Professional Wisdom: What a College Student's Brain and Career Need

“The book Professional Wisdom by James Stellar and Brandy Eggan hits at the core of what experiential education adds to a classical college education. As a Vice President of Cooperative Education at Drexel University, I see every day the maturity our program of experiential education brings to college students. I really like that the authors grounded that observation in basic, easy-to-understand brain facts and ideas that makes it seem more fundamental. I recommend particularly that non-cooperative education university students, faculty, and administrators read this book. It will reframe their thinking about a college education.” —Ian Sladen, Vice President of Cooperative Education, Drexel University

“The book that James Stellar and Brandy Eggan have written grows out of an experience James and I had together as President and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Northeastern University, a cooperative education school that rose rapidly in reputation while we were in office together and continued after. Professional Wisdom helps explain the notable maturity we saw in our students as a result of the off-campus work experiences that were an intrinsic part of our educational program. The book extends that thinking to all higher education by pointing out the neuroscientific reasons why experiential education can significantly enhance classroom studies and thus greatly enhance student growth. I urge college-going students and families as well as higher education administrators and faculty to have a look and pay attention to these important principles.” —Richard Freeland, Former President, Northeastern University and former Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education

“In today’s word of holding educational institutions accountable for the value of their outcomes, students must develop the professional wisdom needed to be career or grad school ready. Institutions of higher learning and their students need to upgrade the development of professional wisdom from an occasional occurrence to an intentional outcome based on an institutional commitment. In our world, filled with an abundance of technology and rapidly emerging AI, the question is ‘How can educational institutions work with their students to develop the needed level of professional wisdom?’ What role does brain functioning play in bringing about professional wisdom? If you are at all curious about this, then you must read this book.” —Richard Porter, Past Vice President of Cooperative Education and Professor of Mathematics, Northeastern University

Dr. Brandy L. Eggan is an assistant professor of neuroscience at Siena College and a dedicated advocate for experiential learning, diversity, and restorative justice. She earned her PhD in neuroscience from Albany Medical College, where she continues to teach medical students and mentor underrepresented students in STEM fields through the NY Science and Technology Entry Program.

Dr. Eggan is also the Program Director for Union College’s Leadership in Medicine Program, a unique 8-year BS-MBA-MD degree pathway. Her passion for equity in education led her to earn a Master’s degree in Restorative Justice from Vermont Law School, and she brings that perspective to her work in higher education.

As co-director of the Center for Neuroscience and Experiential Education (NEUROEXED), Dr. Eggan collaborates on research and writing that explores the cognitive-emotional factors in decision-making and the value of experiential learning. She is a co-author of Diversity at College and continues to focus on helping students build the skills and mindset needed for success in education and beyond.