We are happy to extend a welcome to new faculty member Dr. John McCreary in the Psychological Science Department.
Please introduce yourself—I’d love a snapshot version of who you are and where you call home.
I am a married father of 3 young adults (ages 21-28), a “killer-attack beagle” named Gato, and Opie, my kids’ Labra-Dane. I live here in Muncie with my wife and our beagle (Gato).
What is your educational and professional background?
I earned my BS in Psychology from Purdue (IUPUI) in 2011. I am an Assistant Teaching Professor of Psychological Science with a PhD in Educational Psychology, earned at Ball State.
Prior to pursuing graduate education, I worked as a research assistant at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana, in charge of recruitment for the various studies at RHI. Before that, I conducted participant interviews for research at the IU School of Nursing, and volunteered as a research assistant at the VAMC in Indianapolis.
What initially drew you to your field of study?
I became curious about ways to help a family member cope with/overcome the difficulties associated with ADHD. This evolved into a search for ways to help people overcome barriers to equitable education, regardless of the form(s) these barriers might take.
What is your research focus in your department?
My research interests include the investigation of the relationship(s) between reading, gender, and aspects of empathy. I see a role for empathy in affecting positive educational outcomes. In addition to my work in this regard, I have investigated factors affecting the teaching environment as a way of improving the fit between understanding the interactions among influences on the educational process as a means of helping students overcome barriers to equitable education.
What drew you to Ball State? What are some of your goals for your first year here?
As a place to pursue my degree, I was drawn to BSU by shared research interests in the Dept of Ed Psych. This evolved into a teaching position in that department.
I was drawn to Psych Sciences by a number of factors, including the collegiality of those I encountered from the department, and the opportunity to teach a larger variety of courses related to psychology.
What are some of your hobbies/non-academic interests?
I enjoy hanging out with friends and family, cooking, photography, mt. biking, carpentry/woodwork, music, swimming, cars, and trying to play guitar.