Dr. Candace Lapan ’09, ’12 MA, and ’16 PhD is an assistant professor of psychology at Wingate University. Her passion is teaching and training students in the field of psychology, giving back to her community through volunteer service and contributing to our understanding of child development. Dr. Lapan is a “super alumna” having earned all three of her degrees from UNC Greensboro.
Dr. Lapan earned a B.A. in psychology with a double major in communication studies, a M.A. and Ph.D. in developmental psychology under the direction of Dr. Janet Boseovski in the UNCG DUCK Lab. Dr. Lapan’s work examining social and emotional development in early to middle childhood has been published in several prestigious academic journals, including Child Development, Early Childhood Research Quarterly, Infant and Child Development, andMerrill-Palmer Quarterly. Her engagement with UNCG began when she was a student, serving as President of the Association for Graduate Students in Psychology, a Senior Communication Consultant at the Speaking Center, and a Resident Advisor in Warren Ashby Residential College.
Dr. Lapan was excited to join the faculty of Wingate University this year, where she continues to mold students’ knowledge and experience in the field, including supervising student research. She strives to build relationships with all her students’ in order to support their academic and career pursuits. As a first generation college student and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, she is committed to supporting typically underrepresented students as they navigate academia. Consistent with this goal, she has taken steps to be involved with Prism (Wingate’s Gender and Sexuality student organization) as well as the Accessibility and Equity Committee.
Dr. Lapan is another example of how UNCG alumni continuously give back to their community and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
Interview with Dr. Candance Lapan
What advice do you want to share with fellow alumni?
Keep in touch with the friends and mentors that you spent time with while at UNCG. Your fellow Spartans are going great places and doing great things; they want you to be involved in their journey. These are now your people and they will continue to support you for years to come, no matter where life takes you. So take the time to keep in touch, send an email, or take a trip back to campus.
What advice do you want to share with students?
Find out about all of the opportunities that UNCG has to offer and get involved in the things that interest you. Never avoid being involved for fear of not being accepted or because you doubt your ability to contribute in a meaningful way. The UNCG community is a supportive and accepting place where you can find others who will lift you up, value your unique skills, and make you feel like a valued member of a community.
What is one of your favorite memories from your time as a student at UNCG?
There are so many that it’s hard to choose just one! Much of my time at UNCG was spent in Warren Ashby Residential College (WARC) and I would have to say that my times there are some of my best memories. WARC provided the opportunity for me to form close friendships with fellow Spartans as we took classes together (often in our pajamas), served on committees together seeking to improve our community, and took part in retreats to the Valle Crucis in the NC mountains. My years spent at WARC were integral to supporting the beginning of my journey through the university and sparking strong friendships that have lasted over a decade later.
