James A. Skelton,
Associate Professor of Psychology
The professor who most influenced my career was Andy Skelton of the psychology department. It was Andy's social-psychology class that led me to choose psychology as my major. While I went on to take several courses with Andy, it was his invitation to help him in his research that had the most impact on my career path.
I believe it was during my junior year that Andy asked if I would assist him with a study examining whether simply getting people to think about health-related words can increase their reports of physical symptoms they are currently experiencing. Andy sought my input while designing the study's methodology. I was responsible for most of the data collection. The results from this study were presented as part of a symposium at the 1986 Eastern Psychological Association conference. After I graduated, I was uncertain as to my career path, so I applied for a wide range of positions. Within a month of graduation, I was hired as a research assistant for a federally funded project investigating depression among the elderly. I later learned that it was my experience at Dickinson conducting and presenting research that led to my interview. I went on to earn a Ph.D. in social psychology.
After I left Dickinson, Andy continued to stay in contact with me, inviting me to co-author a manuscript based on our study. This paper was eventually published and was of interest to the faculty where I obtained my first teaching position. Andy and I have since collaborated on another project and seek out each other at professional conferences. If it were not for Andy's original invitation to help him with his research project, I would probably not be where I am today, associate professor and chair of psychology at Monmouth University.
David Strohmetz ’86
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