Joshua Eyer, Ph.D.

UNC Charlotte Advisor: Dr. Mark Faust
Internship: Department of Psychiatric Medicine, Brody School of Medicine at Eastern Carolina University, NC
Professional Interests: CBT for chronic pain, health disparities in mental health treatment, large-scale research design and methodology, cognitive mechanisms underlying psychological conditions, mental health policy.
Impressions and Experiences in the Health Psychology Program: Graduate school in psychology is such a rigidly encapsulated experience! For a handful of intense years, essentially all our hours (waking and sleeping!) are built around a huge number of competing short-term and long-term goals: completing coursework, progressing in our research, satisfying our assistantships, meeting milestones, obtaining clinical hours, pursuing professional activities, etc.! Sometimes, it was hard to remember to slow down and enjoy the people I was doing it with. My lasting memories are of the people that I spent the time with, whether my officemates (Fadel & Steven!), assistantship coworkers, labmates, or classmates. I only regret that I didn’t make more time to hang out and enjoy the wonderful people I got to share those times with. Since leaving, I have been impressed at the quality of the education I obtained in the program (my diversity training is top-of-the-line, for example) as well as the special opportunities the interdisciplinary aspect allowed (e.g., my public policy training is constantly useful). My multiple mentors have provided me with a wealth of advice that I know I will continue to use my entire life. It’s hard to synopsize the breadth of my experiences, but I think my most lasting impression will be working with my classmates to help build our program. It was a very different experience for us than for most doctoral students at established programs. It required a lot of sacrifice from us, and it was sometimes quite painful. I was constantly impressed with my classmates and their ability to discuss a problem, form consensus, and then advocate for us with poise, assertiveness, and eloquence. I have so much respect for each of you, and I know that you are all going to be great successes in your careers and lives! For all the students that come after, I urge you to strive to make your own mark on the program, the school, and the discipline and to remember that your successes come in part because you are standing on the shoulders of the giants who came before. It was my great pleasure to be their classmate.
University of Alabama, Department of Psychology, Tuscaloosa, AL