B.A., University of West Florida
I am currently a graduate assistant for Dr. Doug Friedrich. As his assistant, I am the logistics handler. I monitor students’ progress by inputting grades, grading papers, grading the exams, and academically mentoring the students when needed. By being a graduate assistant, I am strengthening my interaction with students, which is beneficial for me in order to succeed as a future professor. Having this experience has allowed me to gain knowledge on how to conduct a class in a manner suitable and engaging for the students and the professor. Most of all, being Dr. Friedrich’s assistant has been preparing me for the amount of dedication needed to conduct a course.
Most of my current research work involves the development of my thesis under the guidance of Dr. Sam Mathews. I am investigating perceived parental psychological control as it relates to psychological, academic, and behavioral domains in adolescence. I am specifically focusing on adolescents from different cultural backgrounds. My research interests revolve around cultural diversity as it pertains to a vast array of psychological contexts (forensic, developmental, and clinical). In relation to my thesis work, Dr. Sam Mathews and I are developing an instrument that measures adolescent delinquency.
As a side research project, I am in the beginning stages of investigating the “helicopter parenting” phenomenon in order to develop a scale that will measure helicopter parenting. I will be partaking in this side project with another graduate student, Katie Lowe, and under the guidance of Dr. Sam Mathews and with the help of Dr. Tom Westcott. Helicopter parenting is a growing phenomenon pertinent to the developmental process of emerging adults in the realm of academic advising.
Being involved in research and working as a graduate assistant has allowed me to build a stronger working relationship not only with psychology faculty members, peers, and staff, but also with faculty and staff outside of the psychology department. Interacting with others from various disciplinary fields has granted me an overall well-rounded educational and personal experience at the University of West Florida. I am certain that my experiences here will serve as a strong support for my future endeavors.
email: jf6@students.uwf.edu
