Scientist
I conduct research about how scientists use data to make discoveries about mental health, and about how therapists use scientific discoveries to deliver effective therapies.
My research helps scientists and therapists make the best decisions with the data they collect.
Author
I’ve written many articles about my laboratory’s discoveries. Some of these articles are better than others. It takes a while to find out which articles are a scientist’s best work.
Like many scientists, my best articles inspire me to write books.
Storyteller
Scientists are all works in progress. We can always do better. So, we decide what to improve, and then we get to work.
For the last decade, how I tell stories about my laboratory’s discoveries has been my passion project.
Mentor
Scientists learn a lot through mentoring. Mentoring is like one-on-one classes between scientists and students. No lectures. No textbooks. But, lots of conversations, some spanning years!
My favorite part of my job is mentoring—giving students advice as they carve paths to their own successful careers.
Speaker
Scientists spend a lot of time speaking. About our discoveries. About storytelling. About what it’s like to be a scientist. We speak all over the world at places like scientific conferences, university campuses, board meetings, and events for the public like TED talks.
I am always looking for a new excuse to travel and share ideas!
Consultant
Giving people advice about their work is truly rewarding. Through consulting, I get to learn about a broad range of topics and help people solve problems at work. This aspect of consulting is similar to my mentoring work with students, except in this case, my clients traverse various sectors of the workforce.
Editor
As scientists gain experience publishing journal articles, they get asked to serve as Editors of these journals. When scientists submit their work to these journals, Editors decide what gets published. Editing is a fun part of the job. An Editor is kind of like a record producer who’s looking for songs for their record label!
Professor
Scientists serve in many roles. But, that doesn’t mean we have many jobs. In fact, one job gives me the freedom to do all these awesome things.
My science, writing, storytelling, mentoring and everything else is made possible by my role as Professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland.
