By Ashley Nolan

ALBANY, NY, February 14, 2007 – Most professors are not fully aware of the effects of stress on the student population.  However, there is a professor at The College of Saint Rose who is not only aware of it, but conducted research suggesting reducing stress could improve exam grades.

            Nancy Dorr, 37, suggests incorporating a reasonable amount of application and thinking discussion topics into class time.  She prefers to create a discussion group rather than single out any specific student.  According to research this approach can cut down on the students’ stress and boost exam grades.  If students are having trouble, she encourages them to seek individual help, and has a very open office door.  Most importantly, Dorr strives to come up with new tactics if during class she is receiving more blank stares than feedback.

            Dorr spends most of her time teaching a variety of psychology courses including research methods, senior seminar, introduction to, and her personal favorite, health psych.  If she is not meeting with students for help or independent study she likes to work on her own research.  Her dissertation was based on the extent to which racism may create higher blood pressure in African American males.  It was not only presented at a conference but later released in a press release and published in multiple newspapers throughout the country and Canada.

            Research is an important part of a psychologist’s career; even as a professor.

“You’re kind of a detective. It’s more challenging.  I like to learn new things, so I like it for that aspect,” said Dorr.  In the past she has worked with graduate students on two studies which showed that using application/thinking/discussion based techniques in the classroom can improve exam performance.

Dorr has been teaching at The College of Saint Rose since 2001.  Prior to her career here at The College of Saint Rose, Dorr worked for four years at Jamestown College, in Jamestown, North Dakota teaching similar courses.  She graduated from the University of Missouri at Columbia in 1997 with both her master’s degree and doctorate.  She also received the outstanding graduate and outstanding teacher award.  In 1991 Dorr graduated from the State University of Buffalo with an undergraduate degree in psychology.  She was active in Chi Omega, and received an award given to a sorority female for academic excellence.

            Born in Buffalo, New York, Dorr is an only child.  Her parents were involved in counseling when she was an adolescent.  At the age of 12 she took a specific interest in a book her father had collected from counseling called “I’m Ok, You’re Ok.”  She and her father talked about the concepts he was learning in counseling and soon after she was declaring she wanted to become a psychologist.  

            When she does find free time Dorr enjoys walking with her husband, Brad, and her two dogs, Barkley and Sophie. 

“Her fondness for dogs is well known.” said Ann Zak the chair of the psychology department, “She brought her golden retriever to my Girl Scout Troop meeting last year, and gave an amazing talk on pet care, which was very well received by the girls.”  Otherwise, Dorr is busy as the advisor of the Psychology Club, and the college’s chapter of Psi Chi, the national psychology honor society.

            “Dr. Dorr is without a doubt the most dedicated professor I’ve ever known at Saint Rose,” said student and psychology club president Eileen Todd, “There have been times that I have thought her office hours for one day were longer than most professors’ office hours for a week.  She has a genuine interest in her students.  She doesn’t help us just because that’s her job.  You can tell she honestly cares for all of us and not just how we do in school, but how we are outside in our daily lives.” 

Dorr was asked what she might say to strangers who think psychologist sit around analyzing anyone and everyone.

“What makes you think you’re so interesting, you narcissistic idiot?”  Dorr said with a chuckle.  She is too busy teaching, doing research, and helping students.