Psychology Alumni: Where are they now?

I graduated from Ithaca College with a major in Psychology in May of 2007. I am now finishing my Masters in Forensic Psychology at Marymount University. I took a year off between graduating in 2007 and attending graduate school in the Fall of 2008. I knew I wanted to study an area of Psychology, but was unsure exactly which area. I always had an interest in the criminal population and therefore, decided pursue that area of study.

In the Forensic Psychology program I have had great opportunities to meet the leading figures in the areas of criminology, government and psychology. The highlight of the program so far was being taught by one of the top criminal profilers in the country and the world. Taking part in an internship is a requirement for the program. The types of internships available include the FBI, CIA, DEA, metropolitan police departments, trial consulting firms, law offices, as well as many others. I am currently interning at a law firm that defends criminal cases. Through the internship I have gained hands on experience in working with high profile criminal cases.

My education at Ithaca College has been helpful in every step of my masters program. When I began graduate school I found that I was much better prepared to the handle the academics than many of my fellow students. The research team experience at Ithaca College provided me with the knowledge of research methods and techniques in a real world setting. With that knowledge I was an asset to research projects designed by my professors. Overall, the Psychology program at Ithaca taught me all of the necessary information to prepare me to pursue a higher degree in the practice of psychology.

At this point I am finishing my last semester of my graduate studies. I am applying for jobs in the area of forensic counseling. I am hoping to work with criminals and the families of criminals in a therapeutic setting. I will always treasure my time at Ithaca College and continue to be thankful for the knowledge I gained though the psychology program.

I chose psychology because I was interested in it, nothing more.  I didn't have any concrete idea of where it would take me or what I wanted out of it, I just hoped to learn some fascinating stuff.  In that, I definitely succeeded.  I got to meet a great many intelligent (and occasionally quirky) professors from a wide variety of different backgrounds, who introduced me to a ton of new ideas, facts, and ways of looking at the world.

I learned about altruism, why people fail to help each other and what can be done about it.  I wrote a paper about cults.  I learned about how memory works and how children learn language.  I joined a research team, where I had a chance to perform actual experiments -- about, of all things, people's sense of humor.  I put on a lab coat for the first time and sliced up a cow's brain.  I even made a presentation at a real live conference.  I came away from my classes awed by the amazing, tangled, intricate weirdness of human brains.

And, in the end, when I graduated I managed to get a job as a research assistant, working for (of all the unexpected employers) the U.S. Army.  I helped to research antidotes to nerve gas.  It was an exciting job, to say the least.  Fresh out of college, I found myself carrying around bottles of sarin and performing actual surgery -- albeit in miniature, on rats and guinea pigs.  I used a lot of the statistical analysis skills I learned at Ithaca, and got to apply a lot of the knowledge I'd gained in Neuroscience class about neurotransmitters, the anatomy of the brain, and EEGs.  I have to say that the best part of that job, though, was that I got to wear a lab coat every day.

When I "graduated" from my year-long internship, I got a completely different job.  Now, I'm living abroad in Japan, teaching at an English conversation school.  My students range from drooling toddlers to retired professors, and I do everything from singing the ABC song to having discussions about global warming and the world economy.  And (I'll admit, somewhat to my surprise) my psych major has been useful to me here, too.  I've dredged up things I learned in Cognition class to help my students understand and remember better, and to help me design age-appropriate activities for my kids' classes.  And my school is right next to a big university, so a good number of my students are actually professors.  If I thought that traveling to the other side of the planet would keep me away from APA Style, I was wrong.  I've had a hand in more published journal articles here than I did as a research assistant!  I help my students prepare posters and presentations for internal conferences, something that a lot of other English teachers here can't do.  Even when the topic isn't psychology (I've got an agriculture professor, several computer scientists and a whole slew of medical doctors), my knowledge of scientific methods, statistics, and research terminology has come in very handy. 

I graduated from Ithaca College in May 1998 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology.  I have so many wonderful memories from my days spent in Williams Hall.  I would say the majority of my sophomore through senior years were spent hanging out there.  It could have been going to class, doing something for research team, visiting with my professors or just hanging out and studying.  Williams’ Hall became a safe place for me and it was definitely my second home.

I often reflect on my days at Ithaca.  There are times I wish I was back there in class or just walking around on campus.  There was so much freedom and thinking outside the box.  Ithaca gave me the freedom to be who I was and grow as a person, both academically and personally.  I am not sure where I would be had I not gone to Ithaca.  All I do know is that it was the best choice for me.  I have had some amazing experiences along my journey, none of which I believe would have happened had I not gone to Ithaca.

Since leaving Ithaca I have held several positions that have given me a variety of experiences.  After graduation I moved to Savannah, GA to volunteer with Americorps.  In this position I worked with middle and high school students encouraging them to volunteer in the community. 

After my one year commitment with Americorps, I accepted a position as a case manager with the Department of Family and Children Services.  In this position I investigated allegations of child abuse/ neglect.  Needless to say this job is not for everyone.  After leaving Family and Children Services, I went to work at Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation.  In this position I worked in the Staffing Department and got a taste of the recruiting world.  I then worked in their Field Service office supporting the Field Rep employees.  I was responsible for supporting our military sites as well as the International Field Reps. 

I decided I might want to try teaching, so I accepted a position as an office manager at an Elementary school.  While this was an insightful position, it also made me realize that this was not the path for me.  I left the school to stay home when my son was born. 

After almost one year I decided to re-enter the work force.  I accepted a position as a Human Resources Representative at Gulfstream Aerospace.  I work in the Employee Relations division of the company and I am going on four years in this position.  It is a truly dynamic company that manufactures business jets.  What I enjoy about my work is that no two days are ever the same.  There is always something new happening and you never know what your day is going to bring.  I am not sure what or when my next adventure will be, but it will be interesting to see where life takes me next.

My educational experiences within the IC Psychology Department provided an excellent foundation for the following chapters of my life.  A year after graduating from IC, I entered a Social Psychology Ph.D. Program at the University of Maine.  I was well-prepared for the rigors of the program, particularly in the areas of research methodology and statistics.  Indeed, I believe graduates of the IC Psychology Department, having completed their coursework and Research Team participation, are equipped to thrive in most any graduate program within the social sciences.  For my part, after completing my graduate program, and then spending some time working in finance,  I had the good fortune to begin working at a private Jewish high school in Southern California—New Community Jewish High School.   I’m currently the school’s Dean of Academic Affairs.  In addition to my work with the faculty on our academic program, I coordinate our all-school meetings, I advise a student leadership group, I oversee our College Guidance Department, I am in charge of our ongoing accreditation process, I create and refine our master schedule, and this year I’m teaching a psychology class!  I’ve also been fortunate to complete some inspiring professional development programs.  One was the Day School Leadership Training Institute, a two-year program that is run through the Davidson Graduate School of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City.  Another, this past summer, was a week-long institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Principals Center.  Finally, and of great importance, I’ve been married to the love of my life for the past thirteen years, and we have two spirited daughters, ages nine and five.

I am currently working as a Research Associate for Mapi Values in their Boston, MA office.  Mapi Values is a research and consulting firm that works closely with multiple pharmaceutical companies around the country and is established as the global leader in the development of patient-reported outcomes for clinical research.  

Our clients rely on us to work in a wide variety of health conditions which can be challenging at times; however, this is also a great benefit.  Needing to be aware and up-to-date on different conditions encourages employees to continue to learn and grow in the field as new developments arise.  Some of my most recent projects have covered a variety of fields such as cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, retinal vein occlusion, neuropathic pain, cosmetics (eyebrow re-growth), and cognitive impairments in patients with hyponatremia. 

As a research associate, I am responsible for performing all aspects of the research process including, but not limited to, literature reviews, preparation of study documents (i.e., informed consents, case report forms, demographic and health information forms, study protocols, proposals), IRB submission, patient recruitment, conducting one-on-one interviews and focus groups, data analysis, and report writing for both the client or the FDA.  Out of all of my responsibilities, I find that the most rewarding aspect of my job is being able to go out and speak with the patients.  Talking with patients and understanding the symptoms and impacts that go along with different diseases help pharmaceutical companies to improve and develop more beneficial treatments for these patients which will improve their overall quality of life. 

I am confident that my time spent at Ithaca College has facilitated my progress and growth in the field of research.  The psychology department’s Research Team Program, as well as the many quantitative/empirical courses required, have provided me with sound knowledge of the research process as a whole, as well as what is required to conduct high-quality research.  Most especially, my involvement in the Research Team Program led me to choose the research path as my profession.  I have always enjoyed the close-knit environment of the research team and working collectively to complete the necessary phases of research.  Additionally, my participation in the research team, as well as encouragement from professors, enabled me to continue my education in the field of research methods.  After graduating from Ithaca in 2005, I went on to receive my Master of Arts in Experimental Psychology from the University of Hartford in 2007.  Being a part of the research team motivated me to want to learn more and also helped me to become more prepared for the future, in both academics and real-world applications.  I am grateful for the time I spent at Ithaca College, specifically, the psychology department.  I have made life-long bonds with classmates and professors and appreciate everything I experienced along the way.