Dr. Mikayla Lacey has joined the College of Arts and Sciences as an assistant professor in the division of behavioral and social sciences.
Lacey earned both a doctor of philosophy in experimental psychology and master of arts in psychology from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala. and a bachelor of arts in psychology from Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn.
Lacey grew up in western Mich., but has also lived in Tennessee and Alabama. She recently moved to Wilkes-Barre from Birmingham, Ala. Prior to joining Wilkes, Lacey was an instructor at the University of Alabama.
“I chose Wilkes because it seemed like it would be a good fit for me,” said Lacey. She knew she wanted to be at an institution that primarily focused on teaching, but allowed her to continue her research. She also wanted to be a part of a learning environment where making connections between different classes was encouraged, and enjoyed the liberal arts environment.
Her favorite thing about her job is hearing students make connections between something from her class and something that they have learned in another class before.
“It’s exciting to me to hear about ways students are integrating concepts across disciplines, or even across different sub elds in psychology,” said Lacey.
In five years from now, Lacey hopes to still be teaching at Wilkes, and to have her EEG lab on campus up and running. She also hopes to have more teaching tools in her tool belt and to have established some collaborative relationships with researchers in the area.
“Anyone who has seen my whiteboard drawings in class will be surprised to learn that I am a published illustrator,” said Lacey.
She had a picture published in a book of children’s poetry when she was in elementary school. In addition, Lacey has authored various publications and presentations related to social psychology and psychophysiology.
Lacey is proudest about her doctorate as she was a first-generation student. After her first year, she almost dropped out of her undergraduate program, but was able to preserve and find ways to continue in her education.
“Pursuing my degree has brought me many opportunities to grow both as an academic and as a person. It also put me in a position to be able to nd a job I love, being a faculty member here at Wilkes,” said Lacey.
In her spare time, Lacey enjoys knitting. She always has a few knitting projects going on at once, but her favorite items to make are sweaters.
“I learned from my grandmother when I was a kid, and picked it back up in graduate school to help me relax,” said Lacey.
Lacey offers a piece of advice to students, suggesting that they treat their education like a job. She recommends that students block out time during the day to study the material in their classes, regardless if they have a major project or exam coming up. is helps students learn the material better and will help them feel less overwhelmed when the larger assignments and exams come around.
“I also would encourage you to seek out help when you need it. Wilkes has many great resources for students—take advantage of them,” said Lacey.