About Our Graduate Students

Celeste Kidd is a fourth year graduate student focusing on early langauge and cognitive development with Dr. Richard Aslin.  She came to Rochester with a  BA in Linguistics and Print Journalism from University of Southern California Los Angeles.

• "I chose Rochester because it's the best place for me to work to become an independent, productive research scientist. First, the population of researchers here-faculty members and students-are incredibly friendly, supportive, engaged, and (most importantly to me) deeply involved in pursing answers to big, ambitious research questions. It's the sort of environment that's highly conducive to information sharing and collaboration. When I have a new research idea I'm excited about, it's easy to find knowledgeable people to talk with about it. When I have an idea for a project that would be too big for me to tackle alone, there are always other people around who are interested in working with me or helping out. Second, the structure of the program ensures that all the graduate students have a strong, fundamental knowledge base, but it's also incredibly flexible and really accommodates the pursuit of individual research interests. The department has considerable financial support for graduate students and research projects, and the courses and departmental requirements are all structured around helping us become great scientists."

Elisabeth Karuza is a second-year graduate student studying the neural basis of language acquisition under Elissa Newport. Lizz came to Rochester with a B.A. in Linguistics from Georgetown University.

• "Born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., I was a little hesitant to return to the snow belt after finishing college in D.C. (winters there seemed downright tropical by comparison). Given BCS' reputation as an exceptional graduate program, I decided to submit an application anyway. During recruitment weekend, I was struck almost immediately by how closely BCS fit each of the criteria I had been considering: high productivity, excellent job placement of alumni, comprehensive coursework, low associated cost of living, and a stipend that meant I would not have to worry about just scraping by. Most importantly, I was impressed by the set of academic values I observed. In addition to supporting the role of women in the sciences, the department fosters a collaborative atmosphere among faculty members and graduate students spanning the various branches of cognitive science. The relationships between faculty and the students they advise are uniquely nurturing. Now in my second year at Rochester, I feel inspired and encouraged to explore exciting research questions and methodologies. I continue to be confident that I made the decision that was right for me."

Laurel Issen is a fifth year graduate student working on vision rehabilitation of stroke patients with David Knill and Krystel Huxlin. Laurel has B.S. degree in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Austin.

• "I wasn't sold on Rochester until I visited. Several places had interesting projects in vision that I wanted to work on, and David Knill's work was included in that. But unlike a lot of other incoming graduate students who seemed to come in with a focused plan, I came a roundabout way toward studying vision and the brain, and I knew I needed a bit of flexibility in choosing a project. When I visited, I saw that this department was such a great community—all of the scientists were familiar with each others' work and collaborated frequently, and the graduate students were a tight-knit group of friends spanning all the department's disciplines. Having centralized funding from the department was a big deal because as I predicted, my research interests have shifted a bit. I'm finishing up my original project, but there was no red tape about running in a new direction and collaborating with Krystel Huxlin in the medical center. I had an idea, and now I'm able to work on it. To me, that's what science is all about!"

Kevin Dieter is a third year graduate student studying visual motion perception. He came to Rochester after earning a B.A. in Cognitive Science from Johns Hopkins University.

• "My attention was first drawn to Rochester because of its reputation for excellence both as a whole institution and in the particular field of vision science. What I learned when I visited is that this excellence stemmed not only from talented individuals, but from a strong and supportive community with an unparalleled desire to solve problems through collaboration rather than competition. The diversity of research questions and approaches utilized at Rochester also ensure me that I will be well prepared to study whatever research questions I eventually settle on. As a new student, it was extremely comforting to arrive knowing that there was a whole community waiting to support me. And I know that in the future this same community will foster my curiosity and lead me towards exciting discovery."