Giving to Loyola > Elizabeth Hammer
Outstanding Faculty: Elizabeth Hammer
On her experiences at Loyola
Immediately following Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Elizabeth Hammer began to develop an innovative and socially-relevant course that would encourage her students to both think critically and act justly. She explains, “Being a social psychologist, I realized that I was experiencing and understanding Katrina and the aftermath through a social psychological lens. It occurred to me that I had a real opportunity to teach social psychological theories using Katrina as a backdrop. Talk about bringing class material to real life!”
Hammer’s Psychology of Disasters course focuses on the psychological experiences of disaster victims and the factors influencing how non-victims perceive and respond to disaster. Students study a myriad of topics including stress, coping, memory, and the role of the media. In addition, they are required to complete sixteen hours of community service.
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“Having a service learning component for this course was a no-brainer,” she states. “Since many of the students live on campus or in less affected areas, I felt it was important for them to get out of their normal Uptown boundaries and see how other communities were affected.” Her students have gutted houses, volunteered at city schools, and aided local nonprofit agencies. Hammer adds, “These activities really bonded us as a class and took the learning beyond the traditional classroom walls. Seeing students come back to the city and get involved in the communities was also a real boost to residents.”
Given the timeliness of this topic, Hammer’s course has received substantial media attention, and she has been invited to present at various conferences across the nation. She anticipates publishing an article on teaching this course as well. She notes, “I enjoy being in a profession where I can explore new ideas and new topics, such as the Psychology of Disasters course. I feel as though Loyola is a place that encourages this in its faculty.”
Hammer is the recipient of Loyola’s 2004-2005 Excellence and Dedication to Service Learning Award, Loyola’s 2006 Arts and Sciences Teaching Excellence Award, and an American Psychological Association Fellow. She contributes regularly to the Annual Fund, stating, “I think it is important to give to the university so that students, alumni, and others can see just how much the faculty supports Loyola’s mission.”
