Dr. Elizabeth Weiss is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Ohio State Newark who will be teaching a Spring 2025 OPEEP class.
How and when did you become involved with OPEEP?
I did my OPEEP instructor training in Spring of 2023, at the recommendation of a colleague who taught an OPEEP course and loved it. I've been involved in the Philosophy for Humans learning community at SCI for about six months now, and it has been a fabulous experience.
What course will you be teaching in SP25, and what topics are you excited about covering with your students?
I am teaching Human Sexuality. I'm very excited to help my students learn more about themselves, their relationships, and the different ways humans connect with each other.
Goals/takeaways you'd like your students to leave class with?
I would like them to leave the course with a better understanding of the world around them, some skills that they can apply to all of their relationships (not just sexual ones), and the ability to think and talk about how political issues around sexuality shape the world we live in.
What is one thing that you wish more people knew about prison abolition and transformative justice?
I wish people understood that the ultimate goal of abolition is the creation of a society where we support people through collective care and nurturing so that incarceration is not necessary. Most people I speak to think that abolition is just interested in getting rid of prisons without supporting changes in society. I'd like to see more people understand the big picture and the long-term goals of prison abolition!
What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy spending time with my kids and my dog, sewing (especially costume creation), and reading.
