{"id":2251,"date":"2018-09-24T17:33:09","date_gmt":"2018-09-24T17:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/yearbook\/?p=2251"},"modified":"2019-06-29T20:37:25","modified_gmt":"2019-06-30T01:37:25","slug":"dr-mandracchia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/yearbook\/2018\/09\/24\/dr-mandracchia\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Mandracchia"},"content":{"rendered":"

By: Chase Merwin<\/span><\/p>\n

I<\/span>f there is one thing that Dr. Jon Mandracchia<\/a> has always known, it is that he was meant to teach.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now a licensed psychologist in Missouri and Mississippi, as well as an assistant professor of psychology at Western, Mandracchia\u2019s commitment to his field speaks for itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Mandracchia teaches psychology with specific interest in abnormal and criminal psychology as well as counseling. He explains that while every discipline is important, psychology stands out as a more relatable, tangible field for students to immerse themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll day, everyday, we\u2019re dealing with our thoughts, our emotions and our interactions with other people,\u201d Mandracchia said. \u201cWe get to teach about things that students really relate to almost every moment of every day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

To reach this end, Dr. Mandracchia teaches a handful of classes in the psychology department<\/a>, and while he can\u2019t name a favorite, his psychology of communication class strikes him as the most \u201cunique\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is the conversations, communication and relationships that he has with his undergraduate students that Mandracchia enjoys most about teaching at Western.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy first academic job was at a school with 17,000 students, and while I worked with graduate students and got to know them, there really wasn\u2019t an emphasis on undergraduate teaching,\u201d Mandracchia said. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere, here, from the moment I interviewed <\/span><\/p>\n

It became very obvious that our focus is the undergraduate students.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Kelly Henry, professor of psychology and colleague of Dr. Mandracchia, highlighted his ability to engage his students.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStudents really respond to how personable he is,\u201d Henry said. \u201cHe just is great at building rapport with students. He\u2019s very positive and\u00a0<\/span>self-deprecating; the students really respond to his humor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Western senior psychology major Amanda Kephart shared Dr. Henry\u2019s sentiments, adding that he is seen as the \u201cdad\u201d of the psychology department.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s always cracking the dad jokes,\u201d Kephart said. \u201cAnd he really cares about his students. There are a lot of professors that can just be hard and not care to help you, but he is hard and he cares.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Mandracchia even highlighted what he thought his strength was in how he impacts the department.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think for me, it\u2019s just getting along with people…I value harmony, relationships and that intangible feeling of \u2018It feels good to be here,\u2019\u201d Mandracchia said. \u201cI think I help bring a sense of cohesiveness.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Devotion to Western students isn\u2019t the only thing this psychology professor has going for him. When he\u2019s not engaging with students in the classroom, Dr. Mandracchia\u2019s hard work continues.<\/span><\/p>\n

One service Mandracchia provides as a licensed licensed evaluations for convicted people. His job is to interview the charged individual and his attorney in order to determine whether the individual is competent to stand trial.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Mandracchia also involves himself in extensive research regarding various facets of psychology. One topic his research has covered is suicide among prisoners.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think a lot of people have very much an \u2018us-them\u2019 dichotomy, that we\u2019re the normal people and they\u2019re the prisoners – they\u2019re bad people,\u201d Mandracchia said. \u201cBut they\u2019re not! They\u2019re just people who oftentimes have very tough situations, who\u2019ve made some bad choices, who don\u2019t have good role models, but for the most part they\u2019re just regular people who want to change.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

From student to professor to counselor to researcher, Dr. Mandracchia\u2019s story is a story of devotion to people of all shapes, sizes and colors. Through psychology, Dr. Mandracchia has been able to embrace his love of people while giving the gift of education, guidance and sense of family to every person he encounters.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t