Professor Spotlight: Tom Link

Tom Link has been a professor teaching psychology courses here at Pierce College since 1999. Link started at Pennsylvania State University where he earned his BA, and stretches cross-country to University of Washington, for his PHD in social psychology.

Although those basic facts may make him seem like your average, old fart professor with the same snooze-fest classes of read-and-recite learning, he breaks down those stereotypes within minutes of chatting.

From his Birkenstocks to the rampant Seahawks gear, and welcoming, open discussion classroom atmosphere, his courses keep the mysteries of the brain interesting.

Link takes obscure mental disorders and scientific jargon from intimidating to relatable; after one course with him reflections of the lesson pop-up everywhere.

One of the biggest steps Link’s taken in improving his courses is writing and compiling his own text books.

Pierce College has a program called Open Educational Resources (OER), headed by Quill West.

The OER is a group of faculty adopting the idea of free, professor-written text books. It’s not easy to create, but there are many advantages over the normal textbook. They eliminate the need for the purchase of text books by students, reducing the cost of classes, while making the reading material extremely customizable to any particular course.

When more recent information on a subject crops up, there’s no need to purchase a whole new set of books or toss out the obsolete ones; the text book just gets a quick update and is ready to better educate its next students.

Who knew immortality could be both cheap and environmentally friendly?

So far, Link has compiled one full book for his Introduction to Psychology class, and has a work in progress for his Social Psych course, putting it in beta for the first time this quarter. Both of these are still in development, and will be as the science of psychology also does.

In the words of David Lippman, another member of faculty who writes OER books, “they’re in a continual revision process.”

That’s the brilliance of OER, it is the ideal way to teach the best material to the largest body of people.

Besides his excellent work as a professor, Tom Link cares deeply about modern social issues. He has attended rallies and events for organizations involved in supporting Black Lives Matter, NoDAPL, anti-trans exclusion, gun-safety, raising the minimum wage, and attended both the local and district caucuses this election.

Recently Link has taken up work to facilitate The People Assembly (TPA) visiting Pierce College. This organization’s focus is on empowerment against discrimination in the multitude of forms it takes in our communities.

Link has taken up work to facilitate The People Assembly (TPA) visiting Pierce College. This organization’s focus is on empowerment against discrimination in the multitude of forms it takes in our communities.

They attempt to achieve this by, “…acknowledging and confronting the history of this country, interrupting white supremacy, and unlearning the messages we receive that disconnect us from ourselves and each other.” (TPA Facebook page).

Link represents these values in his daily life; you’d be hard pressed to find him on campus without a Black Lives Matter shirt on or a sheet of paper pinned to his sleeve with the same words.

Link isn’t alone in his deep concern for our nations’ future; it’s an important aspect of his family life. Both his wife and son are also heavily involved in these same rallies and events.

His wife, Jo Anne Geron, is a professor at Pierce as well, teaching courses in psychology. She is working toward being a resource for immigrant students by learning Spanish.

They are both in active support of the Leadership Without Borders initiative at University of Washington. This organization is designed to help undocumented students still achieve their educational goals.

Another aspect of Link’s passions for social growth is his advocacy for Banned Books Week, during which he and a few other Pierce staff members put together a gathering based upon understanding the background behind some of our nations most banned books, and the reasons for which they were pulled from shelves.

Through dedication to the institution of learning, open-minded discussion, and the betterment of our society, Tom Link has educated and improved the lives of many students and is a part of the continuing growth of social awareness.