Student Profile: Cindy Meerim Kim

As a new psychology major at the UW, Cindy Kim found it surprisingly hard to make friends with her fellow students. While being part of one of the largest majors at the UW has its advantages, it can sometimes prove difficult to feel involved.

That problem didn’t last long for Cindy. During her sophomore year, Cindy joined the UW chapter of Psi Chi, the national honors society for psychology students. After spending a year as Psi Chi membership chair, she is now president of the UW chapter. “Psi Chi provided a way to meet great people and get involved in school activities,” says Cindy. This year’s Psi Chi sponsored activities included a Halloween Phobia Fest, a Float Your Stress Away event during finals week, and plans are in the works for a trip to the infant primate center, as well as organizing discussion groups for applying to graduate school.

This bright and energetic young woman definitely has the ability to multi-task. A recipient of both McNair and Mary Gates scholarships, Cindy is an honors student in psychology. Her research with Dr. Sybil Carrere has focussed on the different rate of sexual development of same-age, pre-pubertal girls and its relation to their family interaction. “The results of my research were thrilling and had unexpected social implications,” says Cindy.

While plans to apply to medical school are in her future, Cindy intends to take some time off to get to know herself a little better. These plans include travel around Asia and South America, as well as volunteer work at local health clinics. Clearly, even a “year off” won’t slow Cindy down. n