An unusual gap year By Kriti Kalary UA’25 and Jim Stellar Kriti came to the University at Albany with acceptance already assured into SUNY Upstate Medical School. She also had sufficient advanced placement credits from high school that she will … Continued
How I decide to change my major or not By Kaya Dulik UA’27 and Jim Stellar I (KD) am a sophomore who came back to her freshman seminar professor (JS) to discuss what I should study now, starting as a … Continued
I graduated. Now what? – Pursuing excellence in a gap year and for subsequent graduate school By Paige Shellhammer UA’24 and Jim Stellar People were discouraging me (PS) from taking a gap year. They would commonly say, “You will not … Continued
How does prefrontal cortical function impact the hedonic continuum? By Dana Morales’ UA 25 and Jim Stellar What is the hedonic continuum and how does it relate to approach-withdrawal? The hedonic continuum is a device psychologists use to arrange happiness … Continued
Working at a job after college – what it tells the student heart and head By Chloe Woodward UA’24 and Jim Stellar We wrote a previous blog about her graduation. Now that she has spent at least 5 months on … Continued
Theta brain waves and child development By DeMaris Richardson ECU’21 and Jim Stellar Picture this: You’re a 9-year-old coming in after an exhausting day of fourth grade. You throw your bag down and plop on the couch. Slowly, your eyes … Continued
How does the social surround influence the pursuit of excellence? By Zaila Brinson UA’27 and James Stellar Zaila and I met in a 1-credit freshman class. She began her undergraduate career as a biology major, but switched to an English … Continued
How does PTSD or taste aversion make a change in the brain from one single experience? By Lauren Bosch UA’24 and Jim Stellar We know that the brain changes with experience. Typically it takes some time for the learning to … Continued
The law, the brain, operant psychology, and the intersection By Nicolle Kouw UA’24 and Jim Stellar This conversation began in NK’s spring senior year class (How the Brain Decides). The idea in that class was that the cognitive system (neocortex) … Continued
First Impressions: How does the limbic system make that assessment? By Kaeci Charles UA’26 and Jim Stellar One important book to us is “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell who talks about first impressions and how they are intuitive judgments. This fits … Continued