"I used to get in the car and, as soon as I turned the key, have my cell phone out," says Keith Hengen '06 of Concord, N.H. "I don’t do that anymore."

Hengen saw the light after spending summer 2005 at the University of Utah working with psychologist David Strayer, a leading expert on cell-distracted driving. Strayer and his colleagues have shown that deep involvement in a cell conversation typically impairs drivers more than being legally drunk.

His sights set on grad school, Hengen found himself in in Salt Lake City after his adviser, Assistant Professor of Psychology Todd Kahan, explained the benefits of a summer at a major research institution. A Bates summer research grant provided further encouragement.

"There are two really good reasons to work at a big research-tank school," Hengen explains. First, a reference from a school other than Bates strengthens the grad school application. Second, "it’s a completely different experience from Bates," Hengen says. "It will give you a better idea of your field and life as a graduate student."

In fact, Hengen found himself in charge of graduate students. Impressed by his initiative — the Bates student pulled four all-nighters to finish his first assignment ahead of time — Strayer made him lab director.

Nowadays, Hengen not only switches the cell off in the car but keeps a knowing eye on traffic at all times. "From half a mile away, I can tell whether the driver is on a phone," he says. "When I cross the road I’m a lot more careful."