Campus Connection

Department's weekly Psych Hour series bridges disciplines and fosters belonging

When UW-La Crosse Junior Lyd Voss sat in the middle of a packed Psych 100 lecture her freshman year — more than 200 students filling the Graff Main Hall Auditorium — she couldn’t help but feel lost in the crowd. 

“It felt overwhelming. I was thinking: This is my department, and I feel like I’m just a number,” Voss recalls. 

That changed when she discovered Psych Hour, a free weekly event hosted by the Psychology Department. Every Friday at noon, faculty, staff, students and anyone with interest in the campus community gather to explore a new topic — sometimes related to psychology, sometimes far beyond it. 

“I went outside my comfort zone and attended,” says Voss. “I had no idea what to expect.” 

What she found was a sense of belonging. After that first visit, Psych Hour became a highlight of her week — a consistent space to meet people, learn something new and connect more deeply with her department. 

“I felt super involved right away and like there were people I could go to in my department,” says Voss. “I was talking to faculty I didn’t even have classes with yet, and they already knew me by name. I love that it’s weekly and consistent — you can just show up.” 

Associate Professor of Psychology Ellen Rozek launched Psych Hour in fall 2023, shortly after the pandemic, as a way to build connection and spark curiosity. 

“The goal was to create opportunities for intellectual engagement and community,” says Rozek.  

Each week, speakers include Psychology Department faculty, other campus scholars, and students sharing their research, internships or unique experiences. Topics range widely — from graduate school prep to cultural studies to incarceration trends — reflecting the diversity of thought across UWL. 

“While I started it, Psych Hour would not be successful without the support of the entire faculty,” Rozek says. “They committed not only to present, but to attend regularly.” 

A space for every discipline

Psych Hour’s interdisciplinary nature quickly became one of its strengths. Speakers from sociology, geography, global cultures, and languages have all taken the stage. 

This fall, Assistant Professor of French Dany Jacob presented “Fine and Dandy: Performing Masculinity, One Cravat at a Time.” He says the biggest outcome was connecting across disciplines. 

“Psych Hour allowed me to open a window into what motivates me and drives me forward to celebrate it with students and other peers,” Jacob says. “We sometimes forget how easily we isolate ourselves in our offices, when there are open arms and ears all around us — if we’re willing to share.” 

Voss agrees that variety keeps things engaging. 

“One of my favorite sessions was by Professor Lisa Kruse from Sociology and Criminal Justice on reincarceration rates,” Voss says. “It gave me a new perspective and actually pushed me to take an intro sociology class.” 

From attendee to organizer

What began as a voluntary event has grown into a structured learning experience. The department now offers a senior seminar in which students serve as teaching assistants (TAs) to help facilitate the series. 

Voss is one of three current TAs. She helps coordinate logistics, promote the event on social media, introduce speakers, and assist Rozek behind the scenes. She also serves as a TA for “The Psych Hour Experience” — a one-credit course where students attend the event weekly while completing the Magerus Challenge, inspired by longtime College of Liberal Studies Dean John Magerus. 

The challenge, introduced to Rozek by Provost Betsy Morgan, encourages people to participate in events on campus that they might not otherwise attend. 

“I now challenge students to complete three during the semester. And I also complete the challenge,” says Rozek. “This semester it was a jazz event with a colleague, a football game with my kids, and the first play of the semester with a group of colleagues.” 

An evolving tradition 

Voss says one of the best parts of Psych Hour is how it continues to grow. 

“It’s always changing to improve and adapt — different locations, new ideas,” she says. “It’s flexible based on what students, faculty and staff want. The main goal is for students to interact and find community — in the Psychology Department and beyond.” 

Rozek agrees. Holding the event weekly, she says, helps make it part of the campus rhythm. Every faculty member in the Psychology Department has presented as part of the series, and Rozek and the TAs are working on the schedule of presentations for next semester. 

“We learn so much from one another,” Rozek says. “I can’t help but be excited every week about the topics. We work with so many amazing people doing cool work — there is no risk that we will run out of presenters!” 

She believes Psych Hour has become more than a departmental event — it’s a shared “third space” for the UWL community. 

“It is a space for psychology students. It is also bigger than that,” says Rozek. “It has created space for faculty to learn about and with our colleagues. The series has provided space for us demonstrate our intellectual curiosity in front of our students ... We are also available to answer student questions, have casual conversations, and have a brief reprieve in our week ... When I hear faculty or students talking about events or making plans to go, it is heartwarming.” 

Rozek says everyone on campus is welcome to attend Psych Hour. 

“There’s something for each of us to learn every week,” she says. “It’s like continuing general education — lifelong learning in action. I’m grateful for the students and faculty who show up week after week, bring friends and keep this community thriving.” 

If you go 

What: Psych Hour — a weekly speaker series hosted by the UWL Psychology Department 
When: Fridays at noon 
Where: 260 Graff Main Hall (The Big Auditorium!) 
Learn more: View upcoming speakers or follow the @uwlpsyorgs Instagram account.