Education Is Just The Beginning For Sacramento Psychology Professor
Ross Thompson is a distinguished professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis. After graduating with his Ph.D in Psychology from the University of Michigan, Thomson has invested his time and effort into affecting positive change in public policy aimed at child development through the application of developmental science. His day to day includes shaping young minds in courses as basic as introductory psychology courses all the way up to graduate level courses, but also includes hours of research on the emotional and social development of young children.
What does your job entail?
"My life is a typical professor's life. I devote a lot of time in the lab to studying young children's social and emotional development — how they learn about people's feelings and respond to them, for example. I devote a lot of time to teaching, whether a small graduate seminar or a 500-student Psychology 1 class. And I devote a lot of time to applying the findings of developmental science to public policy problems concerning children and families, such as how to improve early education or meet the needs of children in difficult circumstances."
What do you find most enjoyable about your job?
"What I find most enjoyable is the challenge of discovering new knowledge about young children and then communicating it meaningfully, whether to a classroom of students or a committee of the California Legislature. This is a historic period of change in public understanding of the importance of early childhood development, and I find that people are open to learning about what we know about young children and what to do with this knowledge in families, schools and public policy."
What was your education history?
"I was an undergraduate student at Occidental College, a small college in southern California, where I was inspired by professors who were excellent teachers. They have been a model for me whenever I am in the classroom. My graduate education was at the University of Michigan, a large research university where I learned research skills and began thinking about how research can apply to public policy problems. That led directly to my university career."
Has your education helped you in your current position?
"Certainly. But an education only prepares one to be a novice professional. So much further learning is on-the-job. In my case, I figured out how to teach my first class after becoming an Assistant Professor, at the same time that I was also trying to figure out how to establish a research lab and work with my own graduate students. I benefitted from kind and generous colleagues who helped me along the way."
Any advice for someone seeking a similar career?
"Anybody should go into a professional career with eyes wide open and fully informed about what to expect. The academic world is changing a lot today, but it remains potentially one of the most rewarding careers one can experience, if one is willing to work hard and with focus on the goals that have taken you there."
Paulo Acoba is a California native raised in the Bay Area and living in the Central Valley. He enjoys distance running, cycling and grassroots motorsports. He holds a degree in management from the University of California Merced. Paulo has been writing for Examiner.com since 2012 and covering the Fresno area.
