Called to Teach: How a Mid-Career Shift Helped Randy Corpuz Live Out His Passion

Randy Corpuz decided to make a change. 

A tenure-track professor at a large R1 research institution on the East Coast, his career was moving in the right direction. He regularly taught in auditoriums filled with 500 students. His scholarly research was being published in the top journals of his field (psychology). And collaborators actively sought to partner with him on their respective studies.

From an outside perspective, Corpuz’s academic life was set. Thus it was surprising when he decided to reroute his career, pack up his family, and start his career in higher education over at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.

“A mid-career change when you're successful where you’re at is not something I’d usually advise,” says Corpuz. “However, at places like my old institution, the better you became at your job as a researcher, the less they wanted you in the classroom. That's not what I wanted to do with my life. Vocationally I understood that my passion revolved around teaching students. So, when I saw a teaching position open at Pepperdine, I felt God’s hand guiding me toward the opportunity.”

While other academics might have questioned the decision, Corpuz was (and is) confident in his unorthodox path. Now as an associate professor of psychology at Pepperdine University, he is able to align his professional goals with his Christian faith. In Malibu he is encouraged to pursue excellence as both a teacher and a scholar, and to do so for a greater purpose. 

The Classroom

Prior to joining the faculty at Seaver College, Corpuz’s teaching revolved largely around lectures. 

Too many students were packed into each class section for him to play a direct role in all of their learning endeavors. Instead, teaching assistants (TAs) provided the personal support to his undergraduates, forging connections, building relational bridges, collaborating over problems.

“At my old institution, I’d get really jealous of my TAs,” explains Corpuz. “In my mind, the work they were doing with my students was the fun stuff. I’d sit in my office and wonder, how can I extend my mentorship responsibilities beyond the research lab? How can I bridge them into the classroom and actively invest in my undergrads?”

By rerouting his career to Malibu, Corpuz opened the door to play a more direct role in the lives of his students. Now the average class size for his Research Methods course is about 12 undergraduates, a number which allows him to play a vital part in all facets of their intellectual formation.

In just 16 weeks, Corpuz shepherds students through the research process—from the development of investigative ideas, to the composition of a literature review, a data collection process, and finally a written draft of their findings. In doing so he is able to foster a strong standard of excellence for his students and help them unlock new academic and vocational passions.

“At this point, I've been in this long enough to see students of mine go forth and forge their own careers as researchers,” says Corpuz “To think that I made any small contribution to their trajectory, it’s a real rush of gratification. In those moments, I know I'm doing something God's picked me to do.”

The Research Field

“Truth, having nothing to fear from investigation, should be pursued relentlessly in every discipline.”

This statement comes from Pepperdine’s affirmation statement. Beyond complimenting the institution’s distinct Christian mission, it also inspires the research efforts of its faculty members and their curious students. In this environment Corpuz’s scholarly agenda has only expanded, creating new student mentorship opportunities in the process.

Since joining the Pepperdine faculty, the psychology professor has continued to help develop his scholarly field by publishing four different academic pieces of literature concerning his chief topic of interest, human fatherhood. In the process of producing these publications, Corpuz has discovered new ways in which to blend his passion for research with his passion for teaching. 

While at other institutions the research field is a place reserved for fellow PhDs and clinical specialists, at Seaver College the associate professor of psychology found a scholarly environment where students are seen as valued collaborators. As a result, Corpuz is empowered to involve undergraduates directly in his own research endeavors.

Now Corpuz takes on two student researchers each summer, challenging them to contribute to investigative studies that will be published, presented, and cited throughout the psychology field. Developing these pieces side by side with his students, the psychology professor is able to expand learning beyond the classroom. At the same time, he’s able to help foster the next generation’s commitment to the pursuit of truth.

“The rigor that Dr. Corpuz conducts his research with is truly inspiring and pushes me to be a better researcher,” says Allison Shah, a Pepperdine senior who is mentored by Corpuz. “Every step of the process is focused on advocacy, awareness, and learning to be a more empathetic person. Dr. Corpuz has not only shaped my academic career, but has also taught me how to be a more well-rounded person as a whole. His research on parenthood and fatherhood is something truly close to his heart, and inspires me to continue working in fields that I care about, representing people who might not be heard otherwise.”

The Purpose

More time in the classroom; more opportunities to mentor students; just as many research projects; and all of it at an institution founded on faith. At Pepperdine Corpuz discovered an academic environment that suited not only his vocational passions, but also his Christian purpose.

In the end, what ultimately convinced the psychology professor to uproot his life on the east coast and make for Southern California was a feeling that God was calling him there. Now at Seaver College, the nation’s premiere Christian liberal arts institution,  he can integrate how his faith has influenced his walk as a human, as a psychologist, and as an academic into the classroom. He can teach students that research, when done well, is a God-honoring practice.

“It's all about generating information that will go on to help serve hundreds or thousands of people,” Corpuz explains. “When students come into a classroom where faith is guiding them toward helping others, toward making a tangible impact on a larger human level, it reframes the course work into something far more compelling and worthy.”

Corpuz believes that being able to share his faith alongside his scholarly passions enriches learning, accentuates academic rigor, and redefines the purpose behind all academic work. By reorienting his vocational pursuits around students, as well as research, he’s been able to live out what he considers his calling, and in the process, Corpuz is able to uplift future psychologists.

“I would not be the researcher and student that I am without Dr. Corpuz’s guidance and mentorship, nor would I have been as successful thus far during my time at Pepperdine without him,” says Shah. “The research I have done with him has inspired my graduate school interests and where I am applying, so his impact on my personal academic career has been nothing short of life-changing.”

Randy Corpuz decided to make a change, and that has made all the difference.