Today we’d like to introduce you to Olajide Bamishigbin.
Olajide, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Miami, FL and attended the University of Miami for my undergraduate education. I originally entered college as a nursing major but after realizing that my lack of preparation for college science would hold me back, decided to switch to psychology.
After I switched to psychology, my parents told me that, in order to succeed with my degree, I would need to pursue a Ph.D. That really set me on my current path. With my undergraduate mentor, I worked towards getting into a Ph.D. program. In my senior year, 2012, I was accepted into multiple programs but decided to attend UCLA for my Ph.D. in health psychology.
At UCLA, I had great mentors who really helped me as I went through the program. I started conducting research focused on depression in racial/ethnic minorities facing cancer but eventually switched to research exploring depression in racial/ethnic minority fathers. Around the same time, my first son was born.
In 2016, I was lucky enough to have a first-author publication in a peer-reviewed research journal and presented my research at conferences around the country. Eventually, my time in the program was coming to an end, and I was considering different career possibilities. I applied for an assistant professor position at California State University, Los Angeles and received it.
I started my position as an assistant professor in psychology in Fall 2017 and have been there since! I love my job and working with undergraduate students in the classroom.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not been a smooth road. In 2015, during my 3rd year of graduate school, my first son was born. While it is undoubtedly a blessing, it really changed the trajectory of my graduate school career because my priorities changed entirely! Before, I would work and write papers whenever I had the opportunity. However, now I only work between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm because I need to be around to support my family. So, my research output during graduate school definitely was affected by having my son. No regrets though!
Outside of having a child, Ph.D. programs are very difficult, especially when there are so few students of color in the program. As one of few black students, feelings of isolation and feelings of being misunderstood affected me throughout my program. At various times, I seriously considered dropping out and going home. However, I am so happy I received love and support from my wonderful and very supportive wife, as well as my family and friends. They really helped me as I pushed through!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about California State University – Los Angeles – what should we know?
Currently, I am an assistant professor of psychology at California State University, Los Angeles. My job is really separated into three parts: teaching, research, and service. As a professor, I teach multiple classes a semester to undergraduate students in my areas of expertise (racial minority mental health, research methods, health psychology). I also mentor undergraduate students and help prepare them for graduate school.
I lead multiple research projects on my campus as well. I get undergraduates involved as research assistants and am currently conducting studies that examine the phenomenon of ghosting in relationships as well as studies to explore stress and health in diverse populations of students. On campus, it is also imperative that I do campus services such as serving on committees and initiatives.
At Cal State LA, I would say that I am most proud of our commitment to diversity and social justice as a campus. The faculty and administration are really dedicated to making sure that higher education is accessible and equitable for everyone. I am very proud to work here.
I would say what sets me apart from others is my area of research. Relative to other fields of psychology, health psychology is somewhat new. People I speak to are constantly excited by my ability to link mental health and physical health in my research projects.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The most important characteristic of my success is my ability to be teachable. As I stated earlier, I would not be where I am without several fabulous mentors throughout my undergraduate and graduate career. I think my ability to take constructive criticism and change my behavior has helped me and will continue to help me.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/olajide-bamishigbin
- Email: [email protected]
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jidebam
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