Jennifer Grewe Announced as Director of Connections

Dr. Jennifer Grewe has been announced as the new director of the University Connections program. Connections is an academic course designed to help students transition to higher education and life as a college student. Students learn how to take advantage of the opportunities and challenges associated with life as a university student.

“Connections is a vital component to the success of many first-year students,” said Grewe. “To me, that means providing a program that can increase opportunities and provide a pathway for a successful university career. It is also an avenue for many faculty to experience teaching and mentorship in a unique way.”

Grewe felt a calling to join Connections because of her passion for teaching undergraduate students. She says Connections is one of the most meaningful teaching experiences she has been able to participate in during her time at USU. Initially, she served as a Connections instructor, but later had the opportunity to join the Connections committee.

“The Connections committee is one of the most student-centered, dedicated, passionate group of faculty and staff I have ever worked with,” said Grewe. “I am grateful for the opportunity to be involved in this program and to be able to work with this group of people.”

When asked about her vision for the program, Grewe indicated that she’d like to continue to grow the program and its outcomes. Her goals include continually improving the curriculum and methods, advancing participation to include distance students, and increasing training and experiences for instructors.  

“We have some very exciting changes that we are implementing this fall with the addition of a mentorship component to the course, which I think embodies the teaching mission of Utah State University,” said Grewe.

Grewe is a professional practice assistant professor within the Department of Psychology at Utah State University. She is a USU alum and the current advisor of the local chapter of Psi Chi, an international psychology honors society. Grewe has taught thousands of undergraduate students and was awarded the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services award for Teacher of the Year in 2019.