My name is Cory Clark and I grew up in Bath, Ohio, childhood hometown of serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer, and sometimes home of the GOAT, LeBron James. I received my PhD from University of California, Irvine in Social and Personality Psychology and Quantitative Methods. I have since worked as a Postdoctoral Scholar at University at Buffalo and Florida State University, an Assistant Professor of Behavioral Science at Durham University in the UK, the Director of Academic Engagement for Heterodox Academy, and a Visiting Scholar in Management and Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where I also serve as Executive Director of the Adversarial Collaboration Project.
My primary research interests are the human pursuit of truth and our remarkable talent for sabotaging it with ego, emotion, and selective reasoning. I’m especially interested in designing ways to make scientific disagreement less combative and more productive.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT?
This will be a stimulating and welcoming place to discover your passions and develop your talents (while you live on a campus that looks like a postcard!).
WHAT MAKES NEW COLLEGE OF
FLORIDA SO UNIQUE?
SO. MANY. THINGS. Students don’t just choose from a menu of classes, they curate an education tailored to their interests. Instead of a single letter grade, students receive detailed feedback that highlights their strengths and advises on areas for improvement. And professors have more creative freedom over what and how they teach. The result is that everyone (students and professors alike) are more interested and engaged in their courses.
What made you decide to teach at New College of Florida?
Many things attracted me to New College. I wanted small classes where I could get to know and interact with my students instead of shouting lectures at hundreds of strangers (who may or may not be awake). I wanted to work with people who are open-minded, collegial, and excited by (not threatened by) scholarship. And it certainly didn’t hurt that the campus and surrounding community are among the most beautiful places on earth.