Andrew Kurt Thaw

I’ve always been overly curious, never anticipating it would evolve into a career. As soon as I arrived at college, I knew life was about to dramatically change (for the better). In my junior year, I joined a research lab exploring mammalian feeding behaviors and was captivated by the intricate and complicated dynamics of hunger and satiety. I began applying to graduate programs that focused on eating behaviors. Although my graduate school experience was predominantly research-focused, I felt a pull toward teaching emerge. Seizing the chance to teach an Introduction to Psychology course while still a graduate student, I instantly recognized my true calling was not in a lab, but in the classroom. Millsaps College has been my home for 25 years, and each day, I arrive just as excited as I was that first day I became a college student. My research still explores the factors regulating hunger and satiety and I remain fascinated by the topic. But witnessing the same curiosity I had as an undergraduate in today’s students remains the highlight of my role as a faculty member and what makes me love my job.