Newsletter Article

Undergrad Accomplishments

The Psychology Department is proud of the accomplishments of our undergraduate students.  Check out some of the highlights from this year:

The Psychology Honors Poster Session, on May 20, showcased the work of the 21 members of this year's honors cohort.  The poster session, along with the completion of a senior thesis, marks the culmination of a two-year intensive research program.  Congratulations to our honors students: Naser Abdulraheem, Jessica Armer, Kay YuYuan Chai, Adair Cardon, Wendy Coard, Edite Foreman, Madeline Gauger, Sandrine Girard, Gabriella Greco, Christina Healy, Diana Hu, Anh Huynh, Baixue Jiang, Brinn Jones, Rachel Lee, Anne-Lise Nilsen, Maya Reiter, Marisa Samuelson, Emily Slezak, Michelle Tran, Xinglu Yao, and Garret Zieve.

On May 16, most of the honors students listed above as well as a number of other psychology majors -- 69 in all -- participated in the campus-wide Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Congratulations to the 11 psychology majors (and to their faculty sponsors), who were awarded Mary Gates Leadership or Research Scholarships.  Our Leadership Scholar is:  Lynda Nthiga (Caroline Kimani).  Research Scholars are: Adair Cardon (Raphael Bernier, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), Kay Chai (Marsha Linehan, Psychology), Sarah Colombo (Kristina Olson, Psychology), Karalyn Holten (Kristina Olson, Psychology), Anne-Lise Nilsen (James Ha, Psychology), Elizabeth Stillwell (Sapna Cheryan, Psychology), Nika Sulakvelidze (Megan Moreno, Pediatrics), Michelle Tran (Raphael Bernier, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences), Adinah Wyle (Ellen Covey), and James Yan (David Dichek, Cardiology).

Two of our seniors, Prysilla De La Torre and Anh Huynh are Ronald E. McNair Scholars.  Prysilla is a frequent member of the Dean's List and is set to graduate with a BS in Psychology, a BA in Biochemistry, and a minor in Diversity Studies.  A member of the Psychology Honors Program, Anh will graduate Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Psychology and Communication (Journalism).

Each spring, the College of Arts and Sciences awards the Dean's Medal to the top student in each academic division.  Kay YuYuan Chai was the Psychology Department's nominee for the Dean's Medal in the Natural Sciences Division.  Kay is a member of the Psychology Honors program, the recipient of the 2013 Guthrie Prize for the best research proposal, and will graduate Summa Cum Laude.  This fall, she will begin a Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at Dusquesne University, in Pittsburgh.  Read more about Kay here.

In addition to being our Dean's Medal nominee, Kay was selected by the Arts and Sciences Dean's Office to represent the College at Commencement as a gonfalonier.  The gonfaloniere (as they are called collectively), are outstanding graduating seniors who represent their colleges by carrying large banners -- gonfalons -- into the Commencement Ceremony.

The following students were invited to join Phi Beta Kappa this year: Jessica Armer, Brigette Blacker, Amy Briggs, Alexis Chamberlin, Tianying Chen, Heng-Yu Chi, Ruby Galen, Madeleine Gauger, Gabriella Greco, Phillip Jang, Alison Knight, Tamayo Konishi,Bianca Lacaille, Abigail Lim, Victoria Oestreich, Samantha Oh, Thomas Paul, Maya Reiter,Karmen Schuur, Natalie Shively, Shane Snyder,Lauren Wagner, Bailey Warrior, Alisia Weyna, Rebecca Wilson, Bonnie Wu, Yixin Xu, and Garret Zieve.