Higher education has a long history of transferring knowledge—facts and theories—into students’ minds. However, it has less of a history of providing students with direct experiences, such as internships, that lead to felt knowledge of the field and relevant skills. It is this combination of academic and felt knowledge that fosters the growth students need, which we refer to as “professional wisdom.”
This growth state is supported by basic neuroscience. Humans possess a crowning achievement of evolution in the neocortex, allowing us to perform amazing feats of cognitive symbolic logic, such as language and planning. Beneath the neocortex lies an older part of the brain that regulates emotional computation—the limbic system. This system provides a perspective of value, helping us determine whether a plan or activity is beneficial. Interestingly, neuroscience shows that the limbic system reacts most strongly to actual experiences, and it requires reflection to process these experiences into the higher cognitive regions of the brain.
When applied to higher education, this insight suggests that combining academic study with hands-on experiences—such as cooperative learning and internships—can lead to a lifelong career where students remain passionate and engaged. A major paired with an enjoyable, real-world experience in college helps students connect knowledge with purpose, fostering long-term satisfaction and success.
While some individuals, especially in academic administration, refer to this as “educating the whole student,” we describe it as cognitive-emotional integration, the foundation of professional wisdom. In this book, we explore the current experiences in higher education that foster this development, from cooperative learning to internships and beyond. We also offer two neuroscientists’ perspectives on how cognitive-emotional integration aligns with the brain’s natural processes.
With this understanding, we believe colleges and universities have an obligation to their students: to cultivate environments that challenge them both inside and outside the classroom. Without this, we risk graduating learners unprepared for the demands of the modern workforce.
About the Author :
Dr. James R. Stellar is a professor of behavioral neuroscience at the University at Albany, SUNY, with over four decades of experience in academia. He began his career at the University of Pennsylvania, earning his PhD and completing a postdoctoral fellowship before joining Harvard University as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology. He later transitioned into academic leadership, serving as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Northeastern University, Provost at Queens College, CUNY, and Provost and Interim President at the University at Albany.
Dr. Stellar’s work focuses on the intersection of neuroscience, education, and experiential learning, emphasizing how hands-on experiences like internships prepare students for meaningful careers. He co-directs the Center for Neuroscience and Experiential Education (NEUROEXED), where he collaborates on research, writing, and mentoring students.
Dr. Stellar has authored several books, including The Neurobiology of Motivation and Reward, Diversity at College, and Education That Works. His passion lies in helping students and educators integrate cognitive and emotional learning to develop what he calls “professional wisdom.”
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.
Review :
“Two neuroscientists make a compelling case that higher education must move beyond classroom learning.”
—KIRKUS REVIEW
“As an Interim University Executive Director of CUNY Online, and after a long career in education, including some co-authorship with James, I was pleased to see this book on the development of what is called ‘professional wisdom’ in college students. In higher education, the primary focus continues to be on classical knowledge transfer from faculty to students; however, we need to be cognizant that our students are living in a world outside the higher education walls and can and should learn from it as well. This book drives home that point and even does it from the perspective of how we are built with a brain that not only processes information but adds feelings from direct experiences to create value out of that information. Students gain a deeper understanding of the material because they see its relevance and utility. Abstract concepts become tangible when used to solve actual problems in workplaces or communities, and these experiences help drive students to their ‘aha moment’ as they pursue their interests and passion. For anyone who cares about higher education from the student perspective, this is a must-read.”
—JUDITH CAHN, EdD, Interim University Executive Director, CUNY Online
“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 learn- ing 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
