Doctor of Philosophy
Experimental Psychology (Animal Cognition)
University of Oklahoma
Master of Science
Experimental Psychology (Animal Cognition)
University of Oklahoma
Bachelor of Science
Psychobiology and Psychology
Lebanon Valley College
For most of Jarred Jenkins’ life, volleyball has been an outlet. His favorite position to play is setter, whose job is to run the team’s offense and set the ball up for teammates. Jenkins sees some parallels between his role on a volleyball team and his role in the classroom.
“(Setter) can be a really unheralded position, as they don’t get to swing at the ball and take the kills that come with it, but it quite literally ‘assists’ other players on the team. In a cheesy way, it’s what I do with students — trying to ‘set’ them up for success in my class and outside of it,” he said.
Since 2018, Jenkins has taught Introduction to Psychology (PSY-111), Developmental Psychology (PSY-211) and Psychology and Law (PSY-280) at AACC. His students are likely to describe him as funny and engaging since Jenkins uses a variety of techniques in the classroom, including activities, experimental demos, group discussions and videos.
Inside the classroom and out, Jenkins shares his love of animals with students. As a kid, Jenkins would write letters to zoos asking for information about various animals. His dissertation examined whether chipmunks preferred resources they worked harder for. (Spoiler alert: They did, much like humans.) Now, in the classroom, he provides examples of learning theory by sharing stories about training his pit bull, Tessa (pictured above). And as co-advisor of the Psychology Club, Jenkins took students to the Maryland Zoo for an animal training class, followed by a walk through the zoo to discuss the psychology of animal behavior.
In addition to the Psychology Club, Jenkins is advisor to the National Honor Society in Psychology, Psi Beta, and plays a supportive role to the Gay-Straight Alliance. His love of teaching and his involvement in extracurricular activities reflects his admiration for his students and AACC.
“My students here have such a range of experiences, challenges, successes and backgrounds,” he said. “It's great to interact with that level of diversity and, importantly, to work at a place that puts such an emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion. At other colleges, I hear a lot of talk about those terms but I've yet to see the intentional focus and efforts that I do see here at AACC.”
