Psychology Professor Megan Merrick Wants to Help You Find Your Why
Angel Alvarado | Sept. 15, 2026
Megan Merrick, visiting professor of psychology, poses for a photo in Myron Boon Hall at Warren Wilson College on Sep. 9, 2026 in Swannanoa, N.C. (Echo/Vivian Bryan)
This semester, Warren Wilson College (WWC) welcomes Megan Merrick as their new Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology. Merrick is originally from San Diego, Calif., where she completed her undergraduate studies in child development and learning sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. Merrick then attended Indiana University Bloomington, where she received her PhD in psychology in 2026 after completing her dissertation on feedback and motivation in mathematical classes for children in early education.
“We need feedback to do good in the world, to know if we're getting something right or wrong,” Merrick said. “But there are ways to frame feedback that are more or less helpful. We need to have kids have positive relationships with mathematics for them to be able to navigate the world and not be nervous about weighty mathematical decisions.”
Merrick said that when she was working on her PhD, the effort felt overwhelming, but explained how a rational and positive mindset is crucial in maintaining a calm state of mind in the midst of abundant work.
“You have to set your own personal boundaries,” Merrick said. “There's always going to be way more to do in the world. You have to be kind to yourself and be like, ‘This is what I can accomplish in the amount of time I have now,’ and be okay with that.”
Merrick’s initial interest in developmental psychology began at an earlier age than most. In her youth, she saw her younger sibling grow and participate in developmental studies that sparked her curiosity in the field.
“Researchers are so creative in the ways that we try to understand what's going on in not only our own minds, but the minds of humans who have a really hard time expressing themselves,“ Merrick said. “So that was really fascinating to me.”
With her interest, Merrick is excited to teach her class, Community Engaged: Infant and Child Development this semester, along with Introduction to Psychology and Mental Health and Distress. Next semester, she will continue to teach her introductory course along with Adolescent Development and Emerging Adulthood.
Merrick explained that she begins her classes by introducing her “why”: what brought her to WWC and what drew her to developmental psychology. Merrick then asks students to share their “why” – what drew them to a particular class or interest.
“It is a really important reflective exercise,” Merrick said. “In bigger schools, it’s not normally the case to have that known conviction. A lot of the conviction is, I need to do this to graduate. So that's another reason I wanted to go into liberal arts education and help students find their why.”
Merrick appreciates the hands-on, experiential learning style of WWC, voicing how she feels like her research interests are valued and respected here.
Moving to North Carolina with her spouse in August before classes began left little time for Merrick to acclimate herself properly, but despite the quick change, Merrick feels like she is right at home in Asheville.
“We were excited about Asheville and Warren Wilson because it sort of gives the California vibes,” Merrick said. “It feels like a mini Berkeley or Oakland in the Appalachian Mountains, and culturally it feels like we're coming home even though we're further from it right now. It feels very authentic and I feel very comfortable here.”
Merrick hopes to help her students learn what they are truly interested in versus what they are not, in order to develop their learned skills and apply them in their communities.
“I want to help people solidify their why, or their why not,” Merrick said. “Closing doors actually makes you happier in a lot of ways. I want to focus on how we can use psychology to improve people's lives.”
Merrick will be hosting a small reading group about development in educational contexts, inviting students who may have similar interests to attend. These will take place on Sept. 25, Oct. 30, and Dec. 4. Their location is still to be determined; to stay updated, scan the QR code to join the official email list.
