Undergraduate Accomplishments
The Psychology Department is proud of the numerous accomplishments of our undergraduate students and this academic year has been an especially exciting one! Check out some of the highlights from this year:
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| Grace Woodard |
Graduating senior Grace Woodard was awarded the President's Medal, UW's most prestigious award for academic achievement. The President's Medal is presented annually to two graduating seniors who have achieved the most distinguished academic records in their class. Grace is only the third Psychology major to receive this award since it was initially given in 1932. Learn more about Grace here.
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| Melissa Guzman |
Melissa Guzman was selected as a 2018 Bonderman Fellow and will spend eight months traveling solo through seven different countries. The Bonderman Fellowship offers students the opportunity to engage in independent exploration and travel abroad. While abroad, Melissa plans to explore the cultural variation of gratitude. She will travel to Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, India, Chile, Indonesia, and Samoa. Learn more about Melissa here.
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| Rachel Gerstenfeld |
Psychology and Law, Societies and Justice major Rachel Gerstenfeld was recently awarded the George and Barbara Akers Scholarship for the 2018-19 academic year. This $3,000 scholarship rotates each year through the four divisions of the College of Arts and Sciences. Rachel is pursuing a double major along with a minor in Music. In addition to her strong academic work, Rachel has been actively involved with the UW Peer Health Educators, Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Activists, Suicide Prevention and Awareness, campus SafeTALK, and the Green Dot programs.
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| Sunny Allen |
In fall quarter, Sunny Allen was named the inaugural Aric Chandler Scholar. This $4,000 scholarship was made possible through the Aric Chandler Endowment which honors the memory of a young man who was poised to transfer to UW from Bellevue College in the fall of 2016. The scholarship fund directly benefits Psychology majors who entered UW from Washington community colleges. Learn more about Aric Chandler and scholarship recipient Sunny Allen here.
The Guthrie Prize was awarded to two graduating seniors, McKenzie Hagen and Sanjana Ravi. Named for the late Psychology professor Edwin R. Guthrie, the prize was established to encourage excellent writing about psychology that is both broad in scope and accessible to the non-specialist. In a tie for Best Empirical Paper, McKenzie won for her paper titled "Child Language Experience as Mediator Between Childhood Socio-Economic Status and Executive Function." She was nominated by her honors faculty advisor Dr. Katie McLaughlin. Sanjana won for her paper titled "Children Who Enjoy Social Interactions are More Likely to be Prosocial." She was nominated by her honors faculty advisor Dr. Kristina Olson.
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| Ngaio Lace |
The College of Arts and Sciences selected graduating senior Ngaio Lace to be a gonfalonier at the UW Commencement Ceremony. The gonfaloniere (as they are called collectively), are outstanding graduating seniors who represent their colleges by carrying large banners - gonfalons - into the Commencement Ceremony. Ngaio is a member of the Psychology Honors Program, working in Dr. Cheryl Kaiser's lab with Dr. Jin Goh.
Members of the 2018 Psychology Honors cohort showcased the results of their research at the Psychology Honors Poster Session on May 24. 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 on this impressive accomplishment: Alya Azman, Jessica Cavalli, Lina Chan, McKenzie Hagen, Elyse Janzen, Nadia Kako, Ngaio Lace, Bella Lee, Su Yi Leong, Kate Luken Raz, Milica Milovanovic, Sanjana Ravi, Sarah Rubin, Chen Su, Natalie Upton, Grace Woodard, and Katy Wright. See more information in the Poster Session program here. Also of note, 72 Psychology majors took part in the campus-wide Undergraduate Research Symposium on May 18.
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| Chen Su and Susan Joslyn | Jessica Cavalli and Sheri Mizumori | Tony Greenwood and Kate Luken Raz |
Congratulations to the Psychology majors who were selected to be part of this year's Husky 100 cohort. These outstanding students are Rachel Gerstenfeld and Sarah Rubin. The Husky 100 recognizes 100 undergraduate and graduate students from the three UW campuses, in all areas of study, who are making the most of the Husky Experience.
This year, nine Psychology majors were named Mary Gates Research or Leadership Scholars. These dedicated students are: Alya Azman, Jessica Cavalli, Rachel Gerstenfeld, Elyse Janzen, Melissa Krook, Su Yi Leong, Naomi McFarland, Hannah Moujing, and Emily Wong.
In winter quarter, eight students were named recipients of a Hagenstein Research Travel Award. Made possible by the Ruth H. Hagenstein Endowment, thses travel awards assist undergraduate Psychology majors who plan to attend and present at professional conferences. This year's Hagenstein Scholars are: Giselle Burges, Elyse Janzen, Melissa Krook, Ngaio Lace, Ha-Yoon Lee, Sanjana Ravi, Sarah Rubin, and Grace Woodard.
Two Psychology majors were selected to be part of the McNair Scholars cohort. The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Program provides strong mentorship and guidance for students who are planning to pursue doctoral studies. Congratulations to 2017-18 McNair Scholars Daven Cocroft and Clarita Reyes.