Noah Wheeler, '09
When looking for a college, I knew I wanted an affordable school where I would get a great education. Fredonia offered that and so much more. Classes were small. Professors were focused on my success. They gave me the opportunity to conduct research, present at conferences, and learn skills I now use every day.
At the beginning of my freshman year, I was not sure what I wanted to do in psychology. I knew I wanted to help improve peoples’ lives but I was not sure how. During my freshman psychology seminar class, the professor introduced me to human factors psychology. The field of human factors psychology looks to improve system design so that it fits the abilities and limitations of the people using the system. I took a class on human factors and I was hooked. I signed up to work with a professor researching how to make phone menus more user friendly. We conducted a study and I was able to present our research at an undergraduate research conference. This experience motivated me to apply to graduate school after my time at Fredonia. I wanted to continue to research how to improve peoples’ lives through better system designs.
Now, I am a PhD candidate at Texas Tech University. I am working on a dissertation which looks at humans’ ability to judge the capabilities of an autonomous robot. As the use of autonomous service robots continue to increase, it is important for users to be able to judge what their robot is capable of doing. We are the first to research these abilities. The research I conducted at Fredonia gave me the skills necessary to conduct the research I do today.
While at Fredonia, I was also able to get a minor in computer information science. Also, one of my professors recommended me for an internship with a startup which was building social media applications. I led their user experience work and managed the development of several applications. All of these experiences laid a solid foundation for my work today.
In addition to pursuing my PhD, I lead product development and user experience for a company which builds software for small medical practices. Over 400 patients use our software every day and that number continues to climb. I use the research skills I learned at Fredonia to find ways to improve our interfaces. I also use my minor in computer information science to design the software we build.
Without my Fredonia education, I would not have the research and technical skill I have today. The professors at Fredonia were dedicated to my education and developing me as a person. Their dedication has made me a better researcher, leader, and person. Thank you, Fredonia.