The Compass

Issue date: 3/11/08 Section: Campus Life

Dr. Shelly Aikman, a psychology professor here at Gainesville State College, always knew she would be a teacher. She enjoys studying attitudes, particularly food attitudes. Her research has been published in journals such as Appetite, Journal of Applied Social Psychology and European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Time magazine called her husband "the Flemish world's hottest novelist."

Compass: What college(s) did you attend?

Dr. Aikman: My degrees are from the University of Texas at El Paso. I have a BA in Psychology and in English and American Literature; I have a Ph.D. in Applied Research Psychology.

C: How did you decide what to major in?

A: At the undergraduate level, I guess I didn't. I started taking literature classes because I have always enjoyed reading, and literature classes seemed natural (easy?). I think I took psychology courses because my mother has an MA in Counseling, and I grew up hearing about her psychology courses. I enjoyed the classes I took in both fields and switched between the two majors repeatedly. When it came time to declare a major to determine if I had met graduation requirements, I had enough credits to major in both - so the decision was made for me. Deciding which field to pursue in graduate school, however, was not as easy. As an undergraduate, I worked for my Children's Literature professor for awhile, helping with grading for her classes and editing/proof reading a textbook she was working on. Though I enjoyed the experience, it did not convince me that I wanted to spend my life doing that. But, every once in awhile I still toy with the idea of going back and getting a degree in Children's Literature - it is still one of my passions. Next I worked in a psychology lab, and this experience set me on the path for a graduate degree in Psychology. Like many people, I thought that psychology was all about counseling or clinical psychology, and I knew I had no interest in pursuing a clinical career. Once I started working in a lab doing research, I realized there were many more options. I was not overly enthusiastic about the first research I helped conduct, but it opened my eyes to the varied possibilities psychology had to offer. Once I had some experience, I was able to work with my graduate student and faculty mentors to develop research projects that I was passionate about. That experience, and the support of my faculty mentor, was my impetus to pursue a graduate degree in Psychology. That experience also taught me the impact teachers can have on their students. Had this professor not invited me in to his lab, I likely would not have considered pursuing graduate school. I will always be grateful for that opportunity. So, thank you Dr. Steve Crites!

Continued...

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