As a psychology major at the University of Northern Iowa I enjoyed studying human interaction and individual processes. I continued to take a variety of psychology courses and found I was especially interested in psychological issues within business settings. To obtain a better understanding of the business environment I then decided to double major and receive a B.A. in management, with an emphasis in human resources.

As I continued to pursue my two degrees problems occurring in the work environment became very interesting and exciting to me. My psychology major biased my business interest negatively toward finance and production operations, and stimulated interest in human behavior and interaction in organizational settings. I became engaged in aspects of motivation, job enrichment, and job satisfaction and concluded innumerable improvements could be made in am individual's work life and environment. I feel these improvements are psychologically and physically advantageous to workers, as well as, profitable for businesses and society. It is my intention to contribute empirically based findings to the Industrial/Organizational psychology field through my research and practice. I expect to provide and inspire some of the necessary solutions to problems in the business environment.

I am applying to Colorado State University because of the very thorough and effective foundation provided for work in the Industrial/Organizational field. I have been told by many professionals that Colorado State has excellent faculty and research facilities, as well as, job opportunities in the area. I intend to pursue a career in applied research and organizational consulting, therefore, these qualities are imperative to myself and my career. Initially I plan to gain practical experience in the field through employment with a consulting firm. My long range objective is to acquire a teaching position with a college or university, while continuing research and consulting endeavors.

I expect that graduate work at Colorado State University will be demanding, challenging, and exciting and I look forward to attending a program of this sort. In graduate school I expect to receive the opportunity to learn, to grow, and to evolve as an individual and a psychologist. I consider the knowledge, experiences, and opportunities that are associated with the earning of the Ph.D. valuable and I am prepared to invest myself, my time, and my energies toward the earning of that degree. I hope that I will be allowed to do so at Colorado State University.