Gerald Cupchik recounts his journey to becoming a psychology professor at UTSC. His story began from when he decided to be a professor of social psychology at the age of 12, through his time at the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin amid social unrest and civil rights movements, until he began teaching at the University of Toronto 45 years ago. Professor Cupchik uses this experience to note the ways in which academics have changed, namely through its current heightened professionalism and increased isolation. He highlights the importance of survival and connecting with your roots along with creating a community, or village, of learning in his office as he encourages his students to pursue real life research.
