Psychology Department Search Waxes Over Waxman

The Psychology Department of Yeshiva College, which only a short time ago was in shambles - with an outdated curriculum and a dearth of qualified professors - is now one of the most successful and technologically advanced departments in the school. After a spate of teacher resignations some four years ago, Yeshiva hired Professor Karen Stewart, who quickly rose to become the unofficial department chair and helped resurrect the program. Politics, however, has once again put the department in a precarious position.

The need for a full-time, tenure track professor of Psychology has led to the creation of a hiring committee on which Stewart is the only representative from the Psychology Department. While numerous professors from different universities have been courted by the committee, the one candidate conspicuously absent from Yeshiva's 'short list' has been Yeshiva's own Dr. Richard Waxman, currently an associate professor who is widely popular among Psychology students.

The foundation of today's controversy was set in place three years ago. At the time, Yeshiva College was in dire need of another Psychology professor and turned to Waxman to fill that need. Although hired on a temporary basis, with what Professor Stewart now terms "replacement" status with "no guarantees for another year," Professor Waxman performed well and was, for the next two years, rehired by Yeshiva College under the same status, as a full-time position was not yet available. Many students believe that the recently opened full-time professors should be Waxman's for the taking, as his performance has earned student respect and support. Speculation abounds that Professor Waxman will not return if he is not offered a full-time post.

In an interview with The Commentator, Professor Stewart claimed that, thus far, the search for a new professor has gone well and that the applicants have been very good. "I will be very excited about whomever is ultimately hired," she maintained. She has also verified that Professor Waxman's application is being considered along with everyone else's. When questioned about the status of Waxman, Stewart went on to say, "whether or not he is hired as a full-time professor, I hope we can keep him here as a clinician; he has a lot to offer." She made it clear that it would be a disservice to Yeshiva College to hire one professor without looking elsewhere to see what is available.

In response to questions regarding his future at Yeshiva College, Professor Waxman said that all he can do is "be the absolute best professional I can be." He also concurred with Stewart in that he understood that his job was not guaranteed for more than one year, although he has made it clear that he does want to become a full-time professor at Yeshiva University, citing his appreciation for both the yeshiva and the secular aspects of the College. He did verify that he has not been invited to some of the functions that other candidates have attended, admitting that he does not know the reason for this.

Several students of Waxman have told The Commentator that evidence of tension between him and Stewart has spilled over into their courses. Eitan Zerykier, a student in one of Waxman's classes, revealed that the professor has mentioned more than once that his place in the University next year is not certain.

To compound matters, about two weeks ago, two Psychology students, along with Waxman, visited the Psychology computer lab to perform research for a project they were working on. Upon entering and seeing the three of them in the lab, Stewart became visibly agitated and proceeded to warn the three about improper use of the lab. She then demanded that Michael Berezin, the student that had opened the lab, come to her office, where she admonished him further for opening the lab to people that should not have been there. Her anger apparently stemmed from a lack of authorization for Waxman and the other student, Yaakov Green, to work in the lab.

Professor Stewart explained to The Commentator that there have been several cases of vandalism in the laboratories and that, as a result, she has had to be careful about how many people have access to it. She also said that she has never denied access to the lab to someone with a valid reason for wanting to use it. Michael Berezin declined to comment on the specifics of the case, saying only that "it wasn't that big of a deal."

Yaakov Green remarked that he didn't understand why Professor Stewart got upset, saying that "we were in the lab doing research with a professor, I don't really understand what the problem was."

Currently, students of Professor Waxman are thinking about drafting a petition in order to inform the administration and the hiring committee about their feelings about Waxman. When told of the planned petition by Commentator reporters, Professor Waxman said that he "cannot tell them to do it or not to do it, they have free choice." He then added that he hoped the committee will see that he is a good professor so that a petition will not even become an issue.

The current disputes and politicking in the department overshadow the tremendous leaps it has taken over the last several years. Professor Stewart was brought to Yeshiva College in 1997 after two years of working at NASA, were she studied the biological clock and human sleep schedules, and currently remains affiliated with the program as a consultant. Since Stewart's arrival, the curriculum has been updated and improved upon due to what she has termed the "evolving and constantly changing nature of psychology."

Also new to the Psychology Department are several advanced computer laboratories. In Professor Stewart's laboratory in Belfer Hall students are able to utilize the latest technological innovations with which they can conduct research on a wide array of topics. For the first time in Yeshiva College, the research must be approved by the IRB, a review board that supervises the ethical standards used by the researchers, something that greatly assists funding and government grants for the College. Accreditation through this board is something that Professor Stewart has said greatly improves the stature of the program and places it "on par with other top universities around the country."

Professor Waxman is an expert on neuropsychology and rehabilitative psychology. He is the co-founder and current director of sub-acute extended care traumatic brain injury rehabilitation programs at Queens-Nassau Nursing Home, Northern Manhattan Nursing Home, and Park Terrace Care Center. This is his third year teaching at Yeshiva College, although he has an extensive background in teaching college-level psychology, most recently at St. John's University.