Professor John Shaw

"The educational experience of Lafayette students, like those at other outstanding small colleges, depends fundamentally on the quality of the faculty and on the faculty’s effectiveness in maximizing each student’s intellectual development. The College takes justifiable pride in the accomplishments of its faculty as master teachers, talented guides and mentors, scholars of national distinction, and leaders within their disciplines.”
—The Plan for Lafayette

“I wanted an academic atmosphere where I’d be working with students one-on-one every day. That distinguishes Lafayette, even from other liberal arts colleges.”

John S. Shaw III, associate professor of psychology, teaches Introduction to Psychological Science and courses on social behavior and advanced social psychology in addition to an interdisciplinary seminar called Ethical and Legal Challenges of the New Genomics. His Lafayette awards for teaching include the Student Government Superior Teaching Award (six times), Marquis Distinguished Teaching Award, James P. Crawford Award for Outstanding Classroom Instruction, and others.

In both his teaching and his research, Shaw, a social psychologist, draws upon 10 years’ experience practicing criminal law in Los Angeles as a prosecutor and public defender. His primary research interests include eyewitness memory, eyewitness confidence, the adaptive value of over-confidence, and attitudes about genetic testing.

A faculty member since 1997, he has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and other publications, most of these with Lafayette students whom he has involved in his research program as EXCEL Scholars. He has advised 13 students writing honors theses, served as second or outside reader on a similar number of thesis projects, and mentored more than 30 students in independent and advanced research.

Shaw holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology from UCLA and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

“When students learn something new, that’s one of the most rewarding things for me. As a professor, I’m also a student and I learn things every day.”

Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Class columns, chapter news, updates, weddings, babies and more

PSYC 372, Advanced Social Psychology. John Shaw teaching in Oechsle Hall

MASTER TEACHERS

Professor John Shaw

“I wanted an academic atmosphere where I’d be working with students one-on-one every day. That distinguishes Lafayette, even from other liberal arts colleges.”

“When students learn something new, that’s one of the most rewarding things for me. As a professor, I’m also a student and I learn things every day.”