Congratulations to our graduating RAs!
Jazmin: My biggest takeaway from the SCD lab is to apply for and explore as many opportunities as possible because every experience can be a learning opportunity. The SCD lab has helped shape my future career goals by solidifying my interest in developmental psychology, deepening my understanding of research, and encouraging me to pursue an academic career. What I will miss most about the lab is being in the office and talking with Zoe C., Qianqian, Chuyi, Oya, and the other RAs about school, projects, and aspirations.
Lily: My biggest takeaway from the lab is that babies and children are smarter than we think. Next year, I will be getting my master's and doctorate in occupational therapy. I hope to work in the NICU with babies afterward and continue doing infant research. This lab shaped this goal because I learned about child development, trained in psychological research, and spent a lot of time with babies and kids. What I will miss the most about the lab is the graduate students and Qianqian. I have spent the last three years in the lab with them and appreciate their guidance throughout my college experience- they made my experience in the lab especially great.
Fiona: As a research assistant, I have gained an incredible amount of knowledge and insight both in and out of the lab. My experiences in weekly meetings, in-lab hours, and weekend testing have reinforced my educational and professional goals. My biggest takeaway from the lab is the value of creating connections with others, including research assistants, PhD students, the lab manager, and the principal investigator. These individuals have provided me with information regarding the inner workings of graduate school, how to navigate various fields within psychology, and how to build meaningful academic and professional relationships. I feel fortunate to have had such amazing peers and mentors. This lab has helped me determine my next steps after graduation: earning my master's degree in marriage and family therapy. I will miss research testing at the Zoo and the MOXI Museum, Qianqian (lab manager), and our end-of-year celebrations.
Ariana: I have been a research assistant for the SCD lab for one academic year. My biggest takeaway from the lab is that it’s never too late to join research! In the short time I’ve been with the lab as a senior, I’ve learned valuable skills such as coding, recruitment, and organizing literature reviews, which will be easily transferable to future jobs or labs. As someone pursuing a career in occupational therapy, the SCD lab has encouraged me to go beyond practice and begin thinking about joining research efforts in my field. I will miss weekend shift testing and all the awesome people I’ve met through this lab!
Roslyn: I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to get hands-on experience with developmental research as a research assistant in this lab. It was great to interact with children and their families while testing at the Santa Barbara Zoo and the MOXI Museum. I enjoy engaging the community in the research we are doing. Being a research assistant in this lab helped me realize how much I enjoy psychological research, and I plan to find a lab job post-grad and go to graduate school in a couple of years. I will miss the SCD Lab community because everyone is so helpful and friendly.
Grace: While my time in this lab has been short, it has really helped me solidify my interests in what I plan to focus on when I decide to return to higher education and earn my graduate degree, such as culture/family dynamics and how they may affect a child growing up. When I first transferred to UCSB, there was only the Liberman Lab for cognitive development, more specifically, children’s development. At the time, I thought it was so important to get into this lab and make sure this was something I wanted to continue pursuing, and I’m glad I went for it, as I’m having fun learning new things every week and going out to test. Once I leave after summer, I’m going to miss testing at the Santa Barbara Zoo and meeting the families. At the same time, some may always look familiar; every once in a while, new faces visit for the very first time and are excited to learn about the game we have set up for the kids.
Nadiv: I have greatly enjoyed my experience in the Liberman Child Studies Lab. I have grown so much since I first joined the lab during my sophomore year. The lab has helped me develop a more analytical view of research and research studies, which I have been able to extend into all facets of my life. I have been trained in conducting research, participant outreach, and data encoding. I have seen firsthand how to design and conduct research studies and how to recruit and interact with participants. The lab also provided me with many resources to help me plan and prepare for a career in research, medicine, and other fields, such as law (which I am personally interested in). I will miss spending time with my fellow research assistants, the lab’s graduate
Harleen: My biggest takeaway from the lab was finding the wide array of sub-fields within developmental psychology, which eventually helped shape my future career goals as I found an interest in the developmental effects of early addiction in adolescents. I will truly miss my labmates, the fun and laughs we shared during the summer and the year.
