After graduating from both OSU’s undergrad (2011) and PhD (2017) programs in psychology, DeWayne accepted a position as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Irvine. His current research focuses on “Understanding the complex interplay between physiological activity and unique social stressors in underrepresented groups.” In addition to working on his research, during a typical workday DeWayne performs statistical analyses, mentors other graduate students, and responds to “a ton of emails”. Starting this summer, he may add teaching or service to his list of duties in his new position as Assistant Professor.

His job is full of unique challenges, one of which is handling many collaborative projects with scientists from all around the globe. This challenge, however, is a lot of fun, and is one of the most enjoyable parts of his job, along with mentoring and statistical analysis.

DeWayne describes his undergraduate experience as the catalyst for his current career. He began his OSU journey on the Newark campus, and after transitioning to Columbus, began getting involved in research. He served as a research assistant in Dr. Thayer’s lab and participated in both the Denman and Psychology Research Colloquium as well as the Society for Psychophysiological Research and Midwestern Psychology Association annual conferences.

DeWayne’s advice for current psychology students as they plan for their careers: “Psychology provides you with the ability to understand people, both as the individual and within a group. Such an ability is necessary for most, if not all, professions! Use psychology to your advantage, both in your careers and personal lives!”