9th Annual NJCU Pedagogy Day
From Neurons to Narratives: Motivation, Anxiety, and Teaching in the Brain-Aware Classroom
March 30, 2026 | 11AM – 2PM | Hepburn Hall - Gothic Lounge
| Time | Session | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 11´ˇ˛Ń–11:20´ˇ˛Ń | Networking & Brain Coloring | Dr. Peri Yuksel + Nicolas Zapparrata |
| 11:30AM | Opening Speech | TBA |
| 11:40AM | Keynote | Dr. Carol Reed |
| 12PM | Panel | Dr. Dana Mason; Dr. Jennifer Pax; Dr. Muriel Rand; Dr. Christopher Shamburg |
| 12:30PM | Break | |
| 12:40PM | Spark Talk | Dr. Linda Khatib |
| 1:10PM | Community Activity | Rachel Guanlao (NJCU alumna) |
| 1:50-2:00PM | Closing Speech | Dr. Nicolas Zapparrata + Dr. Peri Yuksel |
11:40AM -12PM | Keynote - “Busting Brain Myths”
Reed Carroll, Ph.D. is a Professor of Biology at New Jersey City University and Director of the Honors Program. He leads grant-funded student success and career-readiness initiatives and champions undergraduate research through mentoring, internships, and STEM symposium presentations. Trained at Cornell and Harvard with postdoctoral work in neuroscience at UCSF and Stanford, he previously served on the faculty at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Carroll’s lab investigates how inhibitory synapses are regulated in the brain, with implications for autism and epilepsy.
Drawing on neuroscience, our pedagogy day keynote speaker will challenge persistent “brain myths” and spotlight what the science says about learning without the jargon.
12PM - Panel - “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Teaching and Learning for Positive Brain Development”
|
|
|
|
NJCU faculty panelists Drs. Dana Mason, Jennifer Pax, Muriel Rand, and Christopher Shamburg examine the benefits and challenges of AI through the lens of neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s capacity to adapt across cognitive, psychological, and socio-emotional development. The panel will highlight how AI-ĂŰĚŇtved teaching and learning can both strengthen and strain key outcomes such as motivation, mindset, self-efficacy, self-esteem, anxiety, and critical thinking. The pedagogy day audience will leave with a clear takeaway: a brain-based framework for evaluating AI tools and its applications.
12:40 pm - Spark Talk - “Learning with an Anxious Brain”
Linda A. Khatib, Psy.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychology at NJCU. An NJCU alumna, she teaches primarily clinical psychology courses and is deeply committed to student mentorship and helping students build the skills and confidence needed for successful careers in psychology. Dr. Khatib completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) at the VA New Jersey Healthcare System, where she focused on clinical care and research with Veterans with complex medical and mental health conditions.
Dr. Khatib brings a practical, brain-based perspective to managing anxiety in academic and everyday settings, with a focus on helping people learn, perform, and thrive despite an anxious brain.
1:10PM - Community Workshop - “Origami”
Rachel Guanlao is an NJCU alumna who earned her B.A. in Psychology and Sociology. Currently, Rachel studies at Kean’s PsyD. Due to popular request, we are excited to welcome her back for Pedagogy Day 2026 to share her love of teaching origami. For Rachel, origami is a hands-on reminder that the skills we build cognitively can be practiced in a tactile, meaningful ways and that life’s “folds” and changes don’t have to stop us from transforming into something new. As a bonus, each creation becomes a small, beautiful gift we can share with the people we care about.