Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota
About
What do you do as an Assistant Professor?
In my current position, I work as a neuroscientist researching how mental disorders affect neural processing in the human visual system. My work uses techniques including functional MRI, EEG, MR spectroscopy, and computational modeling.
Why did you choose to major in Psychology and how has that affected your career thus far?
I chose to major in BBCS because I became fascinated by psychology and neuroscience after taking a course in the Psychology Department called "Brain, Learning, and Memory" during the first semester of my freshman year. This decision ultimately lead me to pursue a career in research; I originally was interested in medicine, but decided that my passion for science outweighed my lesser interest in providing clinical care.
I found during my doctorate that I could combine these interests by studying the neuroscience of mental disorders. I decided to pursue a PhD in neuroscience at the University of Minnesota because I wanted to further solidify my training in neurobiology, while preparing for a career in research. This work focused on visual processing deficits in people with psychosis.
Afterwards, I conducted my post-doctoral research in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington, studying how vision is affected by autism spectrum disorder. Finally, I joined the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota as an Assistant Professor, working as part of a team studying psychosis under the framework of the Human Connectome Project.
What advice do you have both professionally and personally for students and recent alumni who are interested in pursuing a career similar to yours?
My advice for anyone interested in a career as a professor at a large research institution is to be sure that you know what you want. I can't imagine doing any other job than the one I have. I don't think I could be happy with a career outside of research. If that's how you feel, then my advice is to pursue your dream and you'll figure out how to make it a reality.
If you decide to obtain a PhD, but you have some interest in a career as a researcher in industry, or publishing, or public policy, or anything else, I strongly suggest you pursue different opportunities (internships, job shadowing, course work, etc.) in those fields, because generally your PhD program will be tailored toward training people for an academic career. However, the reality is that very few new professor positions are being created, and funding is hard to come by. Most people who obtain their PhD do not become professors. Knowing your career options and interests before starting a PhD (and certainly before finishing) will help you find the right career path.
If possible, would you change anything about your career path?
I would not change anything about my career, but that doesn't mean it has been easy. Learning time management is essential, as is learning to set boundaries. The best career advice I have received would be to push myself out of my comfort zone and into an area where I'm passionate. Learning computer programming was hard, but has been invaluable for my work. The factor to which I'd attribute most of my success is perseverance. I encourage those who aren't familiar to look up the quote on this subject, attributed to Calvin Coolidge, which begins "Nothing in the world will take the place of persistence."
Why do you love Michigan?
I love Michigan because there is an expectation of excellence. Go Blue, and beat Ohio.
