Susan Cross has been named as the new chair of the psychology department, one of the top ten largest majors for undergraduates.

The position was officially given to Cross in February, however, she will not take over until July 1.

“It’s a wonderful department to work in,” Cross said. “[We have] high standards, but good support.”

Cross has been a part of the Iowa State community for the past 24 years after receiving her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She attended Ohio State University for her master’s degree in education and Texas A&M for her undergraduate degree in horticulture.

“There was a stigma about being a psych or education major,” Cross said. “Horticulture felt like science.”

She said she realized quickly that horticulture was not for her.

“I just hated it,” Cross said about her first job.

While she was an undergraduate she did research and realized she loved it.

“[I] kinda lucked into social psychology,” Cross said. “[It] addressed what I thought were important psychological problems.”

During her time at the University of Michigan, Cross worked with Hazel Markus and explored the influence of culture on psychology.

“I love thinking about how cultural processes shape individual behavior,” Cross said. “We are discovering that a lot of things that we thought were universal are not.”

Cross said she is excited to start working as chair, especially in this department.

“I’m really fortunate to be stepping into a department that works really well,” Cross said. “We disagree, but we disagree respectfully.”

During her time as chair, she has multiple things she wants to work on, including publicizing the department more, working with alumni and enhancing some of the physical spaces for undergraduates, such as the basement in Lagomarcino Hall.

“They are in an office in the basement,” Cross said about the advisors for the psychology department. “[I want] to get them out of there … and make it a place that makes students feel welcome and a place that parents can come to and feel comfortable.

“Those might be long-term plans, but it would be nice to address some of that,” Cross said. “We tend to be a department that keeps the nose to the grindstone and not really pay attention to our physical surroundings.”

Even with all her plans, she said she will be facing challenges.

“How do you do what you’ve been doing on fewer funds,” Cross said. “How do you spread the pain around?

“I am concerned about keeping my research going.”

She said she is going to have to learn to be flexible but still make sure to set some time aside to ensure she will still be able to do her research and frequently interact with her students.

Cross is currently working with two graduate students in her lab studying culture and how it affects society. Cross’ students have a high opinion of her and how she runs her lab.

“She is the one we go to if we have any questions about anything,” said Vanessa Castillo, one of Cross’ graduate students.

Whenever something happens in her students’ lives, she ensures they still feel comfortable and helps them to feel more comfortable if they don’t.

“She is … one of the nicest people I have ever met,” said Minjoo Joo, another one of Cross’ graduate students. “I’ve never been disappointed in her.”

After the Trump rallies last year during election season, Cross talked to Castillo to make sure she still felt safe on campus, despite the current atmosphere.

“I didn’t even think about that … but the fact that she was very sensitive to my potential needs or the situation going on was very thoughtful,” Castillo said.

Cross also invited Joo over for Thanksgiving. Joo said she was grateful for this because she could not go home to South Korea and everyone else had gone home to be with their families.

“She is always sensitive to the things that might influence us that we didn’t even think about,” Joo said. “She really cares, and you can feel it when you are with her.”

Castillo and Joo recalled a conference they went to with their research group to talk with their international collaborators and how Cross took charge of the meeting and delegating jobs.

“It was very inspiring to see a woman, or anybody, in charge … to see her in charge of the situation and get things done,” Castillo said.

Joo said she noticed similar things.

“It was a side of her that I didn’t know before. In our general meetings she is usually very generous and warm and understanding,” Joo said. “So, I don’t think she is on you all the time, but in the meeting, I saw her making decisions, taking charge.”

When asked about how they thought Cross will do in her new positions, her students said only positive things about her.

“I can see that she will do well at [being the chair] because she looks at all sides, she weighs it, and she cares deeply about things. So, she’s not going to make a decision lightly,” Castillo said.

“Her priority is having integrity in her work and in her life,” Joo said.