Dr. Angela Garcia Hired as Psychology Professor
March 3, 2022
As Florida College expands academically, so has its need for instructors. This school year has seen several new additions to the faculty, including Dr. Angela Garcia, who began teaching this semester.
Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Garcia and her family immigrated to the United States just before starting her studies at Florida College. After attending Florida College, Garcia went on to study psychology at the University of South Florida. In 2019, she completed her Doctorate in School Psychology at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
While at Nova Southeastern, Garcia participated in several studies, including one built around an intervention program for parents of children with autism. She also worked with adult victims of domestic violence at the university’s resource center.
Since graduating, Garcia has worked with the University of Miami Health System Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) program. PCIT helps parents effectively manage their child’s behavior. She works with the clients to identify the causes of the behavior and advises them on appropriate responses. She continues to work in this capacity while teaching at Florida College.
Garcia admits that teaching was not a role she expected to take on, but was excited when the opportunity arose.
“Florida College provides a special opportunity for faculty to be able help our students learn about various subjects, all within the framework of faith. This is so important because it gives students great encouragement to keep their Christian faith as the most important and central focus of their lives, as they learn more about the world and begin to plan for the work that they would like to do in it,” said Garcia.
Garcia’s background and continued practice supplement her instruction with current criteria and experiences in an ever-evolving field. Students in the Abnormal Psychology course this semester, for example, learn about behavior abnormalities through her work in childhood development and environmental stressors.
Students enrolled in psychology classes at Florida College have a unique opportunity to learn the material with a spiritual focus – a principle Garcia places at the forefront of her teaching. To her, psychology is more than just another field of study.
When we have a better understanding of others, it helps us to show our neighbor the sincere love, kindness, and compassion that God expects of us. I chose psychology as a way of helping others and being able to be a part of the students’ learning process in this exciting field is what drives me to teach.