What is your undergraduate major?
Neuroscience and Psychology
What contributed to your decision to pursue a bioethics education at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½?
I am grateful to have received a combination of the social sciences and the STEM field through my psychology and neuroscience majors, but hoping for a career in neuropsychology, I wanted a way to directly explore this intersection in my classes. Bioethics and health humanities has been a perfect interdisciplinary approach to human behavior that allows me to discuss all of my passions outside of these individual majors (including climate justice, community health, and social justice), but for the first time within an academic lens and in relation to the biomedical field. .
What has been the most impactful or your favorite part of the program?
The incredible connections between faculty and the dedication they have to undergraduate learning has been wonderful. I never thought that my introductory level Dilemmas class would have so many insightful guest speakers that were experts in so many different fields. During one class Dr. Aaron Goldenberg and Dr. Marsha Michie came to discuss the ethics of beginning of life genetic screening, and for a brief second, this lecture made me completely reconsider my career path and think about genetic counseling-- something I had never known about before. Every guest speaker has made me consider the world in a different way and has been so receptive to questions and discussion.
What are your plans for after graduation and how will you utilize the skills and knowledge learned during your program to pursue these goals?
I hope to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology and specialize in neuropsychology further along. Bioethics has taught me a lot about research ethics, something which is so fundamental to any career in research. I have also cherished the discussions we have had in our Undergraduate Society for Bioethics and Health Humanities (USBH) regarding neuro-ethics, and have now considered many ethical situations involving the brain that may come up in the future. Most importantly, I have learned a lot about interdisciplinary connections and how the marginalization of groups is interconnected-- something which I hope to continue to consider in my future practice as well as in my advocacy.
What is your favorite part about living and learning in Cleveland?
The community!! I have met the best, most passionate and excited individuals through community organizing around Cleveland, and I have met people in all different disciplines and areas that sometimes do not overlap with mine, but we still find a way to connect and be passionate about change!