Professor Rebecca Shiner, Ph.D.

Professor Rebecca Shiner is an expert on personality psychology and development. Her research revolves around how our personalities develop over time—from childhood through adolescence and adulthood. She is especially interested in how our personalities can affect our vulnerability or resilience in the face of life’s stresses. A professor of Psychology at Colgate University, Prof. Shiner teaches the largest course on campus—Introduction to Psychology—as well as courses on therapy, psychological disorders in childhood, and happiness. She has been named one of the Princeton Review’s Best 300 Professors.

Praise for Rebecca Shiner:

“Rebecca Shiner is a renowned scientist and educator, whose scholarly contributions have helped shape the scientific discourse in developmental, clinical, and personality psychology for two decades now. Rebecca has an unparalleled ability to synthesize and communicate findings in a way that transcends the typical academic style and highlights the way in which complex clinical phenomena unfold in the real world. As an instructor, Rebecca is universally admired by her students for her enthusiastic and engaging style, passion for the material, and classroom creativity. In short, this a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding how psychology translates from the classroom to the clinic, and beyond.”

– Dr. Timothy A. Allen, Postdoctoral Scholar, Pennsylvania State University

“Dr. Shiner is an amazing teacher who is engaging, compassionate, and wise. She provides students with an authoritative introduction to five prominent models of psychotherapy. Case studies are vividly interwoven into the fabric of the course so that the concepts and ideas are consistently grounded in real lives. I predict students will come away with a far better understanding of psychotherapy as well as a deeper understanding of the human condition and psychological well-being.”

– Professor Brent Donnellan, Michigan State University

“As a scholar and educator, Professor Rebecca Shiner is a highly regarded expert in clinical and personality psychology. She is superbly trained in child and adolescent psychology, and among a handful of early researchers who understood that personality and not just temperament sprouts in early childhood. Her insights appear in numerous contributions to professional volumes and have become go-to resources for graduate students and colleagues alike. For more than 20 years, Dr. Shiner taught courses in psychopathology, behavior change, and happiness and well-being to packed classrooms. Dr. Shiner’s special talent lies in her ability to synthesize diverse pieces of the psychopathology and resilience puzzle, and to tell that story in ways that resonate. Listening to Dr. Shiner offers intellectual and personal gifts that will be lasting.”

– Caroline F. Keating, Professor & Chair of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Colgate University