The Department of Psychology recently adopted a new name: the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. This change reflects the department’s expanded reach, from the neural pathways that inspire thought to the complex stories of human growth and connection. By including 'Brain Sciences' in its name, UC Riverside joins the national discussion and demonstrates its...

From April 24 to 26, 2026, the inaugural California Well-Being Conference (CaWBC) brought together faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students from 11 higher education institutions across the state to showcase research, exchange ideas, and build lasting professional networks. Hosted by the UCR Department of Psychology, the CaWBC was a vibrant, multi-day meeting of minds dedicated...

Fourth-year psychology and Spanish linguistics double-major Celeste Ponce has been juggling her responsibilities since her first year as a student. As a first-generation student, Ponce was forced to spend her first few quarters at UC Riverside navigating everything on her own, including how to find help in the first place. “It has been an experience...

In more ways than one, Michelle Nguyen, a fourth-year psychology major and business management minor, has taken her undergraduate years of college as a learning experience. Though she experienced some low points, she says that college has given her some of the highest points in life, and through it she has evolved. This growth would...

On April 25, the Neuroscience Graduate Student Association (NGSA) worked — with support from the psychology department — to host the 15th annual Brain Awareness Day at UC Riverside’s Student Recreation Center. Brain Awareness Day is intended to get younger students interested in neuroscience, as well as promote higher education and offer engaging learning opportunities...

Shannon Brady, a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in Developmental Psychology, has been named the 2024 finalist at the UCR Grad Slam Finals, a UC-wide competition for graduate students to present their research or creative projects with opportunities and workshops for professional development. As UCR’s campus winner, Shannon earned a grand prize of $5000 through a fellowship...

To our CHASS community, We are deeply saddened by the recent death of William Dunlop, an associate professor of social/personality psychology in UC Riverside’s Department of Psychology. Dr. Dunlop, who directed the Personality and Identity Lab (PAIL), explored the ways in which individuals make sense of themselves and their lives. He taught both undergraduate and...

In her role as a financial analyst for the Department of Psychology, Flora Beri Simo Sunjo is responsible for networking with others, hiring for labs, providing complex analysis and troubleshooting. “During the pandemic, I have had to schedule Zoom meetings with Flora to process the Psychology recruitments," said Alisha French, a human resources analyst for...

Just as humanities are crucial to scientific research, scientific analysis is necessary when developing public policies. In October 2020, UCR's Center for Science to Policy (S2P) held its first Policy Hackathon. A team of graduate students, led by developmental psychology Ph.D. student Agnes Varghese, included graduate students with psychology, engineering, business, microbiology, and neuroscience concentrations...

Gamespawn is a UCR club that offers members the ability to collaborate and work on the development of video games. The club meets on campus during the academic year on Tuesday evenings, 5-7 pm in Bourns A171. “[Joining Gamespawn] was intimidating at first,” said second-year psychology major and current Outreach Coordinator Yvette Chen, “but once...