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May 26, 2026

An A-Z faculty questionnaire

Bryan Acton, Emily Zale discuss teaching at Binghamton

Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit, a professor of comparative literature and classics, is Binghamton University's longest-serving faculty members. She has been teaching at Binghamton (then known as Harpur College) since 1962. Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit, a professor of comparative literature and classics, is Binghamton University's longest-serving faculty members. She has been teaching at Binghamton (then known as Harpur College) since 1962.
Zoja Pavlovskis-Petit, a professor of comparative literature and classics, is Binghamton University's longest-serving faculty members. She has been teaching at Binghamton (then known as Harpur College) since 1962. Image Credit: Jonathan Cohen.
May 12, 2026

Binghamton University has more than 1,200 faculty members in programs ranging from accounting and Africana studies to sustainable communities and systems science. Two of those faculty members are Bryan Acton, assistant professor of organizational behavior and leadership in the School of Management, and Emily Zale, assistant professor of psychology who specializes in health psychology and behavioral medicine. Zale has taught at Binghamton for eight years, while this is Acton’s fourth year at the University.

Q: What is your favorite thing about being a faculty member here?

ACTON: The range of experiences. In a given week I might teach an MBA class with students who are already working full-time, then meet with PhD students about research ideas, then collaborate with other faculty on a paper or grant. Getting to do all of that in one place is why I call it my dream job.

ZALE: My favorite thing is the opportunity to constantly learn new things. Whether it is an insight from a student in my undergraduate seminar, a research talk from a colleague, or a project led by a graduate student, I love being challenged to think and grow in new ways.


Q: Favorite class or classes you’ve taught here? Why?

ZALE: At the undergraduate level, my staple courses are PSYC 360 (Psychotherapy: Models & Methods) and a PSYC 473 seminar called Health Psychology. One of my favorite things about PSYC 360 is having the opportunity to demystify and destigmatize psychotherapy. One of my favorite things about PSYC 473 is the opportunity I get to know students well through small-group discussions.

ACTON: My team leadership class at the MBA level. I get to teach concepts grounded in theory and research, but also do a lot of hands-on activities focused on skills like communication that students can apply in their jobs the next day. 

Q: How would you describe Binghamton students?

ACTON: Intellectually curious. The students who are really successful here are the ones who never stop asking questions about the world around them — and I see that in so many students at Binghamton.

ZALE: Binghamton students are insightful, engaged, creative leaders. Seeing how our students engage with complex challenges makes me confident that they can take on anything and change our world for the better.
 

Posted in: Campus News