Current Students

This past summer, Camren expanded her academic horizons abroad, studying in Italy, both in Florence and on the Tuscan island of Elba. The program focused on the effects of climate change on coastal marine life, a departure from her usual focus on human biology.

During winter break her second year, Fatoumata studied sustainable urban redevelopment in Sydney, where she explored how growing cities balance modernization with equity. That spring, she joined other Schreyer Scholars in Bulgaria to examine history, identity and propaganda in media — a course that helped her understand how narratives shape political realities across continents.

As a first-year student, Fatoumata traveled to Benin in West Africa to study linguistics and the struggle to preserve local languages in a country where French remains dominant. The program challenged her prior beliefs about spiritual traditions. One of the most memorable moments, was “a day spent cooking and sharing a traditional meal that highlighted Benin’s strong communal values.” That experience contrasted with the individualism she often experiences in the United States and reminded her of the collectivist traditions she cherishes in Mali.

During her first year, Gianna’s initial interest in minoring in Spanish quickly grew into a passion. Encouraged by faculty, she applied to a six-week-long summer language immersion program in Ronda, Spain, where she lived with a host family and earned nine credits of Spanish through the College of the Liberal Arts’ Spanish Language and Culture faculty-led course.

Miguel joined the Department of Psychology’s Cognition, Affect, and Temperament (CAT) Lab, he found a meaningful way to connect his academic interests with real-world research. In the CAT Lab, he worked with technologies such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG) while contributing to a project on parent-to-child anxiety. The project resonated with him, offering a chance to better understand how anxiety can be transmitted across generations and how the developing brain responds to connection, resilience and fear.

Simone is an undergraduate research assistant at the Dismantling Racial inEquities Around Mental Health (DREAM) Lab. By working on a project examining how discrimination and other cultural stressors impact the mental health of Black and Hispanic youth, Simone has gained hands-on experience and valuable skills that have strengthened her passion for pursuing research roles.