Where is your hometown? 

My hometown is Athens, Alabama.

Where did you obtain your bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, and what were your majors?

Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Tennessee at Martin; Master of Arts in Psychology from East Carolina University; Master of Arts in Counseling from Ball State; PhD in Counseling Psychology from Ball State

What first interested you in counseling psychology?

The first two things that stood out to me about counseling psychology was that, as a field, client strengths and multicultural competency are emphasized. These two things fit well with my worldview and how I wanted to help people heal.

What brought you to Ball State?

When I first looked into the program at Ball State, I was studying at East Carolina and the experiences I obtained there prompted me to look into counseling psychology programs that had faculty with specialties in health psychology and/or offered health psychology coursework and experiences. The cognate in health psychology and the opportunity to work with Dr. Don Nicholas was an initial draw. There was so much more that appealed to me about the program here once I got to know the faculty and the scope of training. After earning my doctorate and practicing for a few years in Northwest Indiana, I had an opportunity to come back to Muncie and practice integrated care psychology at Open Door Health Services. Not long after returning to Muncie, I was able to come back to my home department as an adjunct faculty.

Please describe your role within the department of Counseling Psychology.

I am an adjunct faculty. I have taught the masters practicum and multicultural counseling course. I also supervise a doctoral practicum student at the IU Health Ball Memorial Family Medicine Residency Clinic (FMRC).

What are your research and teaching interests?

My research interests are in bariatric surgery, weight management, and clinical supervision. I enjoy teaching many courses but have enjoyed the multicultural counseling course and practicum immensely. In my day job at the FMRC, I teach and train future psychologists in our internship and practicum program to practice in an integrated care clinic.

Outside of academia, what are your favorite hobbies?

I enjoy spending time with my wife, kids, and our 4-month-old puppy. Hiking, running, camping, and cycling are some of my favorite activities. When outdoor activities aren’t accessible, I enjoy a good book or cooking a new recipe.

What are you looking forward to most this semester?

I’m not teaching at Ball State this semester, but I am looking forward to getting back into the classroom soon.

If you could be friends with any fictional character, who would it be?

There are so many interesting characters to choose from. A book I read recently had as the main character an elderly man named Arthur Pepper who was rather stuck in his ways and content to stay that way until he discovered a charm bracelet that raised questions about his deceased wife’s life before they met. He stepped out of his comfort zone, explored new places, met new people, and learned about himself (and his wife) in the twilight of his life. I would enjoy knowing a person like that who is willing to take on self-discovery and adventure at any age.

How do you practice self-care?

My hobbies are also my primary ways to practice self-care. Running, hiking, and being in nature are rejuvenating to me and bring balance to my life.