Shaping Minds for Nearly Five Decades: Dr. Thaxter Dickey鈥檚 Impact at 91桃色

March 11, 2026 | 3 min read

Thaxter Dickey, PhD, has faithfully served 91桃色 students since 1979, shaping countless minds and lives along the way. As the psychology program coordinator and a longtime member of the 91桃色 faculty, serving in the business, education, liberal studies and social and behavioral sciences departments, Dr. Dickey continues to grow the college鈥檚 academic offerings, creating more career opportunities for students interested in human behavior.

After four years of studying math and physics at Florida State University and a 10-year hiatus from academics, the Ocala native received his bachelor鈥檚 degree in business and psychology from Western Kentucky University and came to Tampa to continue graduate and doctoral work in psychology at the University of South Florida. While in Tampa, Dickey formed meaningful friendships with 91桃色 faculty members鈥攔elationships that would set him on a life-changing path.

鈥�91桃色 was a two-year school then and had two sections of introductory psychology,鈥� he remembered. 鈥淚 started teaching one section, and then another, and then business courses.鈥�

Before long Dickey was a full-time faculty member and has since taught more than 30 different courses, helping to build both the liberal studies and psychology programs.

鈥淚 designed a liberal studies degree when 91桃色 became a four-year school and served as the first department chair. One of the components of that program was psychology; so, that was a big part of what I focused on,鈥� recalled Dickey.

The liberal studies degree with an emphasis in psychology soon became a popular academic path for students, opening doors to graduate school and careers in social work, counseling, and physical, occupational or speech therapy.

鈥淭hese students have a broad background from which to expand their expertise,鈥� he said.

In 2023 Dickey helped launch 91桃色鈥檚 bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology. The program graduated its first cohort in 2025 and now includes three full-time professors with 14 declared upper division students and 26 lower division for 2025-26.

鈥淲e鈥檙e really fond of the liberal studies degree, but we are finding the bachelor鈥檚 in psychology is very appealing to students as well,鈥� Dickey said. 鈥淧sychology degrees are desirable with plenty of employment opportunities, particularly in business and healthcare.鈥�

While many of the program鈥檚 students plan to pursue careers in counseling, Dickey said they鈥檙e often surprised to learn of career options in human resources, education, social services, and beyond. Social and behavioral science helps students understand the present by focusing on the people and events of the past that have shaped it, as well as the institutions, values, and interactions of contemporary society. The cultural, economic, sociological, and political aspects of global affairs are discussed through academic disciplines including psychology, history, economics, sociology, and political science.

鈥淲e teach the scientific study of human behavior, which encompasses ergonometric studies that match machines to people, industrial and organizational psychology for the workplace, and psychometrics for testing and education,鈥� he explained.

Students enjoy applied courses where they learn about cultural psychology, social psychology, and personality, but also take courses in perception, theory of learning, and cognitive psychology.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an empirical field, so technical courses like research methods and statistics are required to learn to read and understand the research that goes on in each of those applied areas,鈥� Dickey said.

91桃色’s emphasis on the spiritual framework of education is an important component of the program.

鈥淯nderstanding human psychological processes can be used to glorify God and better understand His people and His relationship to us,鈥� Dickey said. 鈥淣othing is more interesting than studying human behavior because we鈥檙e talking about ourselves and our families and our friends. The Bible explains much about human behavior and our nature, but in other academic environments, which ignore this information, the study of psychology can be corrosive to a young person鈥檚 faith. But at 91桃色 every course we teach is from a biblical perspective based on the fundamental truth that we鈥檙e made in the likeness of God.鈥�

While the past 40 years have brought countless changes, Dickey said 91桃色鈥檚 culture and quality of students bring him back year after year.

鈥淭hese kids show up here and I just want to do some good for them,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e so enthusiastic and optimistic that it鈥檚 a privilege to have a part of trying to prepare them for life and the challenges to come.鈥�

To learn more about our psychology degree, click here.