Seth Surgan
Contact Information
Office S-241K
508-929-8626
ssurgan@worcester.edu
Education
Ph.D., M.A., Clark University
B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Areas of Specialization/Academic Interests
Dr. Surgan’s area of expertise is cultural-developmental psychology with a special interest in how people construct meaning and use semiotic tools to organize psychological and social processes.
Bio and/or Professional Highlights
Dr. Surgan completed his undergraduate education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he graduated magna cum laude, with Highest Honors in Psychology, and received the Dashiell-Thurstone Prize in Psychology for Best Senior Honors Thesis. Dr. Surgan then earned his Master and Doctoral degrees at Clark University, where he was awarded a pre-doctoral fellowship from the National Science Foundation, the Frances L. Hiatt fellowship from Clark University, and a research fellowship from the Deustcher Akademischer Austauschdienst. Prior to his arrival at Worcester State in 2006, Dr. Surgan taught at Assumption College, Eastern Connecticut State University, and Clark University.
Here at Worcester State, Dr. Surgan works in two main areas: 1) theoretical, methodological, and empirical issues in cultural psychology and 2) the development of tools and methods to teach difficult courses more effectively and humanely. Dr. Surgan also enjoys the chance to help students answer their own interesting questions in novel ways.