Graduating senior Michael Adams originally came to Occidental with an interest in Kinesiology. But after taking the introductory psychology course, his interest in the subject sparked and his academic pursuits immediately changed. He dedicated himself to the field and immersed himself in several facets of the discipline.
Michael Adams
Polacca, Arizona
In the summer of 2007, Mike began playing an integral role in a research project on the peer relations
of middle school students. Overseen by Professor Andrea Gorman, this three year research project evaluated the
correlations between middle school crowds and students’ personal well-being as well as their academic and social
goals. Mike specifically studied the goal priorities of these students. The primary finding of his data analysis
indicated that those students who were nominated by their peers as popular were the least likely to have strong
academic goals. In April of this year, Adams presented his results to the 88th annual Western Psychological
Association Convention in Irvine, California.
While Mike has indeed contributed to the general discipline of psychology at-large, he has invested equal effort
into contributing to both the psychological and social community here at Oxy. He served as a Multicultural Summer
Institute RA, Poly Hall’s RA and HC, and led class discussions as a Dialogue Facilitator in Professor Rodriguez’s
Intergroup Dialogue Program. He currently acts
as the Psych Statistics tutor, and recently earned membership into Occidental’s Psi Chi chapter.
In describing his experience at Oxy, he explains:
"The areas of social and developmental psychology have pushed my growth as a student and sparked my interests
in the research fields of adolescent peer relations and Intergroup Dialogue. The classes I have taken allowed
me to embrace my own critical thinking skills and to ask questions about the environment I live in.
I am grateful for the experience I have received and the professors that challenged my learning."
After graduation,
Michael plans to return to his home state of Arizona and attend Northern Arizona University’s Post-Baccalaureate
Pre-Medical program. This two year program provides him with additional courses in preparation for applying to
medical school. He hopes to incorporate his interest and knowledge in psychology with medicine and pursue a career
in psychiatry.
Mike currently serves as a Resident Advisor in Pauley Hall and is president of the First
Nations (Native American) club. He also played 3 years on Oxy's football team.
~We congratulate his amazing accomplishments and wish him much success in the future!~