Dr Joost Dessing
School of Psychology
Originally from the Netherlands, Joost joined Queen's in 2012 as a lecturer in the School of Psychology. As well as carrying out research, he lectures in the undergraduate and masters programme within the School.
As an academic tutor, he helps new students settle into university life and supports them throughout their degree.
About Joost
What do you like about your work?
Pretty much everything; I still consider I am being paid for my hobby. My heart lies with research, but I enjoy teaching students very much as well.
Dutch people are renowned for their love of cycling – do you ride a bike in Belfast?
Of course I do! I am looking into getting a new one, possibly via the Cycle+ Scheme Queen’s offers.
What’s your favourite thing about Belfast?
Belfast is a small big town. You can get anywhere within a very short period of time; this includes the city itself, but also different surrounding landscapes.
Sum up your life in a hashtag
#apositiveattitudegetsyouplaces
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I hope to have my lab running with several PhD students and post-docs, ideally funded from external grants. Moreover, I hope to be inspiring students through lectures and tutoring.
What do you do?
I study the neuroscience of eye-hand coordination: how do people pick up a coffee cup, catch a ball, or play video games, and particularly what are principles/mechanisms by which these actions are accomplished?
What do you teach?
I lecture in Research Methods and Statistics, Psychobiology, and Psychology of
Movement Performance within the undergraduate programme, and I am one of the Lecturers within the Masters Programme on Psychology of Performance Enhancement in Sport and Health.
What role do you play in supporting students throughout their academic studies?
My role involves helping first years settle into their new situation as university students, supporting them in their first essay writing, and helping them to prepare for exams. I support students throughout their studies from evaluating their progress to supervising their research projects.
What qualities are important for the role?
I aim to provide an environment in which all students can achieve or surpass the level reflective of their capabilities. There is a fine line between helping the students along in their improvements and challenging them to improve and I think an important part of tutoring is tailoring the feedback to the individual student’s development.
