The Courses
Reward, psychopathology, music, trauma, and scholarly craft — designed so students build real things.
Too Much of a Good Thing? The Psychology of Rewards
How reward shapes behavior, motivation, and psychopathology — and when a good thing turns. Harvard College & Extension School.
The Science and Psychology of Music
From auditory perception to music as medicine; students draft music-based policy proposals. Harvard College & Extension School; also taught at Columbia University.
Mechanisms & Markers of Psychopathology
Biological and behavioral markers of mental illness (formerly “Broken Brains”). Harvard College & Extension School; also taught at the University of Fribourg.
Intercultural Perspectives on Trauma
How culture shapes trauma expression and healing; students produce cross-cultural podcast episodes. Harvard College & Extension School; also taught at NYU as the graduate seminar “Cross-Cultural Studies on Traumatic Experiences.”
Introduction to Research in Psychopathology
Research design and methods for clinical science. Harvard Summer School.
Engaging the Scholarly Conversation
Graduate scholarly writing — entering, mapping, and contributing to an academic literature. Harvard Summer School.
Being Alive: The Science and Experience of Being Human
Being human as something to be studied — and something to be lived: empirical research paired, week by week, with first-hand experience.
In development · proposed Summer 2027
Earlier teaching abroad
Lecturer (Chargé de Cours) in the Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland (2018–2022) — courses included Applied Behavior Analysis and Psychopathologie des troubles de la personnalité — and Lecturer at Universidade Norte do Paraná, Brazil (2016–2017).
Recognized with multiple Harvard Certificates of Teaching Excellence and the 2026 Annamae & Allan R. Crite Prize. Courses partner with local NGOs so students build real mental-health resources for immigrant and refugee communities.
Student Evaluations
A consistent record of highly-rated teaching across institutions and years, including fully-online courses at Harvard Extension School and the University of Fribourg. Rating scales differ by institution, so the combined figure below is normalized to a 5-point scale. Full reports are linked at the end.
“Professor Piccolo cares so much about his students and has an infectious enthusiasm for the subject matter.”
The Science and Psychology of Music · Harvard College
“Mayron makes every class super engaging, and his passion for the subject makes class so fun. I love how interactive the class is.”
The Science and Psychology of Music · Harvard College
“He is one of the rare professors at Harvard who genuinely cares about his students on a personal level.”
Intercultural Perspectives on Trauma · Harvard College
“Such a caring, passionate, and effective professor.”
Mechanisms & Markers of Mental Illness · Harvard College
“His lectures are engaging and make complex topics easy to understand, making each class memorable — like something out of an Ivy League movie.”
The Psychology of Rewards · Columbia University
“The professor blends theory, practice, and lived experience, which makes it genuinely interesting and helps us learn better.”
Psychopathologie des troubles de la personnalité · Fribourg
“The online experience was excellent, and truly felt like being in an actual classroom. The interactions with teaching staff and classmates were smooth, supportive, and engaging.”
Intercultural Perspectives on Trauma · Harvard Extension School Online
“He is engaging, brilliant, and manages to make every participant, whether in person or on Zoom, feel they are right there in the class.”
The Psychology of Rewards · Harvard Extension School Online
“The professor is very enthusiastic, and I feel that he really cares that we truly understand the content.”
Applied Behavior Analysis · Fribourg Online
“The teacher is passionate about his class, which makes learning easier and pleasant.”
Applied Behavior Analysis · Fribourg Online