First-year student secures spots in two research labs through sheer initiative

With a strong plan, Hayden Oliver Crowell made sure his college experience would be exceptional. By doing early research into how he wanted to, well, do research, Crowell proved his capability early during his first semester on the Purdue University Fort Wayne campus.

First off, Crowell turned down acceptance options at larger state universities because he had studied them and understood he’d likely have to wait until at least his junior or probably senior year before he could join a professor’s research lab. Because large universities have limited laboratory space for expansive student bodies, graduate students and upperclassmen usually take priority after waiting years for a chance.

Crowell didn’t want to wait.

After taking dual-credit courses during high school, Crowell decided to stay home and enter PFW as a sophomore to study psychology with minors in criminal justice and forensic investigations. His goal is to become a lawyer, likely specializing in environmental issues. Before ever starting a PFW class, he studied the Department of Psychology professors to learn their specialties.

“You can Google about any research a professor is doing in the department and then get a list of their labs,” Crowell said. “I chose which ones looked the most interesting to me.”

Then he decided to connect with them face-to-face, which included attending the department’s annual Get Psyched event, the annual kickoff open house. Usually, students send emails expressing interest in research lab positions and hope for the best, but Crowell started full discussions with a professor about why he was interested in working with them.

“Almost immediately, I wanted him in my lab,” said Michelle Drouin, the Jack W. Schrey Professor of Psychology. “He has an intellectual curiosity that is just contagious. I couldn’t wait for him to join us.”

In fact, Drouin told Crowell that a couple of days later during a phone interview before hanging up.

“He was convicted,” Drouin said. “I told him to think about it. He said he already had and wanted to join. This type of conviction is exactly what makes the best students.”

Drouin has served the university in multiple capacities since 2005. Her internationally recognized research on issues related to technology, relationships, couples, and sexuality has been cited worldwide, and she has been a source for multiple prominent news outlets including CBS, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, and others.

Drouin accepted only three new research assistants to her 15-person lab last year, and the following Monday after the interview, Crowell was one of them. A few weeks later, she made him the project leader on an assignment for the Midwest Psychological Association, and last spring Crowell presented the results at a convention in Chicago.

During that very first semester on campus, Crowell also approached Jay Jackson, professor of psychology, about joining his lab. Both have an interest in studying people’s attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge regarding factory farming of animals. Jackson has taught at PFW for 27 years and has a reputation for developing excellent research assistants, many who have become professors.

“He’s a great student, a thoughtful, caring person, and I have no doubt he is going to flourish and have a positive influence on many people’s lives throughout the years, regardless of which career path he follows,” Jackson said. “It is students like Hayden that keep me optimistic about the future of our society and planet.”

Even with his work in the labs, Crowell had a smart approach, studying the way recent PFW grads Manal Ali, B.S. ’25, and Ellie Dart, B.S. ’25, operated on their projects and asking for advice. He was captivated by their routines and efficiency, absorbing their examples of professionalism.

Crowell said he’s always been driven in the areas he’s interested in, starting at a young age. He transferred into PFW as a second-semester sophomore because of all the Collegiate Connection courses, AP and dual-credit courses he took at Carroll High School.

While getting ahead in high school, Crowell started working full time to get an edge, an edge that has continued through college, pushing him to test new time-management skills. Another reason he picked PFW was because he didn’t want to be a small fish in a big pond.

“Right now, I feel like I’m a big fish in a small pond, and I’m thriving in this environment,” Crowell said. “I guess I’ve learned what I’m capable of. All that has happened is not because of confidence, but it’s a sign that I’m willing. I want to learn, I want to help, I want to work.”