Alyssa Clark, a first-year graduate student in the master’s in developmental psychology program, is a recipient of the 2017 Berk Developmental Graduate Teaching Fellowship.
A 2017 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University with a major in psychology and a double minor in vocal performance and English, Clark received a handful of academic awards, including the Academic achievement award in psychology and the outstanding scholastic achievement award in psychology. She spent her senior year working to graduate with departmental honors in psychology by creating, conducting, and defending a research project that consisted of a longitudinal study on journal writing.
In addition to academics, Clark also took advantages of opportunities outside her major, travelling to Italy with the chamber choir and competing in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) with an all-female a Capella group. A selection of her creative writing was also published and performed on campus.
“I chose to study psychology in graduate school because it has always been the subject that entices me the most,” Clark said. “I’ve always wanted to continue learning as much as possible about it.”
Wanting to remain open to any opportunities that might present themselves, Clark hasn’t yet decided on her future path. However, she is currently leaning toward pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology after she has completed her master’s degree and is considering the possibly of becoming a professor in the future.
Distinguished Professor Psychology Emerita Laura Berk established the Developmental Psychology Graduate Teaching Fellowship for a master’s student admitted to developmental psychology. The fellowship supports a second-year graduate student with an assistantship for teaching a developmental psychology course. The department also provides the student with a full-tuition waiver. Each year the developmental psychology faculty selects a first-year graduate student as the Fellow; the student’s faculty mentor helps prepare the student to teach a college-level class during the following academic year.
The Berk Developmental Graduate Teaching Fellowship awardee will be recognized at the Department of Psychology’s 2017 Alumni Day Awards Ceremony Friday, October 20, at 3:30 p.m. in 551 DeGarmo Hall. The department will also hold its annual Alumni Day Dinner later that same evening at Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano.
