By Amy Bibbens
Diane F. Halpern has been named professor of psychology and director of the Berger Institute for Work, Family, and Children. CMC was an appealing choice for Halpern because of the students and their achievements. "CMC is educating our future leaders," Halpern says, "and I hope to bring a perspective of family, balance, and choices that can support work success."
Halpern comes to CMC from California State University, San Bernardino, where she has been professor of psychology since 1981. While at CSUSB, Halpern served as chair of the psychology department for three years [1996-99], as well as assistant dean of undergraduate studies [1984-86], and interim dean of undergraduate studies [1986-87]. She also revised the psychology department's master's degree program, while serving as program coordinator. Other academic positions she has held include: lecturer at University of California, Riverside; visiting professor at Moscow State University (on a Fulbright scholarship), a Rockefeller Scholar-in-Residence at Bellagio, Italy; plus visiting professorships at Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey; Instituto Technologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico; and the University of British Columbia, Canada.
Halpern is a prolific writer, with hundreds of articles published in psychological journals. Her work has appeared in American Psychologist, Psychological Bulletin, and Nature. She also has written or edited several books, including Thought and Knowledge: An Introduction to Critical Thinking; Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities; Thinking Critically About Critical Thinking; Changing College Classrooms: New Teaching and Learning Strategies for an Increasingly Complex World; and Enhancing Thinking Skills in the Sciences and Mathematics.
She has won numerous teaching awards including the 2000 Wang Family Excellence Award, the 1999 American Psychological Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching, the 1996 Distinguished Career Contributions to Education and Training Award from the American Psychological Association, the 1986 California State University's State-wide Outstanding Professor Award, the Silver Medal Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, and the G. Stanley Hall Lecture Award from the American Psychological Association.
Halpern has served as president of the Western Psychological Association, and as president of the Society for Teaching of Psychology. She also is a member of the American Association for Higher Education, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, and the Psychonomic Society. In addition to these professional associations, Halpern has served as advisor for the American Association for Higher Education, the Educational Testing Service, and the U.S. Department of Education.
After completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where she received the Philadelphia Board of Education full tuition scholarship and graduated cum laude, Halpern earned a master's degree in psychology from Temple University, and has a doctorate in psychology from the University of Cincinnati, where she was awarded highest honors for her dissertation.