Carley Benton– Psychology Professor at Webster University Leiden

By Omar El-Kurdi

May 17 2021

This interview was with Carley Benton, a professor in our Psychology department in Webster University Leiden, teaching biopsychology, sensation and perception, applied learning theory, cognitive psychology and memory. Carley studied biology and kinesiology in Canada, before moving to Brussels for post-doctoral research investigating the effects of diabetes on the heart. She then moved to Milan where she was a researcher in neuroscience and a lecturer in an International Medical Degree Program. She has dedicated more than 15 years doing research in metabolism and eventually neuroscience.

Carley shifted towards education in the past 5 years, also teaching at an international high school. Now, her focus is more towards the psychological aspect of neuroscience, bringing things up from the molecular level to the surface and learning how biology and neuroscience manifests itself in our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

In this interview, Carley talks about her teaching experience in Webster over the years, as well as the beauty in how understanding ourselves on a neuroscientific level can show up in our daily lives.

Omar: When did you start teaching at Webster? What did you do before that?

Carley: I did my undergraduate studies in Toronto. I studied Biology. I did my post graduate degree in Brussels, and I was working at the research hospitals in Brussels. I ended up doing my postdoc for biomedical research there, and then moved with my husband to Milan. About 5 years ago I got this position at Webster, and it is nice to see the psychology faculty grow as much as it did in the past 5 years. One of my classes only had 3 students back then, and now we had up to 18 students in learning theory, which creates a good dynamic and still allows a personalized experience for the students.

Omar: How does your time doing research affect the way you teach psychology courses?

Carley: If you’re researching pure neuroscience, they’re looking at, say, an ion channel. It is so small and so molecular, and in biopsychology, I get to teach that at a macro level. It’s really interesting because what we are seeing on the surface is being controlled by these processes. This is where I enjoy bringing it back up, it’s interesting and fun to teach and see what the students can come up with in their own understanding of these processes.

We often get valid questions about psychological issues and how they relate to what is going on a deeper level, and what we learn about it how we can solve those problems using biology and neuroscience.

Omar: Do you find differences in teaching High School students and University students? How has this changed since the pandemic?

Carley: It seems now more than ever we try to keep our students engaged in the online setting, but for university students it looks like they are more mature and willing to participate, especially since they choose their major and know what they want to study. I find that there is more motivation for my students at Webster because there is a higher interest in what they are doing. Moving to an online setting recently has made things a little more difficult. There is less one-on-one interaction with me and the students, whereas in a classroom setting students would often stay in after class to talk a little about things they found interesting, and it was always a rewarding experience to share my input with them. It also helps that we have full-time employees in our support faculty that have been around for a while and know the system at Webster well. This helps me and the students whenever we have questions regarding classes or any kind of support during hard periods such as the pandemic.

Omar: Where do you find your students in the psychology department wanting to work after they graduate?

Carley: A lot of them are interested in working with a patient population of some sort, whether it is as a clinical psychologist, so they go on and do their master’s degree, or more specific populations such as children with learning disabilities which requires a more specialized licensing after they graduate. Some also shift their focus and study psychology in relation to businesses and organizations. Students should be encouraged to think about their interests and values.

“The field has been evolving so much over the years that it is important to think about where you put your focus, how are you different from others? What are your values, and where do you see yourself making meaningful changes in your environment?”

Carley was my professor a couple of years ago, and a great learning experience was a project we did working on a case study from a movie with a mental health disorder, presenting the biology (genetics, anatomy), psychological implications, and possible treatment plans. Carley presents an interesting view on psychology which measures up on what goes on inside our body and brain on a neuroscientific level, and how that is reflected on who we are, and why we are. She is eager to hear her student’s questions and what they bring to the classroom, and to give their own input.