Undergraduate Accomplishments
The Psychology Department is proud of the numerous accomplishments of our undergraduate students. Check out some of the highlights from this year:
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| Cristian Rivera-Nales |
In fall quarter, Cristian Rivera-Nales was named the 2018-19 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 Cristian Rivera-Nales here.
Each spring, the College of Arts and Sciences awards the Dean's Medal to a particularly outstanding senior in each division of the College. This year, the Psychology Department's nominee for this honor was Isabelle Tully. Isabelle was the recipient of the Paradise Scholarship for Academic Achievement and a Hagenstein Research Travel Award. Following graduation Magna Cum Laude, she is now working at the Puget Sound Veterans Administration. Isabelle also is continuing to volunteer in the lab of Dr. Lynn Fainsilber Katz as well as staying involved in the study that she did her honors thesis on in Dr. Lori Zoellner's lab.
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| Regan Gong with Associate Vice President for Student Life Lincoln Johnson at Commencement Ceremony |
The College of Arts and Sciences selected psychology major Regan Gong 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. Regan graduated in winter quarter 2019, Magna Cum Laude, with dual degrees in Psychology and Comparative Religion. Her post-graduation plans include taking a gap year, applying to graduate school, and working as a youth volunteer program assistant for the City of Mercer Island. Our UW “gonfalonieres” are accompanied by alumni volunteers, known as “Guardians of the Gonfalon,” who welcome them into the Husky alumni family and watch over the banner. UW Psychology Alumnus Joe Boldan ('74) accompanied Regan as a Gurdian of the Gonfalon. Joe had not been able to participate in his own commencement as a student and enthusiastically accepted the honor the of our Guarian of the Gonfalon. Joe noted on his experience, “although the thought of being a Guardian of the Gonfalon seemed a bit intimidating, I was paired with an absolutely wonderful Gonfalonier named Reagan. Meeting Reagan and her family was unquestionably the highlight of my Gonfalon experience.”
This year's Guthrie Prize is awarded annually to undergraduate students for excellent writing in psychology. This year's winner for the Best Empirical Paper is Aarti Bodas. Aarti's paper, titled "'Can I Count on You?" Siblings Influence Infants' Expectations of Prosocial Behavior Across Contexts," was completed under the direction of Dr. Jessica Sommerville. Aarti is a Mary Gates Research Scholar and the recipient of a Hagenstein Research Travel Scholarship through the Psychology Department. She is set to begin a Master of Science in Experimental Psychology program at Villanova University where she will be researching children's scientific learning and imaginative cognition.
The Guthrie Prize winner for the Best Research Proposal is Cristian Rivera-Nales. Cristian's paper, titled "The Evaluation of Child Outcomes in Community Mental Health Utilizing a Washington State Common Elements Training Initiative," was completed under the direction of Dr. Shannon Dorsey. This year's Aric Chandler Scholar, Cristian will continue on as a Psychology honors student, working with Dr. Dorsey, and is set to graduate in winter of 2020.
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| Mari Ramirez and Keertana Sureshbabu |
Congratulations to the Psychology majors who were selected to be part of this year's Husky 100 cohort. These outstanding students are Mari Ramirez and Keertana Sureshbabu. 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, eight Psychology majors were named Mary Gates Research or Leadership Scholars. These dedicated students are: Elizabeth Abel, Aarti Bodas, Ling Wai Lam, Honson Ling, Tiffany Luu, Isabelle Tully, Chia-li Yu, and Sophie Ziliak.
In winter quarter, 12 students were named recipients of a Hagenstein Research Travel Award. Made possible by the Ruth H. Hagenstein Endowment, these travel awards assist undergraduate Psychology majors who plan to attend and present at professional conferences. This year's Hagenstein Scholars are: Elizabeth Abel, Aarti Bodas, Maria Ilac, Micah Ketola, Honson Ling, Sanjana Nelluri, Serah Prakkat, Ally Sowers, Keertana Sureshbabu, Isabelle Tully, Joey Ullmann, and Chia-li Yu.