Naomi Szanto is a junior Psychology major with a Spanish minor. She plans to pursue a doctoral degree in health psychology and has come to realize the value of gaining research experience as she prepares for this goal.

Since October 2016, Naomi has been active as a research assistant in the Adult Anxiety Clinic at Temple (AACT), which is run by Dr. Richard Heimberg. Her position involves assisting with participant recruitment, directing participants through experimental procedures, and data coding. Naomi is also able to receive academic credit for these activities.

The Department of Psychology offers undergraduate students the opportunity to volunteer in labs representing a wide range of psychological interests,and apply their volunteer time for academic credit. Naomi explained that she used this opportunity as a stepping stone to "gain a deeper understanding of mental illness," and hopes to incorporate her undergrad experiences into her future career. 

In addition to volunteering at the AACT, she has also interned at Tuttleman Counseling Services and was a former Vice President of Active Minds. In her role at Active Minds, she developed events to utilize student voices to change the stigma associated with mental health concerns. Naomi is currently serving as an ambassador for the College of Liberal Arts, representing the undergraduate population to alumni and hosting events for prospective students. She encourages current students to explore various fields of psychology by getting involved with opportunities on and off-campus.

If you are interested in receiving academic credit for collaborative research, please contact academic advisor, Nicole Pileggi at nicole.pileggi@temple.edu.