Rick O. Gilmore, Ph.D. • Personal Information
Background
I grew up in Denver, Colorado then headed East to go to college. In 1985, I earned my B.A. in Cognitive Science at Brown University. After graduation, I worked in Washington, DC for several non-profit organizations doing fundraising, public relations, and volunteer management. For a short time I was an international trade and public affairs consultant. In 1992, I started graduate school, earning my M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University where I focused on developmental cognitive neuroscience. I also participated in the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC) Graduate Training Program. I moved to State College in 1997.
Activities
For fun, I like to walk, hike, backpack, kayak and ride my bicycles: a foldable touring Bike Friday, and a Specialized Hybrid that I sometimes use to commute to work. I am involved in local politics, serving as clerk and acting Judge of Elections in my State College precinct over the past few elections. I was a Republican for many years, but changed parties about a decade ago. My wife and I were recently appointed Democratic Precinct Co-chairs. My family and I are also involved in local theatre. Recent shows have included "Oliver!", "The Sound of Music," and "Sweeney Todd," with Singing Onstage, and "Dracula" and "The Survivor" with the State College Community Theatre. Needless to say, I love to sing and dance. I'm also learning to play a number of instruments, including the banjo, mandolin, harmonica, and tin whistle. I'm a bit of a techno-geek (Mac, iPhone, iPad), and play around with electronics from time to time.