Co-Founder/Chief Science Officer at Lyssn.io Named the 2023 Undergraduate Scholars Forum Keynote Speaker  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fulton, MO ‒ April 19, 2023: Westminster is pleased to announce Zach Imel, PhD, ’01 ΔΤΔ, with Lyssn.io as the keynote speaker during the College’s 16th Annual Undergraduate Scholars Forum (USF) at 9 a.m. on Thursday, April 20, 2023, in Coulter Science Center.

The public is cordially invited to attend the USF, which runs in concurrent sessions throughout the day. 

Imel’s keynote address will be conducted both in person and via livestream on Westminster’s livestream page, as well as the College’s Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter accounts.

A Westminster alumnus from the Class of 2001, Imel is a co-founder and Chief Science Officer at Lyssn.io, a technology company that uses artificial intelligence to assess and improve psychotherapeutic practices. 

He also serves as a professor in the Departments of Educational Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Utah.  

Imel is the author of more than 100 scientific publications and the co-author of The Great Psychotherapy Debate: The Evidence for What Makes Psychotherapy Work. The text has been translated into multiple languages and cited more than 3,000 times.

Dr. Mary Majerus, USF director and director of Westminster’s Center for Teaching and Learning, says the Undergraduate Scholars Forum is one of Westminster’s signature events, allowing students to learn from one another across disciplines.

We are excited to welcome Dr. Imel back to Westminster as this year’s keynote speaker,” Majerus says. “He is a lifelong learner known for his creativity and interdisciplinary focus, which should inspire our students to see where their Westminster College education can lead.”

The USF promotes undergraduate research and other scholarly work ― integral components of a Westminster education. Classes are paused for the day while more than 100 students from 16 academic programs present original research through multimedia projects, papers, and posters.

Along with Beth (Howard) MacLellan, Class of 2000, the Undergraduate Scholars Forum is generously funded by an endowment established by the Stubbs family, which includes a number of Westminster graduates: David Stubbs, Class of 1968; Thad Stubbs, Class of 1999; Courtney (Stubbs) Swan, Class of 2001; and Zach Stubbs, Class of 2007; as well as Rebecca Stubbs, Class of 2008. 

Founded in 1851 and home of Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech, Westminster College in Fulton is ranked prestigiously by U.S. News & World Report as the only National Liberal Arts College in Missouri. It is also listed as one of the top institutions in the country for economic mobility and return on investment, placing in the top 16 percent for graduate earnings with a more than 90 percent placement rate. Westminster is a Forbes Best Value College that focuses on educating and inspiring students to make an impact on the world around them.  

 To find out more about Westminster College, please visit our website at WCMO.edu. 

 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Sarah Backer at 573-220-9038 or [email protected].

 

Sarah Rummel Backer

Sarah Rummel Backer is the Director of Media Relations and Senior Writer at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. A proud Westminster graduate, Sarah has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and strategic communications in the areas of higher education, medicine, agriculture, and the private business sector.