My Academic and Professional Backgrounds & Goals as a Media Psychologist

Hello Again Everyone!

As it is continuing to snow here in western Pennsylvania, I thought I would use the extra time being snowed-in provides to tell you a little more about my academic and professional backgrounds and my goals as a media psychologist. I noticed that associate Ph.D. student, Catherine Seo, has a theatre degree, and I wanted to introduce myself to her as a fellow former theatre-major!

Academic Background

I actually have four degrees:

• B.A. Theatre (Gannon University, Erie, PA),
• B.S.E. Electrical Engineering (Gannon University),
• M.A. Social Science (California University of PA, California, PA),
• M.S. Multimedia Technology (Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA).

As you might imagine, that mix of degrees affords me a lot of raised eyebrows when I rattle off the list. However, I believe I could not have achieved my current professional position without each one of them. The two science degrees gave me the technological background to understand programming concepts, enabling me to comprehend problems associated with them and make judgments about solutions for them (even now, although I can no longer do the coding myself). The B.A. and M.A. allowed me to acquire strong communication and interpersonal skills that are now the most critical components of my role.

Professional Background

I was a sophomore at Gannon when I assumed responsibility for managing many aspects of their website. Back then, I could comfortably complete all the tasks required of me as a part-time work-study student. When I completed my undergraduate degrees and returned home, I enrolled as a graduate student at Cal U of PA, having decided I wasn’t quite ready to give up my student days. Once there, I took a job as the graduate assistant for the student webteam, a role similar to the one I had filled at Gannon.

Less than two months in, the webmaster position was vacated. I filled the role in January of 2000 and have been there since. Combined, I have 14 years of Web development experience.The responsibilities and skill sets my job role requires increased each of those years. Recently, however, the rate by which it grows over time has shifted from gradual to exponential. In fact, I got a new job title along with our new website. I am now the Director of Web Services as opposed to the Webmaster. In addition, I have a staff of three, going on four, full-time employees, including one person dedicated solely to the use of social media.

Goals as a Media Psychologist

I am very much looking forward to the class work for the media psychology Ph.D. program and the positive affects it will have on my ability do my job. I am also looking forward to researching topics such as:

• effects of social media communications on development (on both individual people and society as a whole),
• effects of the modern journalism style on individuals and society,
• how modern video games, especially social online games, affect development (looking for both positive and negative effects).

I look forward to seeing you all in sunny California (the state, not the town in PA)! (I thought I had better clarify that point for any of my co-workers who may stumble across this blog.)