Introducing Rodrigo Miranda

-Contributed by Rodrigo Miranda

The CHP is happy to welcome Rodrigo Miranda to Akron. Rodrigo will be doing research at the CHP for the next eight months. Rodrigo’s stay in Akron is part of a “scholar swap” between the Center for the History of Psychology at The University of Akron and the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil.

Hi everybody. My name is Rodrigo Miranda. I am a Brazilian PhD candidate at the School of Education (Faculdade de Educação) of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG). My Brazilian hometown is called Belo Horizonte (literally “Beautiful Horizon”) and it is located in the Minas Gerais State.

I have just arrived in Akron for an eight-month studying period at the Center for the History of Psychology. I am at the CHP during my Sandwich PhD period. This is a period of time in which the Brazilian PhD candidate travels abroad for learning in another university. This was made possible by an agreement signed between UFMG and The University of Akron (UA). Thank you Prof. David Baker (UA) and Prof. Sergio Cirino (UFMG)!

During this eight-month period I am researching experimental psychology laboratories in the United States in the CHP Archives and writing my PhD dissertation as well. I would like to learn everything I can and also  contribute to CHP activities.

In the last five years I have been researching two main subjects: (1) the history of experimental psychology in Brazil during the 20^th century; and (2) the history of teaching psychology in Brazil in the same period (i.e. Cirino, Miranda, & Souza Jr., 2012 and Cirino, Miranda, & Cruz, 2012). My main focus is the role played by the laboratory in research, and the professionalization and the teaching of psychology in Brazil. This is part of the agenda developed in the Laboratory of Psychology and Education Helena Antipoff (LAPED – Laboratório de Psicologia e Educação Helena Antipoff) of UFMG.