Aria Tsegai-Moore '21
Summa Cum Laude
Psychology and Sociology double major

Where are you originally from?
I am originally from Buffalo, NY.

How did you hear about Stony Brook University?
I heard about Stony Brook from my mom, she works in higher education and mentioned to me that some of the faculty she works with said it was a great research school.

Why Stony Brook?
I choose to study at Stony Brook because I knew I could pursue my interests in research, while also taking classes and not breaking the bank. 

On her majors:
I am a double major in psychology and sociology in the psychology honors program. I choose to become a psychology major because of my prior experience taking an introductory-level psychology class in high school. I always found psychology interesting, and it was during that class that I realized I wanted to see what else it had to offer. As for my sociology major, I did not become one until later in my college years. I had taken several sociology classes as part of my psychology major concentration, and I found myself benefiting from both a psychological and sociological perspective when learning about various topics. It has definitely given me a more well-rounded perspective on topics such as health, aging, mental illnesses, etc. 

Favorite classes:
It is really hard to pick one class that is my favorite, but if I had to choose, I would have to say one of them is SOC 340: Sociology of Human Reproduction with Professor Catherine Marrone. I took this class as a freshman, and I remember feeling like there was so much that I did not know. It changed my outlook on not only human reproduction and what goes along with it, but the way in which college could expose me to topics I never even thought about. I also cannot forget about PSY 250: Biopsychology with Professor Hoi-Chung Leung. Taking this class helped me realize my interests in the brain and neuroscience, ultimately serving as the catalyst for the other psychology classes that I took after.

Interests and accomplishments:
My interests include psychology, but more specifically aging and the elderly population. I think that there is a lot left to be discovered about the elderly, and I hope to contribute to bettering their overall quality of life. Outside of school I like to exercise and play/watch sports, my favorites are football, basketball, and rugby. I also like watching a good  TV show or movie with family and friends. 

Some of my accomplishments include presenting and winning an award at a National Conference (ABRCMS), getting into a post-baccalaureate program, currently having a 3.92 GPA and being a head teaching assistant in the psychology department, etc. 

Greatest achievement:
My greatest achievement so far has been getting a conference paper accepted as first author. I never thought that I would be able to achieve such an accomplishment at this point in my academic career, but it has been a dream of mine to say that I am an author of a soon to be published scientific paper. It is going to be published in The Journal of Cognitive Science this summer.  

Awards & Accolades:
Some of the awards that I have received are being on the Dean's List for every semester, receiving the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award, the Provost's Award for Academic Excellence, and conference awards from the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS). 

Plans for post-graduation:
After graduation, I plan to attend a post-baccalaureate program before applying to graduate school for psychology. As of right now I will be a Discovery PREP scholar at The Ohio State University starting in the summer. 

Career aspirations:
I hope to get my PhD in psychology specializing in cognitive neuroscience. I would love to use my degree and specialty to study aging with the hopes of working at an aging institute, where I can collaborate with other researchers to learn more about the process of aging.  

Clubs and organizations:
University Scholars, Psychology Honors Program, former member of the Stony Brook Women’s Rugby team

Advice for future Seawolves?
I would tell potential Seawolves to cherish their time at Stony Brook and to pursue any interests that they may have. You only live once, and Stony Brook is a great place to find your passion while also having fun.

Favorite SBU memory?
There are so many memories that I have from Stony Brook, so it is hard to pick just one. But events such as Roth Regatta and WolfStock were always experiences that I looked forward to going to every year. I do not know any other college students outside of Stony Brook who have ever seen or experienced anything even close to Roth Regatta, so it will always be a great story to share.

Parting thoughts:
I would like to thank everyone at Stony Brook who has made my experience so amazing. I have learned so much about myself and the world around me while being there. Specifically, I would like to thank Dr. Hoi-Chung Leung for being my mentor and always encouraging me to go after my scholarly interests. I also want to thank my friends in apartment 306 for keeping me sane and making my experience better than I thought it could be. Last and certainly not least, I owe a lot to my family and friends back home – your support means the world.