The Undergraduate Planning Committee (UPC)
The Undergraduate Planning Committee (UPC) consists of junior and senior concentrators who play a vital role in assisting the Undergraduate Office with planning and hosting events. The Undergraduate Office periodically hosts UPC brainstorming sessions to generate ideas for events and other ways to engage concentrators.
You'll likely spot members of the UPC at the Psychology table during advising fairs, at Psychology events during Visitas, and at our New Concentrator Welcome party! They're always excited to share their experiences with new & potential concentrators.
Below are some of the current members of the UPC. Feel free to reach out to them with any questions about their experience in the concentration!
2023-2024 Undergraduate Planning Committee Members
Mira Becker | Dunster House, Class of 2024
I love psychology because it helps me understand the complex and seemingly irrational mechanisms behind human cognition, emotions, and behavior in a way that's grounded in science while also centering subjective experiences. Psychology gives me a lens to see the world through, and I love finding examples of the concepts I've studied in everyday life.
Sarah Borges | Kirkland House, Class of 2025
Being a Psychology major has been such an important part of my college experience, and I've thoroughly enjoyed the classes, research, and events I've done with the Psych department so far.
Maggie Chiffer | Cabot House, Class of 2024
I work in the Weisz Lab for Youth Mental Health studying the impact of clinician-client shared decision-making on children’s treatment outcomes. I love Psychology because it not only gives me insight into the fascinating nature of the human mind, but it also allows me to do work that can have a positive and tangible impact on people’s lives!
Cina Curley | Leverett House, Class of 2025
Ever since I was young, I wanted to return back home to serve my community on the Navajo Nation. I thought that the best way to do that is through pursuing psychology. Psychology has always excited me. To be more specific, I'm primarily interested in clinical psychology with a focus on intergenerational trauma in Indigenous communities. I want to be able to understand my people so that I am able to be a better provider for them. I intend to take the skills I have learned from the psychology department at Harvard back to the Navajo Nation.
Jerelyn Fernandez | Pforzheimer House, Class of 2025
I love the Psychology department at Harvard because of all the interesting course offerings and amazing professors. My favorite course so far has been Psy 1612: Family, School, and Society: Shaping the Developing Child! It provided me with a great overview of the various influences impacting development.
Nayeli Galvan | Leverett House, Class of 2024
I really enjoy Psychology, especially the intersection between psychology and the medical field. My favorite course I have taken thus far has been Psy 18: Psychopathology. It was a great introduction to the different psychopathologies and introduced me to clinical psychology more in depth with the guest speakers!
Katie Garcia | Leverett House, Class of 2025
I have always had a deep interest in psychopathologies and psychiatry. PSY 18: Psychopathology and PSY 1201: Your Brain on Drugs were the most engaging courses that I have taken so far, and the content and professors completely reinforced my desire to work in psychiatry.
Byron Gonzalez | Winthrop House, Class of 2025
I am passionate about Psychology because of its direct relevance to everyday life and its connection to health. PSY 1845: Stigma, Discrimination, and Health with Dr. Hatzenbuehler stands out as my favorite psychology class, sparking my enthusiasm to delve deeper into understanding the stigmatization of identities and its health implications. I am thrilled about the opportunity to contribute to this exploration in Dr. Hatzenbuehler's BEST LAB!
Matthew Gross | Winthrop House, Class of 2024
As a psychology concentrator, I am fascinated by the intersection of decision-making and public policy. The department’s research opportunities and classes have been very rewarding experiences.
Noah Janfaza | Mather House, Class of 2025
My favorite experience in the Psychology department so far has been learning more about how Psychology research is conducted in the Langer Lab with Dr. Ellen Langer and Dr. Deb Phillips.
Austin Kaufman | Eliot House, Class of 2025
What excites me the most about psychology is being able to learn new ways to analyze how humans interact with each other and view social interactions. I am super interested in applied social psychology and how it applies to comedic storytelling and have loved getting exposure to social psychology concepts through different psych classes on campus!
Gage Kingman | Quincy House, Class of 2024
The Psychology Department at Harvard has provided me with a place to explore all of my academic interests without sacrifice. With a wide range of course offerings and a set of requirements that are just as interesting as they are useful, concentrating in psychology is sure to be a rewarding decision.
Luca Leschly | Mather House, Class of 2025
I'm drawn to psychology due to its real-world applicability and its ability to unveil the meaning behind human behaviors and emotions. My interest stems from my experience in mental health, and I appreciate how studying psychology allows me to positively impact others' lives. My favorite class so far has been PSY 980JL which focuses on clinical psychology in our everyday lives.
Cate MacDonald | Currier House, Class of 2024
I've done a lot of work around OCD and Anxiety and I've been lucky enough to join the Nock Lab where I'm working on researching bodily sensations and their association with suicidal thoughts and behaviors in adults and adolescents.
Abigail Mejia | Quincy House, Class of 2024
One of my favorite courses so far has been the foundational Psychopathology course because I am interested in mental health treatment and intend on becoming a therapist.
Sandra Mwangi | Adams House, Class of 2024
My favorite experience in the department has been taking Psychology of Women with Dr. Noll. It was a really great learning experience! I'm currently doing behavioral research at the NERD lab studying stereotype bias in startups.
Cecilia Nakfoor | Dunster House, Class of 2025
What I love most about studying psychology is how it has completely transformed my understanding and perception of the people and world around me. The psychology program here at Harvard has provided me with the skills to truly feel as though I can make an impact on improving someone's well-being or human interactions more broadly, and that is something I find extremely rewarding.
Atlas Sanogo | Winthrop House, Class of 2024
I love studying Psychology because of its applicability to a multitude of disciplines and to virtually every part of daily life. My favorite experience in the concentration so far has been conducting an independent research project, Pronouns and Prejudice, dedicated to understanding the content and expression of nonbinary stereotypes. My favorite psychology class to date was PSY 15: Social Psychology with Dr. Cushman!
Leticia Sefia | Winthrop House, Class of 2025
What excites me the most about Psychology is the ability to bridge the gap between a person's background or identity (especially regarding culture) and their behaviors by analyzing their perceptions of their environment and the world at large. I have wanted to concentrate in Psychology since my freshman year of high school thanks to my pastor, a licensed psychologist who helped me realize how beneficial it is to have a background in Psychology in terms of making impactful changes in people's lives.
Katie Sevier | Lowell House, Class of 2025
I appreciate all the different branches of psychology and the interdisciplinary nature of this field. I am currently working with the Gaab Lab to combine psychology, neuroscience, and education to improve our understanding of learning impairments. I am passionate about investigating how people learn and why people perceive things differently. Ultimately, I would like to help develop more effective teaching methods, particularly for students with disabilities.
Stephanie Zaragoza | Eliot House, Class of 2025
What excites me about Psychology is all the different possibilities that are achievable within the field. Every Psychology class I have taken so far has provided me with new information that is always interesting and exciting to learn about. As an aspiring psychologist, my ultimate goal is to use this knowledge to make a positive impact for underprivileged communities.