Senior Devin Thompson’s passion for psychological research has flourished under the mentorship of Pacific faculty. With the help of Professor Carla Strickland-Hughes of psychology department, Devin has navigated the launch of his research project and gained valuable professional connections along the way.
Sparking an idea: Expanding on existing ageism research
“I started working with Professor Strickland-Hughes my freshman year. I’ve been in her lab ever since,” Devin said. “Sometime during that first project, I heard about the opportunity for psych majors to get a psychology honors degree. To accomplish that, you must conduct your own study and then present it at a conference, so I brought up this idea to Professor Strickland-Hughes and we started working together.”
Devin’s project explores psychological reactions of people who face ageism and expands on research completed originally by social psychologist Alison Chasteen of the University of Toronto—a professional connection of Strickland-Hughes’s.
In order to begin the research project, Devin had to present his thesis to a self-assembled committee of researchers. “I invited Dr. Strickland-Hughes, Dr. McDaniel from the speech-language pathology department and Dr. Alison Chasteen, who actually Zoomed in from Canada for my thesis defense.”
Despite initially feeling nervous to present to Chasteen, Devin said that her feedback was valuable and helped him launch the project with confidence.
“I was like, ‘What if I read her work wrong or something?’ But it went really well,” he said. “She was super supportive, and I still email her if I have any questions in the process. So, she’s been a great connection to have and I’m really grateful.”
Gaining momentum through financial and professional support
“Devin’s work is possible only because he has support from all across campus,” Strickland-Hughes said.
From financial aid to professional mentorship, Devin’s support system continues to push him toward success. In addition to benefiting from the Powell Scholars program, which provides funding for his research, Devin has grown professionally as a member of Pacific’s First-Year Honors program. Within the psychology department, Devin receives impactful support from his lab colleagues, who gather regularly to discuss their independent projects, and Strickland-Hughes.
“Working with Dr. Stickland-Hughes, she’s been a great mentor,” Devin said. “She’s guiding me along the way and she’s giving me freedom to make my own mistakes and learn, which has been beneficial. It’s going to help me not only as I prepare for graduate school but for the rest of my career.”
Devin is one of four students participating in Strickland-Hughes’s research lab. The others include Emma Garber, Jessica Lacap and Megan Carmichael. Megan plans to present her own research, also a study of ageism, at the 2024 meeting of the American Psychological Association.
Paving the way for graduate opportunities
Devin’s goals after graduation involve furthering his academic career. He is preparing to apply for master’s and doctoral programs.
“Being at Pacific, I’ve been exposed to a lot of different elements of psychology and all that entails, and I realized I have a big passion for research.” Devin said. “Looking back, I’m really glad I chose this major.”