Georgetown College. Georgetown University.

Laura Larson conducted independent research with Dr. Lamiell. (Photo: Roland Dimaya)

By LiAnna Davis

In a few months, senior Laura Larson will enter Yale University for her master’s degree in Religion. The Georgetown Psychology major and Theology minor then intends to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

“I think that in order to understand people and their deep existential crises, one must fully understand the religious and spiritual dimensions of human life,” Larson says. “Therefore, I thought it necessary to supplement my Ph.D. with a master’s in religious studies.”

The idea of connecting philosophy and psychology is one that Dr. James Lamiell has nurtured in Larson, in courses as well as an independent reading tutorial.

“There is no doubt in my mind that what I have learned while working with Professor Lamiell will be carried with me throughout my life, as it has already directed my path thus far,” Larson says. “I will continue to seek answers in psychology, especially to those questions that at first appear irresolvable. And certainly, I will place emphasis on the whole, meaningful, and goal-directed individual in my studies.”

Larson’s independent research with Dr. Lamiell focused on the discussion of philosophical issues that arise in theories and practices of psychology, and the pair had lively debates about the subjects each week. Larson delved into the literature surrounding such topics as causation, the utilization of statistics, nomothetic and idiographic knowledge, and aggregate and individual assessment. Each of these themes has been challenged and developed over time, so much of her research focused on the history of psychology and the creation of philosophical claims dating even further back than the inception of psychology.

Psychologists such as William Stern and Gordon Allport, subjects of Dr. Lamiell’s work, were of great interest to Larson, as was the critique of the theories and methodologies of personality psychology, her primary area of focus. She is continuing the research in Dr. Lamiell’s Critique of Social Science seminar this spring.

“Research is thrilling when I have an ‘ah ha!’ moment, a time when different concepts come together in a coherent manner that simply make so much sense,” she says. “I have had several of those moments while doing readings and research with Professor Lamiell. He has helped me consolidate and articulate them in a cogent fashion. His passion about his studies certainly radiates, and those around him are absorbed by it and become excited as well.”

Larson, who was born and raised in Fargo, North Dakota, has received academic honors each semester, is the current president of G.U. Active Minds, and has been inducted into the Psi Chi Honor Society for psychology, Theta Alpha Kappa Honor Society for religious studies, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. In her little free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family and reading, a passion that will suit her well in her career in academia.

“My dream is to become the kind of professor that moves my students to action and touches their hearts, just as Professor Lamiell and other professors in the Department of Psychology here at Georgetown have done for me,” she says.

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