the family dog, “Artie.” As an ultramarathon runner, he completed numerous races, including the Badwater 135 in 2017 (dubbed “the World’s toughest foot race”). In his spare time now, he enjoys hiking, attending live concerts, setting up and maintaining aquariums, watching sports, and playing guitar and singing in local rock bands.

Elizabeth Yost Hammer is the director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development and a Kellogg professor in teaching at Xavier University of Louisiana. Her work in the center includes organizing pedagogical workshops and faculty development initiatives for instructors, both new and seasoned, and thinking generally about teaching and learning. Yet her favorite part of her job is in the classroom, trying out new teaching innovations. She is a recipient of the College of Arts & Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award, and received an XU Girls Rock! Award from Xavier students. She regularly teaches introductory psychology, research methods, health psychology, and human sexuality.

Liz received her Ph.D. in social psychology from Tulane University in 1994. Her research interests focus on the scholarship of teaching and learning, and she has contributed to books intended to enhance teaching preparation, including The Oxford Handbook of Psychology Education, Hot Topics: Best Practices in Teaching Controversial Issues in Psychology, and Effective College and University Teaching: Strategies and Tactics for the New Professoriate. In addition, Liz has published in Teaching of Psychology, for which she has served as consulting editor, and a special teaching-related issue of the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.

In 2005, Liz was named a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. She is a past president of Psi Chi (the international honor society in psychology) and a past treasurer of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology. AP® psychology has had an influential role in Liz’s professional development. She began attending the AP® psychology reading in 1998, where she developed a national network of dedicated high school teachers who have informed both her own teaching and her faculty development work. Liz served as chief reader for AP® psychology from 2012 to 2016 and was a co-strand leader (along with Randy Ernst) at the 2017 APA Summit on High School Psychology Education.

Liz is married to Elliott Hammer, who is also a psychology professor and is involved in AP® psychology. They and their two rescue dogs work and play in New Orleans, Louisiana. They maintain their mental health by spending time camping and hiking in a national park every summer.