Philip started as a post doctoral teaching associate (PDTA) in the department in August. We caught up with Philip to get to know more about them better.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Philip Solomon-Turay and I am an African-British north-Londoner, husband, father, Christian and sports enthusiasts.
What drew you to the Psychology Department at Royal Holloway?
Well, I have recently completed my PhD in Psychology with an emphasis on Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology. Within this PhD I had the chance to do some research, teaching and applied work and I really enjoyed the teaching component. Because of this, I applied for the PDTA position at RHUL and was successful in gaining the position. I hope that this will be a role where I can continue to learn, develop and enjoy lecturing within a range of different psychology topics.
Your role at Royal Holloway/How do you contribute to teahcing within the department?
I am a Post Doctoral teaching Associate (PDTA) and I started in August. I contribute to the teaching on various modules including: How to be a psychologist, Cognitive Psychology, Personality and individual Differences, Psychology in Applied Settings and how Psychology can Change the World. In addition to teaching, I am a supervisor for research projects at the university and I am the personal tutor to first year UG students.
What is your research area and current projects?
My research area is Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology (SEPP). I am interested in progressing the field of applied SEPP, developing new interventions to better help athletes learn psychological skills and enhance their sport performance. My current project involves exploring the psychological technique of self-talk and how applied interventions can help athletes to better use self-talk to generate the desired sporting outcome.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family, watching various sports (it would be easier to tell you the sports I don’t like), Kayaking, and creating video content on YouTube.