UMD Psychology Department Launches a New Podcast

“Cracking the Shell on Psychological Science” Explores Research, Sheds Light on Faculty Lives, and More

In Department of Psychology (PSYC) Chair Michael Dougherty’s view, the department’s new podcast, “Cracking the Shell on Psychological Science,” is both long overdue, and arriving at the perfect time.

“The communication system in academia was developed in the 1700s, and it basically hasn't changed since. It's a system that focuses almost exclusively on peer-to-peer communication: Work written by academics for academics and published in venues that only academics have access to,” Dougherty said. “Layer on top of that the current discourse in society about the value of higher education and research, and I felt that we really needed to do a better job of sharing what we do, who we are, why we do the work we do, and who benefits from that work, with a focus on sharing our science responsibly and not over-hyping findings.”

Dougherty has been hard at work getting the podcast up and running with the help of PSYC faculty and fellow podcast co-hosts and producers Abigail Nicolas, Benjamin Jones, and Joseph Barnet.

“Inaccessibility does not reduce curiosity, if social media has been any indicator of reality. Lack of access, however, invites opportunities for greater misinformation and misrepresentations—which has the potential to pose harm to the public and compromise perceptions of the field and its science,” said Nicolas. “I hope that we can help with bridging the access gap for listeners, help make research and the faculty who conduct and apply the science more inviting to the listeners, encourage critical consumption of research, and showcase how research can translate to real-world, community impact.”

Barnet is also the guitarist behind the music that can be heard in each episode.

“I have been playing guitar for most of my life, often collaborating with other musicians in bands and projects. It is such a joy to see two of my passions—psychology and music—come together,” he said.

The team produces roughly two podcast episodes per month, each recorded on campus in department offices. Episodes fall into at least one of four categories, each serving their own unique purpose. For example, in “Deep Dive” episodes, the host talks with faculty or graduate students about specific research projects, whereas in “Getting to Know” episodes, the host talks with another faculty member about their personal story—who they are, where they came from, their interests, how they came to be interested in psychology, etc.—in an attempt to “demystify the people behind the science, or 'humanize' the scientist,” Dougherty said.

The other episodes either focus on answering students' questions about a particular course or obstacle they’re facing—like getting into graduate school—or on explaining to the general public the real-world impact and value of academic research for the local, state, national, or global community.

“I think one of the neat things about the podcast is that it gives students a new medium to learn that we typically do not offer in the department. That is something I am really excited about,” said Jones.

Looking to the future, Dougherty hopes that episodes can be weaved into various classes, too.

“We want to have episodes where students, and anyone else, can learn about the personal stories of the scientists to counter the narrative that we're all academic elites. We're mostly ordinary people who mow our lawns, have families, and struggle with the same issues as our neighbors,” he said. “Ultimately, I'd like to restore some trust in higher education and science. We all have a role to play in that, and in my view one step in this direction is to improve the way we communicate with those outside of academia.”

Listen to “Cracking the Shell on Psychological Science” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.

Published on Wed, Apr 9, 2025 - 10:06AM