Rebecca G. Ryan, Ph.D.

Professor
Executive Committee: Center for Social Gerontology
Developmental Psychology
Brannen Hall 2041
rgryan@georgiasouthern.edu

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Rebecca Ryan received her Ph.D. in Life-Span Developmental Psychology from West Virginia University. During her time at Georgia Southern University she has taught a range of undergraduate and graduate courses at both the introductory and senior level. Select undergraduate courses include Introduction to Psychology, Life-Span Developmental Psychology, Older Adult Developmental Psychology, Research Methods, Senior Research, and Senior Seminar: Psychology and Service (Service-Learning course). Graduate courses include Geropsychology and Advanced Developmental Psychology. Her current research interests broadly include gerontology and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Her research on teaching and learning has pertained to both professor-student rapport and the use and effect of service-learning. Dr. Ryan has collaborated with her colleague Dr. Wilson to create, validate, and support the use of the Professor-Student Rapport Scale. She often incorporates service-learning into her courses and is currently studying its effects on cognitive and social outcomes. Dr. Ryan is a Faculty Fellow representing the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences for the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement. In this role she has worked to promote the education and use of Service-Learning at Georgia Southern University and beyond. She is also an Executive Committee Member for the Center for Social Gerontology. In this role she has worked to build cross-disciplinary gerontological initiatives in the areas of scholarship, instruction, service, marketing, and student and community support. Dr. Ryan also works every year to contribute to the planning, outreach, and hosting of the Center for Social Gerontology’s annual conference.

Last updated: 12/19/2023