Katja McBane '18
Majors at MHC:
Neuroscience and Behavior, Spanish
Thesis title:
The Role of Morphology and Sentence Context in Word Processing for Adults with Low Literacy
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Post-commencement activities:
I spent one year as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in the Czech Republic.
What are you currently doing?
I am finishing up my Fulbright and returning to the US, but in August I will start work as a Research Assistant with the University of Miami ALS Research Collaboration group (with Alexa Gonzalez '18!!).
How has your MHC education helped/influenced your life path and where you are now?
My time at Mount Holyoke was wonderful during the four years I spent there, but it has continued with me post graduation through the lessons and friends I gained. Mount Holyoke gave me a space to try new things and build up confidence with a safety net, which has been vital for me this past year as I began teaching for the first time in a country I'd never been to (confidence was important!).
The support and network I developed at Mount Holyoke also helped me secure my next job, where I'll be moving back to the research field. I look forward to uncovering all the other ways Mount Holyoke prepared me as I carry on in the next few years!
Elizabeth Tighe '10
Major and Minor at MHC
Psychology and Sociology
Thesis title
Original to Originality: Morphological Accuracy and Rates of Word Recognition in Low Literate Adults
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Post-commencement activities
I graduated from MHC in Spring, 2010. I attended graduate school at Florida State University, earning a Masters in Cognitive Psychology (2012), a certificate in Education Sciences (2014), and a PhD in Cognitive Psychology (2015). I also completed an online certificate in Adult Education at Western Kentucky University in 2015. After finishing graduate school, I pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at Arizona State University (2015-2016) and also taught GED English and Social Studies night classes at Rio Salado College in Phoenix, Arizona. I am now an Assistant Professor of Developmental Psychology at Georgia State University.
Outside of graduate school and work, I have volunteered at adult literacy programs in Florida and Arizona. I also play on recreational tennis leagues. I have volunteered as an Alumnae Admissions Representative for MHC in Florida, Arizona, and currently Georgia. It has been a lot of fun interviewing potential MHC applicants over the years. I am also active in the Atlanta area MHC alumnae club.
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What are you currently doing?
I am currently an Assistant Professor of Developmental Psychology at Georgia State University. In this role, I teach courses (undergraduate- and graduate-level), mentor students (undergraduate, masters, and doctoral), and conduct research (writing grants, running statistics, designing studies, and disseminating results at conferences and in peer-reviewed journals). I direct the Adult Language, Literacy, and Learning Lab (https://etighe9.wixsite.com/al3lab), where we focus primarily on adult literacy and quantitative methodology. I am also the Assistant Director of the Adult Literacy Research Center at the College of Education at Georgia State University. In this role, I am involved with projects, presentations, workshops, informal mentoring, and developing center-related activities to foster collaboration among affiliated faculty across several disciplines (e.g., applied linguistics, education, psychology, communication science disorders, public health). Finally, I am currently an adjunct assistant professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, teaching an online summer course to masters and doctoral students on adult literacy and developmental/remedial education.
How has your MHC education helped/influenced your life path and where you are now?
My MHC education has greatly shaped my current career path. I worked in three different research labs during my time at MHC, which were my first experiences with research. My senior thesis (working with Dr. Kathy Binder), directly influenced my decision to apply to MS/PhD programs during my senior year at MHC. I first learned about adult low literacy and the societal implications of low literacy in Dr. Binder's Cognition and Reading Lab course and it was also my first time volunteering in an adult literacy program. To date, I still collaborate with Dr. Binder on research projects and we always meet-up in July at our annual reading conference!
Brooke Magnus '09
Major and Minor at MHC
Psychology and Statistics
Thesis title
When does warmness become warmth? An investigation of children’s vocabulary acquisition through their writing.
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Post-commencement activities
I went on to earn a PhD in Quantitative Psychology from UNC Chapel Hill.
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What are you currently doing?
I am an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at Boston College. Before that, I was an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI.
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How has your MHC education helped/influenced your life path and where you are now?
I doubt that I would have wound up having this career, which I absolutely love, if not for my MHC education. Completing an honors thesis in the Psychology Department prepared me very well for graduate school, as did my coursework in the Psychology and Mathematics/Statistics Departments. Being at a liberal arts college like MHC gave me the opportunity to really get to know my professors, both inside and outside the classroom. I am lucky to have had such wonderful mentors who helped me identify my research interests and career goals – in particular, Kathy Binder in Psychology and Janice Gifford in Statistics. Seeing how much they enjoyed working with students (and what a difference they could make) is what made me want to become a professor myself!
Bonnie Nguyen '09
Major and Minor at MHC
Psychology and Music
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Thesis title
The Relationship Between Music and Emotion, as Conveyed by Prosody, in Individuals With Williams Syndrome
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Post-commencement activities
After graduation I worked with children with autism at The New England Center for Children and Crossroads School. Those experiences exposed me to speech-language pathology and I became very interested in augmentative and alternative communication. I earned my Master's degree in speech-language pathology from MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, MA in 2010. I additionally received an Education Specialist degree in Assistive Special Education Technology in 2014 while I was working as a Speech-Language Pathologist in the Needham Public Schools.
What are you currently doing?
I am currently a Speech-Language Pathologist in the Wayland Public Schools. Outside of work, I am working toward earning my certificate in Native Plant Studies in Field Botany through Native Plant Trust and I volunteer on the Natick Earth Day committee.
How has your MHC education helped/influenced your life path and where you are now?
My thesis project at Mount Holyoke and Berkshire Hills Music Academy with Kathy Binder piqued my interest in language and in working with children and adults with disabilities. My psychology background has made me a better educator and has additionally given me the ability to use research effectively in my work in speech-language pathology. I also continue to pursue my musical interests through community choruses.
Liena Strikis '06
Major and Minor at MHC
Psychology and Film Studies
Thesis title
The Effects of Orthography and Phonology on Vocabulary Acquisition
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Post-commencement activities
After graduating from MHC, I worked as a Research Assistant at the University of Pennsylvania. I later served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay. After completing my Peace Corps service, I attended The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
What are you currently doing?
I am currently working as an Associate Post-Award Financial Specialist at Tufts University.
How has your MHC education helped/influenced your life path and where you are now?
MHC gave me the opportunity to pursue my interest in psychology, explore new fields, and engage in independent research in a supportive environment. My experience completing a thesis led me to decide to work in research after graduation. The skills I gained through my classes, thesis, and tutoring experience later helped me when I was organizing projects and teaching in the Peace Corps. My academic experiences at MHC also prepared me well for graduate-level work.
Kristin Garton '00
Major at MHC
Neuroscience and Behavior
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Thesis title
First-mention and Focus: Factors that Influence Comprehension
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Post-commencement activities
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Masters Degree in Cognitive Psychology
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Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
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Masters in Public Health
What are you currently doing?
Child Abuse Pediatrician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
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How has your MHC education helped/influenced your life path and where you are now?
My MHC education has been incredibly versatile and invaluable. In addition to pursuing an advanced degree in cognitive psychology, I have also gone to medical school and am now a child abuse pediatrician. The skills I learned at MHC and while working with Dr. Binder both in class and in her lab are skills I use daily in my research to help improve detection of child physical abuse and improve children’s health and safety.