As a college freshman, Randolph-Macon College alumna Erica R. Glasper ’02 never imagined she would major in psychology. Then she took an Intro to Psychology course.

“I assumed that, as a pre-med student, I would major in biology,” says the Norfolk, Virginia native. “My academic advisor, William Martin, suggested I take a psychology course one semester to lighten my academic load. The class was anything but a cakewalk! Not only was it exciting, but the neuroscience portion of the course, taught by Professor Kelly Lambert, changed the trajectory of my life.”

Lambert served as an academic advisor and mentor and instilled in Glasper an appreciation for research. “She allowed me to work in her lab and introduced me to the field of behavioral neuroscience. I am forever thankful for that,” she says. “Now it’s nice to run into Kelly at conferences, where we share our latest research findings and update each other on our lives. It’s great that Kelly has gone from being my mentor to my colleague and—most important—my friend.”

Glasper minored in biology and went on to earn her master’s degree in psychology and her Ph.D. in psychobiology and behavioral neuroscience from The Ohio State University. She began her postdoctoral research fellowship in 2006 at Princeton University and this fall started as an assistant professor of psychology at The University of Maryland College Park. She will be studying the effects of rewarding experiences on the structure and function of the brain.

She can’t get back to campus as often as she would like, so Glasper keeps in touch with Randolph-Macon friends via Facebook and phone calls. Despite her busy lifestyle, she finds time to lead a worship band at her local church.

“I’ve always enjoyed singing,” says the soprano. “I was fortunate to sing in three choirs while at RMC—the Ujima Gospel Choir, Concert Choir, and Chamber Chorus.” Her latest CD purchase was “Your Masterpiece” by Ashmont Hill, a contemporary Christian band from Boston. “I’m always looking for new music to sing,” she says.

Glasper also sings the praises of her alma mater as she gives advice to Randolph-Macon students. “Take advantage of every opportunity,” she says. “RMC has a host of resources and provides enriching experiences for every type of student. You can do research, study abroad or start an organization. I took advantage of all of these, and that is one of the reasons I look back and say that I loved my college experience.”