Since graduating from Roanoke College in 2014 magna cum laude with a major of Psychology, minor in Creative Writing, and concentration in Neuroscience, Lauren Kennedy is in the midst of completing her first year in the new Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health PhD program at Virginia Tech.
Congratulations Lauren!
Dr. Vernon Mountcastle, the “father of neuroscience,” died Sunday, January 11th at the age of 96. He is a Roanoke alumnus who graduated in 1938. Throughout his life he made many important discoveries in neuroscience. You can learn more about him and his discoveries here:
https://roanoke.edu/Alumni/Alumni_Medalists/Medalists_Archive/Dr_Vernon_Benjamin_Mountcastle_Jr_38.htm
To read The Roanoke Times report, which President Maxey and Dr. David Nichols both feature in to talk of Dr. Mountcastle’s discoveries, go here:
https://www.roanoke.com/news/former-roanoke-resident-father-of-neuroscience-dies-at/article_929f0939-caaa-5475-9d1d-0028373d8523.html
Alyssa Bostrom, a 2013 Roanoke graduate, has been up to quite a bit since she embarked on her life after Roanoke! The following is her description of these numerous activities:
“I completed 2 AmeriCorps terms with Rebuilding Together Roanoke as a Project Specialist. Rebuilding Together is a national non-profit that provides critical home repairs to low-income homeowners for free. This past year I received the AmeriCorps Member of the Year award from Rebuilding Together for the the 2 terms of service I completed during 2013 and 2014. As of January 2015 I moved to the Denver area in order to pursue a Masters in Christian Leadership with a concentration in the Outdoor at the Denver Seminary. My career goal is to stay in non-profit management and ideally work for an organization that promotes Youth Development and Leadership Development through hands on and service learning. While going to school I am working at OpenWorld Learning a non-profit in Denver that partners with Denver Public Schools and provides an after school program for at risk/low-income elementary and middle school kids.The focus is computer and technology skills. This program along with most of the partnering schools have a bi-lingual English/Spanish curriculum so I am using my BA in Spanish in order to aid in the facilitation of the program and support children who do not speak English as their first language.”
-Alyssa
Katherine (Kati) Webb married Robert Main on October 4, 2014 in a beautiful ceremony. The two now reside in Texas. Congrats and may your lives be full of health, love, and happiness!
“Courtney was a ray of sunshine, but don’t let that fool you, she had a feisty side! Her bright smile, beautiful personality, and kind heart will forever remain in our hearts. Courtney fought some hard battles during her short time on this earth, but she was not a complainer. If anything, she took care of others! After finishing her BA in Psych at RC, she completed her Masters at Liberty. Courtney loved her friends, her sorority sisters, and of course, her family. To know her was to love her. We are thankful that we had the opportunity to interact with such a wonderful person. May we all take inspiration from Courtney.” ~Dr. Denise Friedman, Department Chair
Courtney (right) pictured with one of her sorority sisters, Molly (left).
Check out her profile: https://www.psyc.jmu.edu/psycsciences/people/meisen.html.
Breanna Wright received a full assistantship and summer compensation to attend Stony Brook University where she will pursue a PhD in Political Science. Breanna is specifically interested in political psychology which she was the focus of her honors in the major project. Dr. Friedman and Breanna are preparing her honors paper for publication now.
The Psychology Department will host a reception during Alumni Weekend (4:00-5:30pm April 12th). Stop by for some drinks and snacks with members of the department and fellow alumni. The event will be held on the Lucas Hall Balcony (2nd floor). For more information contact Dr. Denise Friedman, Chair at (540) 375-2476 or at friedman@roanoke.edu
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Denise Friedman has become the new chairperson for the Department of Psychology.
Dr. Friedman joined the department in 2007. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Averett University with a B.S. in Psychology. She earned a M.S. (2004) and Ph.D. (2006) from Virginia Tech where she specialized in Developmental and Biological Psychology. She is a member of Alpha Chi and Phi Kappa Phi. Her research interests include cognitive and frontal lobe development from infancy through early adulthood. Her current research program examines the impact of technology on cognitive and social skills.
Laura Lenviel, formerly Laura Karlgren, announces her marriage to Claire Lenviel on May 26, 2013. Congrats! We wish you health and happiness. Please visit us when you can!
