Michael is a Ph.D. Candidate & 6th-year graduate student at Kent State University, pursuing a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology with a concentration in Quantitative Methodology. After receiving his M.A. in experimental psychology at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Michael decided to further his program of research on mind-wandering by enrolling in a doctoral program. He is interested in using applied research, psychometrics, and statistical modeling to increase efficacy and understanding in both academic and industry settings. Most recently, Michael worked with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum as an evaluation intern. During which he conducted a large-scale multisite mixed methods program evaluation and created an automated evaluation framework which now enables the staff members to make data-informed decisions about their volunteer program.

Having research interests that intersect educational and cognitive psychology— Michael broadly researches self-regulation and educational performance. As a UNCG Graduate Teaching Fellow and an APA Division 15 ambassador, he has continually engaged in his passions for teaching and empowering others through education.

In his spare time, Michael enjoys reading/writing about ethics and philosophy, playing guitar, playing chess matches, and making new coffee drinks.