RADNOR, Pa. (May 22, 2017)—Melissa Terlecki, PhD, Chair and Associate Professor of Psychology at Cabrini University, was honored with the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching.
Cabrini President Donald B. Taylor, PhD, presented the award to Terlecki during Cabrini’s 57th Commencement Ceremony on May 21, 2017.
At Cabrini, Terlecki’s contributions to the community have included working with the Crabby Creek Partnership on watershed restoration, and a project at the Norristown State Hospital which she co-taught with colleague Darryl Mace, PhD, on social justice issues revolving around the history of mental illness.
Terlecki has also co-authored several interdisciplinary publications with her colleagues on community-based research. As an author, she has presented and published articles and a book on training in spatial ability and closing the gender gap. Her most recent efforts involve building a new leadership program at Cabrini University, with a focus on metacognition.
As a workshop presenter and course instructor who focuses on building an interactive, fluid learning environment, she engages students, faculty, and staff in metacognitive techniques and provides pedagogical tools to utilize both inside and outside of the classroom. Annually, Terlecki sponsors free workshops to strengthen the skills of young women in math and science, areas in which they are underrepresented.
Terlecki volunteers for numerous organizations, committees, and fundraisers, including serving on the Editorial Board of Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. She also serves as the current Chair of the Institutional Review Board at Cabrini.
Terlecki earned her doctoral degree in cognitive psychology with a specialization in neuroscience from Temple University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The College of New Jersey.
During its 57th Commencement ceremonies, Cabrini celebrated more than 720 graduates. The exercises were the first since becoming a University, and held during Cabrini’s 60th anniversary.
The Lindback Award for Excellence in Teaching, funded by the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation of Philadelphia, provides grants to institutions for higher education for the promotion of teaching excellence and recognizes academic excellence and outstanding teaching.
About Cabrini University
Founded in 1957 by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Cabrini University is a Catholic institution that empowers students to become advocates of social change through an Education of the Heart, focusing on academic excellence, community engagement, and leadership development.
Cabrini enrolls approximately 1,300 undergraduates in more than 35 majors, pre-professional programs, concentrations, and minors on its serene 112-acre campus located 30 minutes from Philadelphia. The University also enrolls 900 students in graduate, doctoral, and professional studies programs at its main campus in Radnor, PA, and at five off-campus locations.