1) When are you graduating? December of 2019 (most likely)
2) What are your career plans? I plan to earn a PhD in cognitive neuroscience and intend to work as a professor and researcher. I am particularly interested in the cognitive and neurological processes of decision making in the contexts of morality and political ideology.
3) Why did you major in psychology? I have always been interested in understanding why people do the things that they do. While I was in the Air Force I saw how impactful an individual’s decisions can be, whether good or bad. I think those experiences really motivated me to think and learn more about how we determine the “right” course of action in the face of uncertainty and time limitations.
4) What do you do for fun? I enjoy spending time outdoors; camping, fishing and mountain biking with my wife and son.
5) What academic experience or accomplishment are you most proud of? The work I’ve done as a research assistant to Dr. Cowell has been the most rewarding part of my experience at UWGB. I have had the opportunity to present research at a number of conferences and to work closely with a number of really outstanding people.
6) What is your favorite movie, book, and TV show related to psychology? Two books really come to mind, “The Illusion of Conscious Will” by Daniel Wegner and “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Khaneman. Taken together I think these two books really illustrate the complexity and nuance of factors contributing to our decision making.
7) What single thing do you hope to accomplish at UWGB before graduating? I set a goal, when I got to UWGB, of having my first publication before I completed my undergrad. Beyond that I would like to contribute to the research community at UWGB by growing our reputation as an institution producing high quality research and providing excellent opportunities for undergraduate research.
8) What else do you want people to know about you? Outside of school I founded and work as Advocacy Director at a non-profit organization, Intellegere Project, which seeks to advance progressive policy and citizen engagement in Wisconsin through public and civil discourse.