Desiree Furlong Cheney, M.A.
Graduation year: 2017
PI: Dr. Sarah Mattson
Research Topic: Development and Validation of Postnatal Risk Score for Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and it’s Relation to Executive Functioning
Current Job: Senior Psychometrist at UC San Diego Health
What is the best advice you would give to someone just starting out in this Master’s program? I didn’t end up doing the Ph.D. route, but start working on a project or your thesis ASAP so you can work on publications. Be open minded on your career trajectory, life is not linear.
Katie Rozzell, M.A.
Graduation year: 2019
PI: Dr. Aaron Blashill
Research Topic: Body Image; Eating Disorder Prevention
Current Job: University of Hawai’i at Manoa; I am in my final year of the Ph.D. program and will be completing my pre-doctoral internship at UC San Diego/Rady Children’s back in San Diego!
What is the best advice you would give to someone just starting out in this Master’s program? Set both short and long term career goals for yourself on a regular basis, and do your best to tailor your experiences in graduate school (coursework, research, clinical experiences, volunteer work) to help you achieve those goals! There are so many career options for someone with a Master’s degree in Psychology that it can be overwhelming (and sometimes unnecessary) to consider them all. Set your goals early on and stick with them, but give yourself room for flexibility as your goals and values change.
Kinsey Pebley, Ph.D, M.A.
Graduation year: 2017
PI: Dr. Linda Gallo
Research Topic: Diabetes Management
Current Job: Medical University of South Carolina- postdoctoral fellow
What is the best advice you would give to someone just starting out in this Master’s program? Soak up as much lab and research experience as possible! Classes matter, but the hands-on research experience will pay off!