wicks

  1. When did you graduate?  I graduated in May of 2009.
  2. What do you do now?  Currently I am an Enrollment Advisor/Financial Aid Specialist at Minneapolis Community & Technical College (MCTC).  Up until August of 2016 I was also teaching online courses for Oregon State University for the Human Development and Family Studies department.  I work in a unique location as MCTC is located right in downtown Minneapolis.  I provide higher-level, one-on-one services to students who are encountering multiple barriers in their pursuit of higher education and this position has been and continues to be extraordinarily rewarding.
  3. Why did you major in psychology?  I have to credit Dr. Gurung for my path down the rabbit hole that is Psychology;  his passion for Psychology and education was and continues to be contagious.  I later added Human Development as another major because of the parallels in curriculum and my own personal interests that were developing, thanks to Dr. Bartell and her focus on personal/romantic relationship research as it pertained to academic success.  The love and support you feel from the Psychology and Human Development faculty is genuine and second to none.
  4. What do you do for fun? I love the outdoors, no matter the weather so I try to find my inner peace in the woods and waters of Minnesota and Wisconsin.  My wife and I are transplants to Minnesota so we’re usually exploring what this state has to offer.  I’m also exploring the food and craft beer scene here in the Twin Cities.  Yes, I’m a craft brew snob and proud of it.
  5. What academic experience or accomplishment are you most proud of?  I am most proud of being nudged out of my comfort zone and getting involved as a teaching assistant and research assistant for Dr. Bartell and Dr. Jill White (whom has since moved on from UW-Green Bay).  Learning methods of pedagogy and being involved in research as an undergraduate was a life-changing experience.   From that, presenting research at the International Association of Relationship Research (IARR) in 2008 in Providence, RI with Dr. Bartell and fellow students was an incredible experience and opportunity that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
  6. What’s your favorite movie, book, and TV show, related to psychology? Favorite book- The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness of Industry; favorite movie – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; favorite TV show: Criminal Minds
  7. What is an important goal or accomplishment you are currently working on? I left my graduate program prematurely after defending my Master’s thesis, mainly based on fit and the direction the program was going (and also due to the death of my advisor).  After working in higher education for the past 4 years, I am beginning the process of narrowing down doctoral programs in Higher Education Administration with a focus in Student Affairs. My timeline to apply and enroll is within the next two years, and take the GRE within the next year.
  8. What else do you want people to know about you? I am the middle child of my family; my wife is the middle child of her family.  My mom had three boys; my wife’s mother had three girls.  My life is a walking research article of family development and interpersonal/romantic relationship theory and there’s never a dull moment!