Month: September 2023

Under the leadership and guidance of Liz Brigham, W. Spencer Mitchem Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Hurt Hub@Davidson, and Dr. John Kello, Professor of Psychology at Davidson College, psychology majors can join a small team and immerse themselves in the world of organizational consulting. 

Claire Pearce, a recent Davidson College graduate from the class of 2023 and psychology major, had the opportunity to be a part of the team in the fall of 2022. The experience “opened my eyes to what I want to do with my career.” During this time, Claire was able to gain exposure to a wide range of professional skills – including design thinking, interviewing protocols, and qualitative data gathering and analysis. Among her favorite exercises in the course was the design thinking workshop, led by Liz Brigham. Through this workshop, Claire learned about design thinking concepts, such as understanding it as a human-centered approach that focuses on creating solutions to problems. After the workshop, Claire developed a newfound awareness of how these solutions can positively impact those in need. “Establishing an empathetic lens when approaching clients’ challenges helps to ensure that you don’t rush to conclusions about what you think they might want.” 

When I asked Claire what her biggest takeaway was from the course, she re-emphasized the importance of empathy when working in client-facing roles, “empathy is everything.” After the course was over and Claire began the job search for post-Davidson, she shared her extensive knowledge of the importance of design thinking and the role of empathy with many of her interviewers. She noted that many of these interviewees were incredibly impressed with her wisdom and utilization of empathy in the field of organizational development consulting. 

Davidson College students have the unique opportunity to engage in a variety of business and professional exposure, coupled with academics. Many class participants have and continue to note that the lessons they learned during the course continue to be extremely valuable and relevant in their present lives.

Click the link to learn more about the academic opportunities for Davidson College students through the Hurt Hub@Davidson.

Meet Morgan O’Brien, a rising senior here at Davidson College double majoring in communications and psychology. Like many other psychology majors, she was interested in industrial and organizational consulting and its interaction with the field of psychology. Fortunately, students have the opportunity to enroll in Psychology Practicum 291, which grants a small group of students to gain experience in industrial and organizational consulting. This class, taught by Liz Brigham ‘04 in partnership with Dr. John Kello of the psychology department, is one of many experiential learning pathways available to students.

Through this experience, Morgan explained that she refined her communication skills and learned to establish strong client relationships and trust. One of her favorite assignments from the class was compiling the final report, which although stressful, felt rewarding to combine all the semester’s worth of knowledge into a deliverable that was given to the client. She learned other professional skills from the course through conducting client interviews, coordinating with peers and clients, and time management. Experiences like these are present everywhere in the workforce, and thanks to PSY 291, Morgan now has some expertise under her belt. 

Much of her enjoyment and success in the course she attributed to Liz Brigham, the W. Spencer Mitchem Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship here at The Hurt Hub@Davidson. As a resource, Liz provided a space where students could always receive support if needed. Morgan continued to learn more about the plentiful opportunities that The Hurt Hub@Davidson offers, including attending the Davidson Entrepreneur Network Conference(DEN) where she was able to connect with a handful of Davidson alumni. 

In the future, Morgan will continue to apply these professional skills she gained during the course both inside and outside of the classroom. She also hopes to continue to stay involved in the community, always keeping an open mind and eye out for possibilities!