Professor featured in National Geographic magazine

Some people wait their whole lives to find themselves in the moving and inspirational pages of National Geographic magazine. For Nancy Segal, Ph.D., psychology professor at Cal State Fullerton, that wait is over.

Valentina Lopez / For the Daily Titan

Segal, along with a team of psychologists studying twins and twin behavior, were interviewed in the January edition of National Geographic. The article went in depth on the research into how human genetics make up who we are.

Segal has always been interested in the differences between her twin sister and herself.

“We were raised together, same parents, same neighborhoods, same schools and yet we ended up being so very different,” said Segal.

It was those differences that sparked her curiosity in twin studies and how genetics and environmental influences impact human behavior.

Jack Mearns, the chair of the department of psychology, praised Segal’s work and accomplishments.

“Dr. Segal already has an international reputation as a premier researcher about twins. She has published widely in scholarly journals, has written three books and has appeared on mainstream television and radio shows to discuss her research. That she was quoted in National Geographic underscores her stature in the field,” said Mearns.

Segal expressed the honor it was to be interviewed for National Geographic.

“It’s a magazine with a lot of prestige and impact, and a lot of people read it. It’s really quite an honor to find yourself in a publication like that,” she said.

Some CSUF students hope the publication of the article will bring more attention to the strength of the professors at Cal State Fullerton.

Azaadeh Goharzad, a third-year psychology student, said, “We do some incredible research here and I hope that Dr. Segal’s work will give Fullerton the kind of notoriety that it deserves.”

As a professor, Segal wants her students to understand that genetics plays a pivotal role in behavior.

“I think what (students) have to realize is that parents pass on both genes and environments to children, and you can’t disentangle them from their ordinary biological parents. You have to do twin studies and biological studies to ease these factors apart,” Segal said.

The Jim Twins, who play an important role in Segal’s research and the National Geographic article, are also the topic of her new book, Born Together – Reared Apart: The Landmark Minnesota Twin Study, which is set to come out in May.

Segal has gotten a lot of feedback about the article from friends and co-workers.

“I’ve gotten a lot of comments from people around the country; mothers of twins, teachers, doctors and all kinds of interesting people. That’s the great thing about being in the public media, you get a big reach,” Segal said.

Students have also shown interested in the article, according to Goharzad. “I haven’t had a chance to read the article yet, but I am looking forward to reading it. It’s important for us to recognize and support the faculty and students doing fascinating science and expanding knowledge,” he said.

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