After 16 years of teaching, Bob Hill came to the Leadership Psychology PsyD Program to learn to make a broader impact on people struggling in society. As co-founder and senior coach at Match Beyond鈥攁 program to support students at College for America, which makes bachelor鈥檚 and associate鈥檚 degrees feasible for working adults鈥� he鈥檚 achieving that goal. For his efforts, 91香蕉视频成人在线 gave him its 2017 Florence H. Lehrman Mintz Alumni Award. Says President Nicholas Covino, 鈥淭hrough Match Beyond, Bob not only shows tremendous dedication to the students, but also a deep commitment to creating innovative programs that change the norm.鈥� Match Beyond evolved from Hill鈥檚 efforts to better support graduates of Match Charter Public High School, where he taught for 11 years, as they move on to college. The Boston-based Match High School primarily serves low-income students. Match Beyond, a partnership with Southern New Hampshire University, assists students in its online College for America Program, a flexibly scheduled, competency-based college program. Match High School and Match Beyond are divisions of Match Education, a foundation to support innovation in education. Match Beyond provides tutoring, study space, computer access, meals, and career coaching, among other services. Hill says that this is the first community organization to pair with College for America for in-person coaching. 鈥淲e help students emotionally, academically, and organizationally. We walk with them every step of the way.鈥� Crediting his Leadership PsyD program, Hill says, 鈥渋t enabled me to look at the world in a different light and see alternatives. It opened my mind to think about innovation and new ways to make a difference.鈥� Bob Hill, PsyD HONORED WITH FLORENCE H. LEHRMAN MINTZ ALUMNI AWARD Given Dr. Justin Sinclair鈥檚 research on fear, terrorism and politics and their impact on individuals and groups, we asked him to comment on the current post-election climate in the country. Here are his thoughts. Many people are struggling to make sense of daily events, some are protesting and 鈥渞esist- ing,鈥� in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. What are we witnessing? More than at any other time our politics seem to be driven by psychology 鈥� fear, anger, insecurity, anx- iety, etc. People are worried about terrorism and personal safety, whether they will be forced from the country, or lose basic human rights regarding marriage, abortion and more. These emotions have an extraordinarily polarizing effect on people鈥檚 perspectives. Since the election, there has been a wholesale suspension of civility and tolerance. How does the nation step away from this untenable situation? That鈥檚 the million dollar question and unfortunately I don鈥檛 think there is an easy answer. Classic social psychological research shows that we cling more dearly to what is similar and familiar to us when faced with an external threat. However, when fellow citizens are seen as threatening a different dynamic emerges entirely. 9/11 ushered in a new sense of threat and inse- curity for many people; fear of immediate threats like terrorism and general insecurity about the fu- ture. These high-intensity emotions drive people to take more extreme measures in order to feel safe, regardless of which side of an issue they endorse. However, it is important to understand that people on different sides of an issue may be experiencing many of the same fears, worries, and uncertain- ties. Navigating these issues means emphasizing similarities as opposed to the differences. I think people need to be willing and open to having difficult conversations. It鈥檚 important to understand what lies beneath differing viewpoints. In so doing there may be a way to deconstruct these issues to find more similarities and common ground. Q Q A A WILLIAM JAMES COLLEGE 7