On June 2, 2021, a number of psychology doctoral students will officially graduate at UBC’s virtual graduation ceremony.
From contributing to the statistical methods used in psychological research—to understanding how cultural factors influence sexuality among young Chinese and Euro-Caucasian women and men—to investigating the core cognitive properties of the mind and of learning, these graduates are addressing today’s complex societal challenges.
We congratulate our graduating doctoral students and celebrate their accomplishments with great pride.
Read more about their research, why they chose UBC, and their words of wisdom for future graduate students.
Dr. Carolyn Baer
Dissertation title: Developing a Sense of Certainty
Doctoral citation
Dr. Baer investigated the development of our sensitivity to confidence, the subjective signal that tells us when we are right. She found that children’s confidence combines multiple sources of information to create broadly-usable assessments of truth. Her work informs our understanding of the core cognitive properties of the mind and of learning.
Why did you choose to study at UBC Psychology?
I sought out an environment that would both challenge and support me. UBC Psychology, and more specifically my supervisor Dr. Darko Odic, encouraged my growth as a scientist and scholar while making me feel valued and supported as a person, which was essential to handle the ups and downs of a PhD.
What drove you to study your line of research?
I want to understand what makes humans so smart yet so dumb. We are so good at learning, but we also believe truly weird things sometimes. My work centers on how we form feelings of confidence in our thoughts, focusing on children as a way to understand the basic components of confidence. By understanding what the basic components are and how they are subject to change, we better understand how a generally good learning tool can sometimes lead us astray.
What advice do you have for others considering graduate school?
Oh, I have so much advice here, but I’ll keep it short. Go in with a plan: Identify the skills you’re looking to learn from grad school (as well as the other ways you could learn those skills and the limitations of grad programs in teaching you all skills). Don’t ‘put your life on hold’ to do grad school: you can play the ‘I’ll be happy once I do X’ game forever if you don’t give yourself permission to be happy now. Find your people: academia is a team sport, and you deserve a balance of great mentors, colleagues, and fans.
Dr. Silvain Dang
Dissertation title: Using the dual control model to understand Chinese and Western cultural influences in sexuality for university women and men
Doctoral citation
Dr. Dang studied how cultural factors influence sexuality among young Chinese and Euro-Caucasian women and men. His worked showed that cultural and ethnic differences primarily impact sexual inhibition among men, and sexual excitation among women. His research will inform treatments for sexual difficulties in ethnically diverse populations.
Why did you choose to study at UBC Psychology?
The UBC Psychology department and PhD program provided an amazing combination of great research mentors who are leaders in the field, the flexibility for me to study the topics I’m most interested in, and a balance between research and clinical training that allows me to build a career which fits for my goals and passions.
What drove you to study your line of research?
I chose to study sexuality because of how taboo of a topic it can be, despite how important and complex it is. I’ve always been fascinated by things that people tend to avoid, because I think a lot of problems in our world are created by us attempting to silence or run away from something that scares us. I believe it is vitally important for us to broach such challenging topics, to create safety and openness towards sexuality and all its complex intersections with other aspects of the human experience.
Is there a single moment or highlight or person in your academic journey that stands out?
There are so many important people and highlights it’s hard to pick just one! Maybe the one that started it all though was when I was in my first year undergrad at UBC. I was in a general BSc at the time and took PSYC 100 as an elective, not really knowing what to expect. I found that, of all my courses (which were all interesting in their own ways), psychology was the one that resonated with my own experiences and that I could see how it impacted my own life. That was when I became passionate about this field and it has been a huge part of my life ever since.
What six words best describe your experience as a Psychology PhD student?
Challenging, rewarding, humbling, validating, empirical, surreal.
What advice do you have for others considering graduate school?
Graduate school is hard work, potentially very long (if you do the PhD), and full of uncertainties. It is not the easy path to wealth, power, or immediate gratification. But it is an amazing opportunity to foster and nurture a lifelong passion for learning about our world and ourselves, and to receive invaluable support and mentorship along the way.
Dr. Xijuan (Cathy) Zhang
Dissertation title: Examining How Missing Data Affect Approximate Fit Indices in Structural Equation Modelling Under Different Estimation Methods
Doctoral citation
Dr. Zhang’s research explained why the current method used in psychological research for handling missing data may distort the results regarding the fit of statistical models. She also developed two alternative methods that can correctly estimate the model fit. Her research contributes to the statistical methods used in psychological research.
Why did you choose to study at UBC Psychology?
Because the professor I want to work with is at UBC Psychology.
What drove you to study your line of research?
Curiosity.
Is there a single moment or highlight or person in your academic journey that stands out?
It would definitely be my supervisor Dr. Victoria Savalei. Her dedication to research inspires me to be a good researcher.
What six words best describe your experience as a Psychology PhD student?
Not as hard as I thought.
What advice do you have for others considering graduate school?
Take it easy.
UBC Psychology PhD students Jordan Brace, Siba Ghrear, Pavel Kozik, and Victoria Michalowski are also graduating in spring 2021.
Congratulations and all the best to the graduating Class of 2021!
