faculty focus Mentoring the Next Generation
Assistant Professor of Psychology Maryam Jernigan-Noesi
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According to her father, Maryam Jernigan-Noesi declared at the age of 4 she wanted to be a doctor. “I had no idea which kind,” she admits. “But I had a plan all along,” Unlike many children who make declarations at a young age, Jernigan-Noesi stuck with it. As she grew up and learned more about psychology, she decided to pursue a doctorate in the field. She credits her father for influencing her in taking that career direction. “My father is a Vietnam veteran who often advocated for the mental and other health benefits of Black veterans,” she says. “I grew up hearing him talk about group settings that offered support for those who served in war. I wanted to help people in that way.” Jernigan-Noesi attended Fisk University for her undergraduate studies, received a master’s degree from Vanderbilt University and then returned to her home state of Massachusetts to do her doctoral work at Boston College in 2003. She completed prestigious internships and fellowships at
Boston Medical Center and Harvard and Yale medical schools. During this period, she discovered that along with treating patients and conducting research, she also enjoyed teaching. “Teaching sort of just fell into my lap and wouldn’t move,” jokes Jernigan-Noesi, who worked as a teaching assistant during her doctoral studies and taught behavioral health to medical students as a fellow. When she later established a clinical practice, she also had teaching posts at Yale University and Quinnipiac University. In 2017, Jernigan-Noesi and her husband relocated to Atlanta from Connecticut with their young son. In 2018, she accepted a job as a visiting professor at Agnes Scott College. She soon became an assistant professor of psychology and now teaches both introductory and upper-level psychology classes at the college. She believes that because she is still a practicing clinical psychologist, she can bring a deeper level of understanding to her students.
“There is a difference between theory and practice,” she says. “I was frustrated as an undergraduate student. I heard one thing in class, but I saw another in a practical setting. Since I have knowledge in both, I can bring my practical experiences into my class and apply them to what my students are studying. It’s not just theory; I can use real examples.” Jernigan-Noesi also strives to enhance her students’ experience by tailoring the class to their interests. Two of the first things she asks are: “What do you hope to get out of this class? How will you use it in your post-Agnes Scott professional goals?” Even in a class of up to 30 students, she tries to connect the material to their future goals. She also involves students in her research, including them in her projects and encouraging them to take on projects of their own. She studies the influences of race and culture on mental and physical health treatment and outcomes, namely understanding how individual human experiences are connected to an individual’s emotional and physical well-being. Lately, her research has focused on racial trauma — how incidents of racism can affect mental health — and NPR and other prominent media outlets have featured her work. Through sharing her knowledge and experience, she believes she is mentoring the next generation. “I have a passion for teaching and a passion for psychology,” she says. “I hope my students can feed off of my energy and see all of the possibilities in this field. I’d like to think I am helping to foster and educate future researchers and clinical providers.”
