In our alumni spotlight series, learn about Harvard graduates' most meaningful experiences from college, and how Harvard impacted their professional and personal paths after graduation.
Hometown & Current City: South Portland, Maine; Exeter, New Hampshire
House Affiliation: Eliot
Concentration and Secondary Field: Psychology & Linguistics
Current Job Title/Company or organization: Psychologist & Instructor at Phillips Exeter Academy
What was your professional path after college? I worked as a research assistant for a psychology professor at UMass Boston for a year before attending UCLA, where I earned my PhD in clinical psychology. After internship and a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington, I began serving as a psychologist and instructor at Phillips Exeter Academy. Being on an academic schedule has allowed me to write books, articles, and conduct research during breaks. I've also enjoyed several entrepreneurial projects creating educational content for youth leaders and professional educators.
What fills your time now? Professionally and otherwise? I enjoy my roles as father, husband, clinician, and consultant. I love writing, woodworking, nature photography, and international travel.
How did your academic experience at Harvard guide you in your post-grad pursuits? Harvard taught me how to learn passionately and think analytically. Both skills have led me down creative and fulfilling personal and professional paths.
What was a favorite class you took and why? "The Social Psychology of Language" was my favorite, taught by Prof. Roger Brown, whose ideas about language acquisition and pragmatics are as fascinating and applicable now as they were then. Prof. Brown had a way of making one-sentence observations (e.g., "A tiny suffix changes the meaning between a 'five-page paper' and 'a five-pager'") that prompted the most interesting discussions I've ever had in school.
Did you have any research/internship opportunities and/or professor/mentor relationships that were influential? My senior thesis adviser, Prof. Peter Gordon, was warm, brilliant, creative, and tenacious. I aspire.
What were you involved in extracurricularly? I enjoyed editing "The Harvard Psychological Bulletin," which was the publication of the Psychology Club at the time. I also volunteered with Big Brothers / Big Sisters.
How did your extracurricular activities impact your Harvard experience? And have they had an impact on your post-grad life? The spirit of service and the opportunity to switch mental gears has helped me to continue leading a (mostly) balanced life.
What is a favorite memory of Harvard House life? Watching "Star Trek: Next Generation" with my suite mates five days a week at 10pm sharp, no matter what was due the next day.
What is your favorite Harvard tradition and why? Getting greasy food late at night. And The Game. Both are lighthearted ways to be in community.
What advice do you have for someone applying to college? It's not where you go that matters; it's what you do while you're there.