FSC’s Figuccio Honored by Society for the Teaching of Psychology

Award Recognizes Leaders in Applying Psychological Science to Service 

Farmingdale State College (FSC) is proud to announce that Dr. Michael Figuccio, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, received the Society for the Teaching of Psychology’s 2023 Civic Engagement Award.  

The award recognizes leadership and engagement in applying psychological science to make a difference in communities at the local, national, or global level. With civic engagement at the center of all his coursework, Figuccio teaches three designated service-learning courses: Atypical Development, Child Cognitive Development, and Mentoring Youth. Among their projects: He and his students built two playgrounds in Queens that were accessible to students with disabilities. Students from his Atypical Development class also partnered with Commonpoint Queens, a nonprofit that provides services for individuals with disabilities. 

“Mike has been, without question, the most pedagogically creative and innovative professor in the Department over the last five years,” said Dr. Marya Howell-Carter, former Chair of the Psychology Department at FSC. 

FSC students also created resources for youths with developmental disabilities to assist them as they transitioned from school-based to community-based services. Additionally, students provided mentoring to the youths, discussing personal and life skills. 

Students in the Psychology Department’s Child Cognitive Development program also partnered with Community of Volunteer Educators (COVE), to tutor children virtually over the course of the semester and worked with the New York State Mentoring program. On campus, some of the psychology students met with youngsters in the Children’s Center to discuss emotions and how to handle them. 

Civic engagement is critical because it makes the courses more engaging, explained Figuccio. “They get to apply theories in the community.”  

Figuccio is scheduled to receive the award in October at the 2023 Annual Conference on Teaching in Portland, Oregon. 

Figuccio joined FSC as an assistant professor in September 2016 and was named Chair of the Department of Psychology in June 2023. He teaches Introductory Psychology, Child Development, Atypical Development, Child Cognitive Development, Statistics for Psychology, Mentoring Youth, and Applied Psychology Senior Project. His research interests include early language and reading development and the scholarship of teaching and learning. He earned a PhD in Psychology with a focus on brain, behavior and cognition, from Boston University. He also received his MA and BA in Psychology with Distinction, and a BS in Human Physiology, from Boston University.