Assistant Professor of Psychology
Vikranth Rao Bejjanki
Vik Rao Bejjanki uses a range of methods, such as psychophysics, to study learning.
Psychology
From your first course, you will use the scientific method to pursue questions about human nature. Our coursework spans the broad scope of psychology, including neuroscience, cognitive, affective, social, developmental and clinical topics. The concentration provides a firm grounding in research methodology and statistics. You’ll find many opportunities for research and fieldwork with faculty — perhaps in our program at the New England Center for Children, a treatment facility for children and adolescents with autism.
About the Major
Students build a body of knowledge about the forces and influences great and small that shape mind, brain and behavior. In addition, through laboratory work and field studies they learn the scientific method, perhaps the most important means we have of acquiring knowledge. Hamilton psychology grads have gone on to pursue graduate study in a variety of areas, to teach, and to work in a variety of clinical and professional fields.
I am kind of the classic liberal arts student. I’ve taken geology and am currently in sociology, and most of my classes this year are psych classes but I’m fascinated with earth sciences, which is just an aside for me – I’m so privileged to go to a school that lets me do that. And I love philosophy. I find it to be just wonderful and kind of a break from the sciences, so I do have a breadth.
Corinne Smith ’17 — psychology major
Hamilton's psychology program reflects the strengths of a versatile, highly regarded faculty with wide research interests and a deep commitment to teaching. The curriculum includes major branches of contemporary psychology: clinical, cognitive, educational, developmental, personality, physiological, sensory and social psychology. The program's range and appeal make the major one of the most popular at Hamilton.
Careers After Hamilton
- Senior Financial Analyst, IBM
- Clinical Social Worker, Washington, D.C. Department of Mental Health
- Product Quality Analyst, Google
- School Psychologist, Dundee Central School
- Neuroscientist, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Chief Architect, Port Authority of NY & NJ
- Vice President of Global Marketing Solutions, Facebook
- Professor, Georgetown University Law Center
- Assistant Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service
- Program Director, National Science Foundation
- Senior Deputy General Counsel, San Francisco Unified School District
Meet Our Faculty
Chair, Professor of Psychology
Jennifer L. S. Borton
Jen Borton’s research involves how people with defensive self-esteem cope with ego threat.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology
Christa Christ
Christa Christ studies the effect of genetic and environmental factors on social and risky behaviors.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology
Azriel Grysman
Trained in cognitive and developmental psychology, Azriel "Azi" Grysman focuses his research on the role of memory in defining the self.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Alexandra List
Alexandra List researches our understanding of how we perceive visual, auditory and haptic information.
Associate Professor of Psychology
Tara E. McKee
Tara McKee's research focuses on families coping with children with varying challenges.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Siobhan Robinson
Siobhan Robinson conducts research across a wide range of neuroscience subfields.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Ravivarman Thiruchselvam
Ravi Thiruchselvam uses neuroscience to understand emotion and emotion regulation.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Rachel White
Child psychologist Rachel White examines the development of self-control from preschool years through adolescence.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Keelah E.G. Williams
Keelah Williams has a law degree as well as a doctorate in psychology.
Professor of Psychology
Penny Yee
Penny Yee conducts research in the areas of cognition and individual differences.
the Stone Professor of Psychology Emeritus
Douglas Weldon
Weldon’s research interests include the brain mechanisms of attention and the developmental neurobiology of learning and memory.
A Sampling of Courses
The Self in Social Psychology 311F
Theoretical and methodological understanding of the study of the self in social psychology. Topics include organization of self-concept and its effect on information processing; self-awareness; self-esteem maintenance processes; cultural influences; stigmas; and self-regulation. Class time devoted to discussion of research articles. Laboratory component involves conducting two research projects. Data collection, statistical analysis, papers based on findings, oral and poster presentations. Three hours of class and three hours of laboratory. Writing-intensive. Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning. Oral Presentations.
View All CoursesChild Development 351
An introduction to the science of child behavior and the principles of child growth and development from conception to early adulthood. Focuses on integrating the physical, cognitive, social and emotional domains of development. Includes an experiential component whereby students will work with children or adolescents in an applied setting (e.g., child care center or school). Oral Presentations.
View All CoursesPsychopharmacology 352F
A study of the effects of drugs on animal and human behavior. Topics include neuropharmacology, antipsychotics, analgesics, stimulants, hallucinogens, antidepressants, alcoholism, addiction, effects of drugs on society, and the implications of drug effects for neurochemical theories of behavior. Oral Presentations.
View All CoursesHuman Memory 357S
An examination of theoretical and empirical research on the creation and structure of memories. Consideration of both theoretical and applied topics within the memory literature, including autobiographical memories, unconscious memories, factors contributing to forgetting, the organization of memories, eyewitness memory, and false memories. Oral Presentations.
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