Imagine for a moment that you could create your own personal college. It would be focused on your particular needs. It would have professors who knew you and shared your passions. Classes would be closer to interesting conversations with a small group of friends than long lectures with dozens of strangers. And help would always be right next door. That’s a close description of Butler University. Learn more about how we take your education personally. 

Tara Lineweaver
Professor, Psychology
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

How have your students encouraged, inspired, or influenced you?
I learn from my students every day. Whether in the classroom or in my research lab, the questions they ask and perspectives they bring always help challenge and broaden my own ideas. This is what I love most about working in a university setting where intellectual energy permeates the environment. In my lab, my students often generate their own research questions, design studies, implement them, and share their results in presentations and publications. I would not be the scholar I am today if it weren’t for the students I have had the privilege of mentoring.

Why is mentoring important for college students?
Mentoring is important for college students because college is a time of exploration and self-discovery for them. Mentors are guides that can help students identify paths that they want to follow and paths that they don’t want to follow. During this time of immense personal growth and discovery, having a mentor (or better yet, multiple mentors) beside you on the journey is an essential component of reaching the next destination along the way, whatever that may be.

What advice would you give a prospective student who’s considering Butler University?
Come visit! So many of our students visited campus and knew immediately that this was where they wanted to spend their undergraduate years. 

Then, join us! There are many good schools, but Butler will be more than a good school. Butler will be a home away from home and a family away from family, a friendly and inviting community of faculty, staff, and students where you can become your best you. 

You are welcome here! We hope that you will be a Butler Bulldog.

Marissa Ward
Psychology major, Neuroscience minor
Simsbury, Connecticut

How has your professor encouraged, inspired, or influenced you? 
Dr. Lineweaver originally inspired me with her passionate and comprehensive research and work regarding neurodegenerative disorders and healthy aging. Her curiosity and work ethic showed me that we can always be learning and it encouraged me to be more inquisitive and to never accept the bare minimum. 

How have you grown as a result of the connections with your professor?
I believe that my connections and interactions with Dr. Lineweaver have helped me grow into the versatile and thoughtful professional that I want to be. Specifically, Dr. Lineweaver advised me on my internship this past summer and encouraged me to reflect not only on the actual research assistant work that I was doing, but how I felt about the work I was doing. This has helped me to be mindful of my work and the impact that I am making with my contributions.

What has surprised you the most about this relationship?
I was surprised at how personable and meaningful this relationship has become. Going into college, I didn’t necessarily think that you could have such deep connections with professors. Dr. Lineweaver shows a genuine interest in her student’s lives and wellbeing. For instance, she always made an effort to check in during our lab meetings about what we did over the weekend and how our semesters were going. She recognizes that her students are more than just students and this definitely made me feel seen, heard, and valued.

What advice would you give a prospective student who’s considering Butler University?
Explore disciplines outside of your major. Yes, you are here for a degree in your major and have requirements to fill, but one of the perks of being in college is that you have the freedom to choose your classes. Use your elective credits to explore things that will make you a well-rounded candidate for grad school or for jobs. Take an English class that sparks your interest, a non-major dance class, or create an independent study with a professor you connect with. The world is your oyster at Butler.