Psychology

The path that brought you to Organizational Dynamics is an interesting one. Can you tell us about it?
I grew up in nearby Swarthmore. I attended Penn State and earned degree's in Psychology and Sociology. Then I moved to NYC and worked in consulting. I caught the school bug and moved to Malibu to attend Pepperdine University where I lived on the beach while earning a MA in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on marriage and family therapy. Following that, I came to Penn where I worked as a behavioral therapist and ran clinical trials. That brings us to today. I recently joined a start-up company that helps hospitals optimize their research operations.

So why Organizational Dynamics?
Well, at the core, I am interested in human behavior. Having worked in a clinical capacity, as researcher, and in business, I figured there must be way to combine these into a field of study and a career. That along with the incredible international offerings brought me to Penn's OD program.

What was your experience like with the International Courses Abroad (ICA)?
I have had the great pleasure to participate in 3 international courses; Paris, Stockholm, and Prague - one better than the next. The professors leading the trips, the lectures, the sights, the culture and the people have all had a profound impact on my education, career goals, and life in general.

So how has the Program changed you?
The courses and more precisely the professors in this program have forced me to do a great deal of introspection. At times, it came with my eyes wide open and at others it came only in hindsight. I have learned and grown more during my time in this program than possibly any other time in my life. It has also helped to focus my professional goals, which were heretofore a wandering course.