Meet some of our cognitive science majors.
Candace Farling ’25
Hometown: Tempe, AZ
Major: cognitive science; minors: neuroscience, philosophy
Can you describe your working relationships with cognitive science professors?
Over the past three years, I’ve had the privilege of creating strong relationships with many of my professors, notably Professors Aleksandra Sherman, Carmel Levitan, and Kevin Urstadt. I have been lucky enough to engage in research exploring the intersection of art and cognitive skills. My professors have been extremely accessible, encouraging, and welcoming in the research environment. One particular standout class I have taken was Cognitive Neuroscience with Professor Urstadt. He is passionate about the field of neuroscience and cultivates an enriching and inclusive environment where you are not afraid to fail and learn. Additionally, the hands-on experience of working with rat brains during lab sessions provided a very unique experience that enhanced my passion for neuroscience.
I have been lucky enough to engage in research exploring the intersection of art and cognitive skills. My professors have been extremely accessible, encouraging, and welcoming in the research environment.
Did you study abroad? How did it enhance your major course of study?
During the fall of my junior year, I got the opportunity to study abroad in Vienna as part of the Psychology and Social Sciences program through IES. Given the opportunity to focus on the psychology discipline within cognitive science, I acquired a more holistic view of how our brain works. I was also afforded the chance to explore topics within psychology that have always interested me such as personality theories and the influence that Viennese psychologists have had on the field.
The cognitive science major allows me to explore all my areas of interest—including psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy—and study how all these areas create a unique outlook.
What do you find most compelling about studying cognitive science?
The most compelling thing about studying cognitive science is the intersectionality of perspectives that you can encompass to understand the human mind and behavior. The cognitive science major allows me to explore all my areas of interest—including psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy—and study how all these areas create a unique outlook.
Wilder Hartwell ’24
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Majors: cognitive science, sociology
Can you describe your working relationships with cognitive science professors? Are there any standout classes you’ve taken?
I’ve had so many great experiences with cognitive science professors at Oxy. I have developed relationships with professors in which I feel they truly know me, appreciate me for who I am, and can trust to support me both when I am up and when I am down. I have been to office hours to ask questions about my interests that may be only tangentially related to the course, such as with Professor Kevin Urstadt, and they have sat with me and enthusiastically discussed all my questions.
I have developed relationships with professors in which I feel they truly know me, appreciate me for who I am, and can trust to support me both when I am up and when I am down.
Have you taken part in any student research opportunities at Oxy or elsewhere?
I have been part of Professor Stephanie Nelli’s lab for over a year now, including during Oxy’s summer research program, and I have worked on EEG experiments related to facial prosthetics, bilingualism, and neurodivergence. Professors have always been excited to support me in following my goals and my interests, including researching nonverbal learning disability, an uncommon subject I have always dreamed of researching. This summer, I am excited to do neuroscience research at Caltech as a WAVE Fellow, an opportunity that Professor Nelli and Professor Carmel Levitan helped me achieve.
What are your ambitions post-Oxy and how has the liberal arts approach helped to shape these ambitions?
Research has been the highlight of my college career. I plan to go to graduate school for cognitive neuroscience to continue to engage with my love of research and the topics I am passionate about, such as neurodivergence and neuroimaging. Oxy’s emphasis on exploring a wide range of interests is what led me to double major in cognitive science and sociology. Sociology informs how I approach cognitive science, especially my research, and I’m grateful for how open Oxy professors and students are to interdisciplinary thinking.
Lily Gebhart ’25
Hometown: Redding, CA
Majors: cognitive science, mathematics; minors: computer science, neuroscience
What was your motivation to major in cognitive science?
The brain has always fascinated me. I remember marveling at PET scans of different sleep stages in a little medical book I had as a kid and ever since then, I've been hooked! As I got older, I gained a new appreciation for the brain after witnessing the effects of psychological and neurological disorders in medically and psychologically oriented classes and in my friends and family. These firsthand experiences gave me insight into the complexity of the brain and the beautiful yet bizarre effects that result when operating and not operating “optimally.” More importantly, they sparked a curiosity in me that the cognitive science major at Oxy has only made stronger!
Have you taken part in any student research opportunities at Oxy?
In the cognitive science department at Oxy, I've worked with Professor Justin Li since my first year on a computational project involving building better models of long-term memory retrieval mechanisms. I've also worked with Professor Carmel Levitan and Professor Aysha Motala (at the University of Stirling in Scotland, U.K.) on a time perception project since my sophomore year which investigates how viewing a loved one might impact perception of short time durations.
Majoring in cognitive science is not just worth it for all you will learn, but also for the community of passionate students and faculty you'll join.
What are your ambitions post-Oxy and how has the liberal arts approach helped to shape these ambitions?
After Oxy, I plan to go to graduate school in computational cognitive science or neuroscience and pursue a career in academia. I am also interested in promoting the creativity inherent to science. Oxy's liberal arts approach to education has allowed me to take courses in many STEM fields outside of my majors, and has resulted in a much more holistic curriculum than I've found in many other STEM environments. The importance of ethics, diversity, communication, and inclusion in all STEM fields has been thoroughly promoted in nearly all the courses I've taken, including areas where I'd expect it least: subjects like chemistry, physics, and mathematics. My first First Year Seminar—Chaos, taught by Professor Janet Scheel of physics—was particularly influential, giving me my first glimpse of computational science and emphasizing representation and communication in science, both of which have greatly informed the path of my undergraduate years so far!
Do you have any advice for a student considering a major in cognitive science?
The cognitive science major at Oxy is unique from other majors in its interdisciplinarity. Though the breadth of the major may seem intimidating, I don't know of a more supportive and growth-oriented major at Occidental. Majoring in cognitive science is not just worth it for all you will learn, but also for the community of passionate students and faculty you'll join. It’s a major program that will support you as a whole person, regardless of what direction you want to take your career post-Oxy.
To see more Meet Our Majors profiles, visit the main page.
