Exploring the mind and music: meet Assistant Professor Shannon Wright
Featuring Dr. Shannon Wright, Assistant Professor, Psychology
The College of Arts is thrilled to interview Dr. Shannon Wright from the Department of Psychology. Since joining UFV in January 2024, Dr. Wright has brought a unique blend of curiosity, clarity, and creativity to her teaching. With a background deeply rooted in both cognitive psychology and the expressive world of music, she offers a perspective that bridges analytical thinking with a scientific exploration of how we perceive, produce, and respond to music— including both basic psychological processes and higher-level responses such as emotion.
This fall, Dr. Wright will be teaching courses including Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Cognitive Psychology, Introduction to Music Psychology, and more to come. We sat down with her to learn more about her path into education, what drives her, and what she hopes to pass on to her students.
College of Arts: Could you start by sharing a bit about your journey as an educator?
Dr. Shannon Wright: During graduate school, I took a course on communicating scientific research to the public. I really enjoyed thinking about research from the “other side”, and I decided to look for more opportunities to communicate science. This led me to a teaching internship where I was fortunate enough to be mentored by a senior professor. Through this internship, I realised the importance of strong pedagogy in science and how much I enjoy teaching and talking psychology.
College of Arts: What inspired you to specialize in your field?
Dr. Shannon Wright: During my undergrad, I was pretty fascinated by the brain, so I majored in psychology. I was curious about many different aspects of human cognition and behaviour, especially about connections between the motor system and higher-level abilities. I grew up dancing and figure skating, so I was engaged with movement and music from a pretty young age. Eventually my interests in psychology and music merged in an Honours project about the role that movement plays in generating emotional responses to music. Doing an Honours project was pretty neat, as I got to run my own study, analyse data, and make a tiny contribution to our knowledge about music and emotion! It also showed me there were a lot of researchers all over the world studying different questions related to music and psychology, so I decided to pursue it further.
College of Arts: What do you hope your students take away from your classes?
Dr. Shannon Wright: Of course, I’d like everyone to learn about all the cool aspects of psychology!
On the practical side, I try to emphasise skills that will serve people well in the future, regardless of whether they continue in academia or not. It’s a major accomplishment for everyone if students can leave my class better thinkers than when they started the class. This includes learning critical thinking skills, close reading skills, and the ability to discuss complex ideas with others in a thoughtful way.
College of Arts: Reflecting on your career thus far, what has been the most rewarding aspect of being an educator?
Dr. Shannon Wright: It’s really rewarding to see students get excited about the stuff they’re learning about. I remember discovering new ideas as an undergraduate student, some of which made the world seem a little more interesting all of a sudden. It was like a door was unlocked in your mind, and you couldn’t wait to see where it would lead you next. Seeing that response in students now is pretty cool, and I encourage students to keep following those ideas!
College of Arts: If you could leave a lasting message or piece of advice for your students and community, what would it be?
Dr. Shannon Wright: Think slowly and think deeply.
Dr. Shannon Wright continues to inspire through her deep understanding of psychology, her commitment to student learning, and her unique integration of science and the arts. Whether exploring the intricacies of cognition or the emotional power of music, she challenges students to think critically, explore boldly, and engage deeply. Her thoughtful approach to education and research is a valuable part of the Department of Psychology’s dynamic and evolving academic community.