Grad Student Aims to Help Underserved People Through Problem Solving and Policy
Taking a “random” class led Brandon Wildman to the Rutgers School of Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Applied psychology utilizes methods and findings of scientific psychology to solve practical problems in everyday, real-world settings.
Graduate student Brandon Wildman said he was drawn to the master of applied psychology program at Rutgers University-New Brunswick for the field’s versatility, including how it intersects with public policy.
“It's such a diverse application,” said Wildman. “You could do social work stuff. You could do policy-based things. You could do more clinically medical based things. You don't necessarily have to be tied down to one aspect of it.”
The 23-year-old is wrapping up the second semester of his second and final year in the master degree program offered through the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology.
I never considered doing psychology until I had to take a gen course at Stockton. I ended up just liking it so much that I decided to do my master's in it instead of pursuing a medical degree.
Brandon Wildman
Rutgers-New Brunswick grad student
In a female-dominated field, Wildman’s career goal is to work for an institution such the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and play an integral role in enacting systemic changes that support mental well-being.
Before coming to Rutgers, Wildman was a pre-med student at Stockton University in Galloway, N.J., where one class changed his trajectory.
“I never considered doing psychology until I had to take a gen course at Stockton,” said Wildman, a resident of Egg Harbor Township, N.J. “So, I was like, ‘I'm just going to take a random psychology course.’ I ended up just liking it so much that I decided to do my master's in it instead of pursuing a medical degree.”
He added, “I've always had a knack for medicine and medical things. The main reason why I wanted to make a switch was A., I really liked psychology, and B., I realized that I really, really hated organic chemistry.”
After earning his bachelor of science degree in biology – with a minor in behavioral neuroscience – Wildman set his sights on Rutgers.
Why?
“Honestly, the name recognition,” said Wildman, adding that Rutgers-New Brunswick is a top 15 public university in the U.S. “There's a lot of great things happening at Rutgers, and I really just wanted to be part of that, too.”
His research interests include inequalities in mental and physical health care for underserved communities, mental health advocacy and policy. He has worked as behavioral assistant and with the autism community as a behavioral health technician.
At Rutgers, Wildman is looking to leave his mark – and he wants other grad students to get involved, too. As vice president of external affairs for the Rutgers Graduate Student Association, part of Wildman’s mission is to increase student involvement in the greater Rutgers graduate community. He said the group hosts events ranging from community barbecues to more formal mental health and wellness events. Wildman added that he is in the process of finalizing a delegation trip to Washington, D.C., where he and a number of graduate students will discuss “hot button issues happening at Rutgers with policymakers and elected officials.”
In January 2024, Wildman was accepted into the Racial Equity, Advocacy and Community Health Alliance at the Rutgers Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies. The alliance brings together researchers, students, community members, mental health service providers and individuals with lived experiences who seek to understand and address health disparities caused by systemic racism.
Several months ago, Wildman and other alliance members administered surveys online and at community events for a New Jersey needs assessment.
“We asked, ‘What are some things that you guys are missing out in the community?’” Wildman said. “‘Is it mental health? Is it practical applications? Is it access to clean water? Is it access to food?’ And we compiled all of that, created a document and hopefully we can get that to the right people and get some policy passed.”
As a member of the alliance, Wildman works with Alexandria Bauer, an assistant professor at the Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies and the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology.
Mental health really is part of the health care process. It's been stigmatized for, I don't even know how long, and recently there have been a lot of developments in building it into part of hospital care. I really want to develop that more because I think a lot of work could be done in that field.
Brandon Wildman
Rutgers-New Brunswick graduate student
“This needs assessment study was an opportunity to check in with community members to learn what challenges people are experiencing, what resources they have, and where they might need more support,” said Bauer, who is the director of the REACH Alliance. “Together with our community partners, the Urban Health Collaborative and the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New Jersey, we’ll keep working to empower communities and advocate for policies to improve mental health and well-being.”
Applied psychology connects with another passion Wildman discovered on a whim.
“I've also had a really big knack for politics ever since high school,” he said. “It started off when I took AP gov. I took it, I can't lie, trying to fill in a gap in my schedule. I was never really interested in politics before that. But again, same thing with psychology: I ended up really liking it.”
As with psychology, “politics really bleeds into every aspect of life,” Wildman said. “I would love to be a public health adviser or health communication specialist. I think when we're talking about psychology and mental health in general ... there's still a huge stigma surrounding mental health and people view it as like, ‘Oh, you're crazy,’ and whatnot.
“But mental health really is part of the health care process. It's been stigmatized for, I don't even know how long, and recently there have been a lot of developments in building it into part of hospital care. I really want to develop that more because I think a lot of work could be done in that field.”
– Kim Spinelli contributed to this article.
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