Meet a Colleague: Julie Woodzicka Julie Woodzicka is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Cognitive and Behavioral Science.

W&L News Office
June 4, 2025

Q. How long have you worked at W&L?
I have been working at W&L for 25 years.

Q. What is your favorite course to teach, and why?
My seminar in Stereotyping, Prejudice and Discrimination has been extremely satisfying to teach because I can see students develop values related to equality throughout the course. Psychology of Humor is fun to teach too.

Q. What do you like most about working at W&L? 
The students are my favorite part. Not many jobs afford you the privilege of working with motivated young people who are optimistic about the future.

Q. Where is your favorite location on the W&L campus? 
I love my office. Not because it is well-decorated, but because it is a productive space for me with lots of windows, mementos from past students and my own kids, a comfortable desk chair and two cushy chairs where I sit when I talk with students.

Q. What advice do you have for students? 
Life is not lived at 100% — it’s lived at whatever you got that day. So many students want to delay assignments, tests or presentations until they feel 100% prepared, but that’s not how life works. You got to show up and do your best even if you aren’t feeling your best.

Q. What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not working? 
I love all things swimming, particularly watching my three kids swim in their respective college meets.

Q. Where did you grow up? 
I grew up in Milwaukee.

Q. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 
I wanted to be a medical doctor.

Q. What is the most adventurous thing that you have ever done?
Probably when I moved to Rome in my 40s to teach psychology for six weeks. I didn’t speak Italian and I didn’t know anyone — I was used to doing things with my family as a unit. Looking back, it doesn’t seem that adventurous, but at the time it felt very big. Best part is that I ended up making some really good Roman friends who I still visit.

Q. What book are you reading now?
“Big Girl” by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan.

Q. What is the website you visit most often and why? 
SwimSwam. It’s a site for swimming news, college swim commitments, big meet results, etc.

Q. If you could have coffee with one person, who would it be and why? 
This is a big question and hard to answer because I feel like it changes depending on the day and what’s going on in my life. Right now, I could use some extra laughter, so I’d say Tina Fey.

Q. If you could live anywhere, where would you build your dream home? 
On water somewhere — could be a lake or an ocean. I like being close to water.

Q. What is your favorite film (movie) of all time? 
“E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”

Q. If they made a movie about your life, who would play you? 
Amy Schumer.

Q. What is your desert island food? 
Sushi.

Q. Tell us something most people don’t know about you. 
I read a lot of novels (at least one per week during the school year and many more in the summer).

Q. What is your secret talent?
I am a really good sale shopper.