Starr Burke

After working at WCC as a part-time instructor, since 1988, I became a full-time faculty member in behavioral science fall semester, 2000. My educational background includes a B.S. in psychology, an M.A. in guidance and counseling and a Ph.D. in psychology.

I understand the diverse student population and their unique needs. I feel that many students at the community college level are highly motivated and do possess the necessary skills to be successful. There are, however, many others who, while recognizing the practical value of advanced education, have not previously been academically successful. My mission is to empower these students to break the cycle of academic and personal failure to bring to bear in their careers and personal lives a maximum of intellectual potential.

I feel my role as an educator is to fascinate and involve the student with the subject matter at a level that precludes attention to previous academic disappointments. While this does require a body of knowledge relative to the subject at hand, more importantly is the ability to hold the interest of my students. For this reason, I emphasize active participation in the classroom by utilizing a number of different instructional activities.

My area of expertise is in Life-Span Psychology. Currently I teach courses in Child and Life-Span Psychology and am working on developing additional courses in Adolescent Psychology and Social Gerontology. I have also taught Abnormal Psychology, Psychology of Adjustment, Introductory Psychology, Introductory Sociology and Patient Management.

B.S. in psychology
M.A. in guidance and counseling
Ph.D. in psychology