A&S Welcomes New Faculty Members


The College of Arts welcomes three new faculty members at the Webster Groves campus for the 2008-09 academic year. Cheryl A. Cohen and Michiko Iwasaki have joined the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, and William W. (Lee) McCorkle, Jr., has joined the Department of Religious Studies. All are serving one-year terms as visiting assistant professors.

Cheryl A. Cohen received her Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology earlier this year from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she also was an instructor and teaching assistant. Her dissertation focused on the training of spatial visualization skill, which includes the ability to imagine other aspects of an object besides those currently visible. Cheryl explained that spatial visualization skill is relevant to learning in science and mathematics. For example, biologists must learn to visualize and identify the shapes of unseen cross sections of anatomy, and geologists need to visualize unseen cross sections of the earth's crust. The training program Cheryl investigated uses interactive computer animations to teach spatial visualization skill.

Cheryl is teaching Intro to Psychology and Research Methods this semester and will also teach Cognitive Psychology in Fall 2. She said she is enjoying her interactions with students and other faculty members and is quickly acclimating to Webster University. A Chicago native, she spent her adult life in California before arriving in St. Louis in August.

In addition to psychology, music and art are Cheryl’s main passions. She takes cello lessons at the Community Music School and joined a group of knitters on Oct. 1 to knit for charity as a Webster Works Worldwide project. She also uses her spare time to paint and draw, attend international films, and try ethnic restaurants.

Michiko Iwasaki received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Ball State University in 2006 and then was a senior fellow with the University of Washington School of Medicine. In that position, she worked with an interdisciplinary clinical team at the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. She also conducted research to evaluate a study of Washington State’s efforts to get baby boomers to plan ahead for long-term care, part of a nationwide Medicare push.

The latter project tapped in to her main research interest: lifespan development, and in particular, gerontology, the study of healthy aging.

The Osaka, Japan, native lived in St. Louis for nine years prior to moving to Indiana to attend Ball State University, and she said she’s happy to be back.

“It’s like my American hometown,” she said.

Michiko is teaching Into to Psychology and Child Psychology this semester; in Spring 2009, she’s scheduled to teach Successful Aging/Healthy Aging, Human Relationships, and Lifespan Development.

Michiko Iwasaki models a kimono.

Her first impressions of Webster University are that it is student-centered and “high-quality.”

“I’m so impressed by all the support and the resources available,” she added.

A proponent of human rights and cultural diversity, Michiko also is pleased that she has arrived on campus during The Year of International Human Rights.

During her non-working hours, Michiko practices tai chi and meditation. She also found time to serve as a kimono model during the recent Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

William W. (Lee) McCorkle, Jr., received his Ph.D. in 2007 from the Queen’s University (Belfast, Northern Ireland) Institute of Cognition and Culture, where he studied under renowned anthropologist Harvey Whitehouse. Before arriving at Webster, he was a lecturer in the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Department of Religious Studies.

Lee is an evolutionary anthropologist interested in the interface between cognition, culture, and religion. His most recent research has concentrated on the evolution of ritual behavior in vertical (generation to generation) and horizontal (peer to peer) transmission.

Currently teaching World Religions and Roots of Religion, Lee will add Cognition and Ritual to his teaching load in Fall 2.

As if teaching and research weren’t enough to keep him occupied full time, Lee also is a professional musician. A singer and guitarist in the vein of rocker Elvis Costello, he has four CDs out under the name of Leisure McCorkle.

“I’ve played music most of my life,” he said. “It paid most of my way through college.”

In fact, Lee’s first visits to St. Louis were as a musician. He has played at local clubs, including the Pageant and Mississippi Nights, and still plays gigs across the U.S.