Hello! I’m Professor Sara Hodges, and I’ll be teaching the First Year seminar for the “Who Belongs” FIG. Although I haven’t taught a FIG in awhile, I previously taught FIGs that have paired PSY 202 with courses in Animal Behavior, 20th century German literature, Education, and Philosophy. Every time I teach a FIG, I see the content of PSY 202 through a different lens and always learn something new. And I love learning new things – that’s why I became a professor, so I would never need to leave school. I particularly like learning things from and with my students – including first year students.

I’m excited about the “Who Belongs?” FIG, which is a new FIG this year. So many things in the news right now have something to do with belonging– racial injustice points out a long history in this country of some people getting to belong more than others; the pandemic and the distancing it necessitated highlighted just how important our social connections to each other are; and belonging is a perennial issue on college campuses, where “who belongs” has an impact on student success and wellbeing. This FIG, by pairing Psychology and Sociology, will give us a chance to see how social scientists think about and study questions about belonging.

I’m a psychologist, but not the kind of psychologist who does therapy or treats mental illness. Instead, I’m a social psychologist who studies everyday behavior and social interactions. Among other things, I study perspective taking: When do we try to take another person’s perspective, what does that even mean, and what are the consequences of doing it? How good are we at knowing what’s going on in someone else’s head?

I’ve lived in Eugene since I was hired by the UO 26 years ago, but I spent most of my childhood and early adulthood in the southern US (Tennessee& Virginia), so I say “y’all” on occasion. Oregon feels like home now -- I’m a big fan of the trees. Other things about me: I am not a calm person, I’m a night owl, and I like good chocolate (it has to be worth the calories!). I love music, especially anything with a great melody or that makes you want to dance. Buckle up - between my FIG Assistant Sophia Mauelshagen and me, this this is going to be a high energy FIG! We are both very excited about exploring belonging, planning engaging activities, and making you feel like you belong in this FIG.

Hi! I'm Sophia and I am excited to work with Sara for the second year in a row as the FIG Assistant for "Who Belongs?" This particular FIG was brand new last year. We created a syllabus where every week we center class around a different topic related to belonging. With a field trip, nature walk, guest lecturers, and an end-of-the-term dinner banquet this is not your average class! It was so much fun to be a part of, especially because of the wonderful group of students who belonged to the FIG. I am excited to welcome a new group of students in the Fall of 2022! 

This Fall will be the start of my fourth and final year at the University of Oregon. I am a Psychology major and double-minor in Global Health and Spanish. The study of the human mind fascinates me because it explains the invisible nuances of human behavior both every day and over the course of one's life. I enjoy understanding the world from this perspective!

I belong to a couple of groups around campus. The Holden Center for Leadership and Community Engagement has been my main hub since I was hired at the end of my freshman year. Next year I will be coordinating our DuckCorps program which essentially is a term-long weekly volunteer group that makes an impact on the broader Eugene community. If I am not at the Holden Center there is a good chance that I can be found at the Cognitive Dynamics lab where I work as a Research Assistant. I also tend to frequent the student recreation center for the gym, the Rockwall, and the yummy smoothies at ShakeSmart! 

My favorite part of being a student at the University of Oregon is the open-minded environment. You will quickly find that our campus fosters an environment that brings people together while still maintaining space for everyone to excel individually.

Fall term is just the start of what is to come in your time here and I hope that you can find a sense of belonging in our FIG! Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have smauelsh@uoregon.edu