If you’re a part of the Psychology department at Lasell, or have ever taken a class in psychology or human services, you may know Professor Jesse Tauriac. A common face around the Lasell College community, whenever he is around campus, he is always talking to a student. As a professor of psychology and a First Year Seminar (FYS) teacher, he has made an impact on students’ lives across the campus.
Tauriac knew from the moment he filled out an aptitude test in his sophomore year of high school that he wanted to be a psychologist. He received his undergraduate degree in Psychology at Boston University, and went on to receive his masters and PhD in Clinical Psychology at UMass Boston. Tauriac decided to go into academia and become a professor while he was in his doctoral program at UMass Boston.
He began teaching during his fourth year of grad school and fell in love with it.
“I was able to connect with students, foster an environment where students could connect with each other, and provide a context where students could decide what was meaningful to them and invest energy in those directions,” Professor Tauriac said. Before coming to Lasell in the fall of 2012, Tauriac taught at UMass Boston, Boston College, and Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology.
An avid meditator, Professor Tauriac studied under Dr. Ronald Siegel while interning at the Cambridge Youth Guidance Center at Harvard Med School. Tauriac said Siegel was a large influence as to why he taught a meditation FYS course last year. He liked how Dr. Siegel’s approach towards meditation was very practical and down-to-earth and wanted to incorporate that into a class where first year students could ease their way into college life. And he did a great job at it.
His favorite part about being a member of the faculty and community here at Lasell is not only interacting with the students, but also how Lasell provides the opportunity for the students to learn from each other.
Tauriac said “Seeing the light go on in someone’s eyes because of something a classmate said that resonates with them and introduced an idea that was far more thoughtful, sophisticated, eloquent and elegant than any way I could have presented it is wonderful and energizing.”
Currently he is teaching an intro level human services class called Human Services, Systems, and Skills, a psychology class called the Black American Experience, and also two internship classes in the human services field.
Tauriac is the advisor for Lasell for Congo, a club focusing on fighting against sexual violence against women and the issue of conflict minerals in Eastern Africa, in particular the Congo.
Whenever Tauriac chooses to part ways with Lasell, he hopes to leave a mark on the Lasell community.
“I would most like to see that a group of students knows a professor cared about them. That they were important to him and that each of them had something that was wonderful to contribute. I also want to effect change as it relates to the campus climate and foster an environment in which students from every background feel included, welcomed, and as if they can make a meaningful contribution to this community,” he said.