Daniel Tetrick: A Man with a Plan

"It took me a while to realize how much I enjoy psychology.  In the end, people are neat and a gas to observe... so I'm in!"

     Daniel Tetrick (BS student)

Photo: Daniel Tetrick and family

Dan Tetrick is a gas to listen to.  He has an infectious kind of good energy and a great sense of humor.  Although he grew up in Forks, on the Washington coast, Dan notes that he had already graduated and enlisted in the Navy "before the young, hip, vampire crowd arrived in school."  Their loss.  Six years as a Nuclear Missile Technician on board a submarine followed before Dan arrived at UW.  His daily trek from home on the Kitsap Peninsula to campus may not take six years, but the four and a half hour round trip commute does include a Jeep, buses and a ferry.  Perhaps the sub would be quicker.

Asked if there was anything in particular related to the study of psychology that especially surprised or inspired him, Dan takes on a more serious tone.  "I have been inspired by Abraham Maslov whose writings gave me a goal early in life that I keep to this day," recalls Dan, "by (UW psychology professor) Jaime Diaz for showing me how cool smart can be, and by (UW psychology professor) Laura Little for proving how much respect can be gained through kindness."

A baseball coach for North Kitsap High School, Dan assisted the UW baseball team by developing an Excel based interactive baseball scorecard that can be used as a statistcal calculator and database for an entire team.  Dan, who characterizes this tool as "super dorky," explains that it can keep track of everything, including things that only interest him.

Dan chose to study psychology because he enjoys the creativity allowed in applying solutions to problems of the human condition.  An example of this is his current research into problem behavior harm reduction with a focus on alcohol.  This scholar/coach is a natural when it comes to community education.  "I have started work on my own drug education course that I hope to develop as I become a better researcher and educator," says Dan.  "One day, I would like to be able to deliver my message via a community education platform that is effective for all age groups, cultural backgrounds, genders, and socioeconomic classes."  He has a plan.  And, it sounds like a real gas!