Graduation Celebration for Psychology and Neuroscience Students
by Lynda F. Rysavy | Thursday, May 07, 2020
Professors Julie Earles, Ph.D., Kevin Lanning, Ph.D., and Laura Vernon, Ph.D., hosted asurprise virtual ceremony on May 5 for Harriet L. Wilkes Honors Collegegraduates in psychology and neuroscience.The faculty gifted thestudents with mortarboards; students reminisced about their favoritecollege memories and shared their future plans.
"We have had the good fortune to work with an exceptional group ofstudents these last few years, and we wanted to do something - evensomething small - to recognize and thank them. We look forward to amore formal ceremony when circumstances permit." said Dr. Lanning.
Dr. Earles added "Our psychology and neuroscience students demonstratedsuch great resilience during this difficult time. I am so proud of ouramazing students for completing meaningful thesis work and continuingto engage in their classes even after their classes were moved online.Their compassion for each other and ability to work together is trulyremarkable. It is an honor to work with them.”
“Earning an Honors college degree inpsychology or neuroscience is challenging during the best of times," said Dr. Vernon."The challenge is greatly magnified during a global pandemic. Ourstudents were physically removed from campus and their professors. Ontop of that, some of them had to change their research and datacollection plans. Many had entirely new financial, family, and healthworries and responsibilities. Nevertheless, they rose to the occasionand we are so proud of them.”
"If you ask faculty what their "why" is, you'll hear one of two things:their love of teaching or the students. You might even get both," added Mariana Lopes, one of the graduating seniors. "My favorite thing about the Honors College is that very quickly upon arriving, students make the faculty a part of their "why." The lovelycelebration put together by the psychology department is the epitomeof why us students have been able to keep doing what we're doing. Wehave had the most empowering professors/advisers/friends out there!There have been times when my strength left me and my motivation waslong gone, but I kept pushing because I had someone who told me I wascapable of more than I thought I was—and they were right. The amazingfaculty are the real gems of FAU, and I could never thank them enough."