SWOSU hired 13 new professors and instructors this semester, and the was impressed with all the new faculty members when they shared about themselves at reception hosted by the WDN.
To highlight the outstanding new professors on campus, the WDN will be sharing a series of feature stories about the new faculty members.
The first instructor to be featured is Kristi Bright. Bright is a psychology instructor who has several years of experience with SWOSU.
Bright grew up in Okeene, and after considering several other colleges, Bright chose to make Weatherford her home and pursue her undergraduate degree at SWOSU. “I wanted to go somewhere I could afford for undergrad,” she said. “I used to be in the band, so I wanted to go somewhere I could be in marching band and have that flexibility.”
After earning her bachelor’s degree from SWOSU, Bright continued in her education at Southwestern and graduated with a master’s degree in 2019. She currently is working on her Ph.D.
In previous years, Bright has worked on SWOSU’s campus as a graduate assistant in counseling, and she worked in academic support center. Now she teaches four psychology classes and an independent study class.
Bright is passionate about her field, and she believes studying psychology can help with all areas of life. “Psychology in general has a lot of life application. You can see psychology in a lot of different fields,” she said.
The new instructor also has an interesting perspective because she is now working alongside the professors who taught her just a few years ago.
She said she wants the students to know that “the teachers here at SWOSU do genuinely care about their students, and they want them to find their fit.”
Faculty fast facts
Go-to coffee order: blonde roast espresso with almond milk and sugar free vanilla Favorite TV show: Friends Her dream vacation: Switzerland Favorite meal: Steak Best Christmas gift she received as a child: Wii A book she could read again and again: Eragon book series, Pride and Prejudice