To say that Randolph-Macon College alumnus Joseph Hamilton ’18 is driven to succeed is an enormous understatement.

Among his extraordinary achievements, he served in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, earning three Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star with Valor for battlefield heroism, and the Meritorious Service Medal. He worked at the Firearms and Tactical Unit of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) training Federal Special Agents. He currently serves as a consultant with the Department of Defense. Research that he did at RMC helped connect scientists with military and law enforcement personnel. And on June 2, Hamilton, a psychology major and honors student, will graduate summa cum laude from Randolph-Macon College.

Bridging the Gap
Hamilton, a native of California, Missouri, twice participated in RMC’s Schapiro Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program, in which students conduct 10 weeks of research under the guidance of a faculty member. For his first SURF project, Hamilton studied the effects of training on firearms proficiency among law enforcement officers.

“After I finished my project, I contacted Lt. Adam Biggs, a Naval Officer with a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology, who works at a research unit at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio,” explains Hamilton. “He used data from my project, combined with results from his published study, to secure a large grant from the Office of Naval Research, who elected to fund the work for a minimum of three years.”

That work is ongoing, and now the research team includes Biggs, Hamilton, and psychologists and experts from various fields. Hamilton’s manuscript from the project was published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement.

He also presented his findings at a national conference in Denver, Colorado, where he met experts who specialize in human factors and the topic of expertise.

“I was able to connect these experts with trainers at Quantico and other organizations so that they could provide valuable insight into that industry,” he says. “You could say I bridged the gap between two types of expertise: academia and applied.”

Connections
Hamilton also explored the effectiveness of the nonprofit program Catch a Lift (CAL), which helps post-9/11 combat-wounded veterans regain their mental and physical health. His research was done in conjunction with Randolph-Macon Psychology Professor Kristen Klaaren’s Social Research and Theoretical Systems course.

“With her help I connected Catch a Lift and RMC,” says Hamilton. “CAL used the findings for internal auditing and fundraising purposes, and I presented my research at the Southern Regional Honors Council.”

Kudos + Mentorship
Hamilton recently received RMC’s Psi Chi Award for Academic Excellence in Psychology, which is presented to the graduating senior in the department with the highest overall GPA. He also received the Noble R. McEwen Award for outstanding achievement in the social sciences.

“Having professors who are willing to help makes it much easier to learn,” says Hamilton, who calls Klaaren, his advisor, a “guiding force” who has helped him throughout his college career. “There are very few people whose opinion and advice I value more than hers,” he says.

Klaaren says, “It was clear from the start when Joe took my introductory psychology class that he was a stellar student. And now, four years later, he has the strongest record of achievement I have seen in over 20 years of teaching. Each class Joe was in was better because he was in it. Instantly likable, he is a natural networker who brings out the best in those around him. I look forward to hearing about his many future successes.”

Gratitude
Hamilton, whose military service was featured in an article in the California Democrat, is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, Chi Beta Phi, and Psi Chi. He is grateful to the people who helped him succeed in his military and academic careers.

“Most salient to me isn’t the hard work that I put in but the amazing people who I was always surrounded by,” he says. “First Sergeant (1sg) Campbell in the Army, the Federal Agents at Quantico, Professor Klaaren—these are the people I think about when I reflect on my accomplishments. For every situation that turned out right for me I can draw a direct line to someone who, through his or her support, made it possible.”

Hamilton is also grateful to his family, especially his wife, Janette, and his sons.

“I have a wife with a Ph.D. whose academic achievements make mine look pedestrian,” he says. “Our sons—Josh is three-and-a-half, and Ben is one-and-a-half—make college seem easy compared to fatherhood. These three people are the real reason I will never settle for second best.”